Page 97 of Moonlight & Matrimony
Miles sighs, running his hands through his tousled hair and tugging violently at the roots. “No,youdon’t get it. You have her back. She’s at your fucking fingertips, and you’re content to just let her slip away again. And for what? Because you’re afraid she’ll leave? She will, but only if you don’t give her a damn good reason to stay. It’s time for you to put your big boy pants on and fight for her. Or maybe you’re not the man I thought you were.”
I’m stunned silent as Rosie slides a stack of pancakes in front of my friend, eying me curiously. “He’s right, you know.”
“Eavesdropping, Rosie?”
“Always,” she says with a smile, her laughter fading as she saunters back towards the kitchen.
“Sorry, man. I didn’t mean to lose my shit. It’s just frustrating watching you stand in your own way sometimes. The woman you want is right there, go and get her.”
I get the sense this has something to do with a certain brunette who lives about 800 miles away, but I don’t ask. Miles has been going through some shit recently and he needs a friend, not an inquisition. Instead, we eat in companionable silence until both of our plates are cleared and stacked in the middle of the table. “Ok, so what would Miles Barlow do?”
He perks up like a dog hearing the word treat. “Now we’re talking! I think it’s time to call in reinforcements.”
The Brofessors
Miles: Luca’s finally gonna pull his head out of his ass.
Cade: Bout damn time.
Liam: What’s the plan?
Luca: Meet at the Ridge at 4 to brainstorm.
After breakfast, I make the short drive back to the house, resolved to come up with a plan to get my girls back for good. When I pull up to the curb, I’m greeted by a familiar sight that steals the breath from my lungs. Rylin is on the tree swing, her legs pumping slowly as she swings back and forth.
I step onto the curb, pausing to memorize the view. She’s grown so much since that first day; her curls are longer, peeking out from beneath a pom pom tipped hat, her eyes are a little less brilliant, and her smile has faded — I hate it.
“Hey Bug,” I whisper, taking a seat on the tree stump. It reminds me of all the plans we made but never brought to life. Just another thing Austin stole from us right along with our future.
Rylin glances over at me, her blue eyes meeting mine for the first time since the morning they left. “I missed you so much,” I say. “Youandyour mom.”
She watches me with rapt attention, still not speaking but taking in every word. “I visited Chance and Sage and Hazel, too. They were sad for a while, but Griff was taking good care of them.” That gets a small tilt of her lips, so I continue, a little more hopeful. “Oreo is going to have kitties any day now. I wonder what they’ll look like.”
She stops swinging then, her mitten clad hands still clutching the ropes. “I bet there’ll be at least one with little socks like their mama. And maybe an all black kitty, too. Wouldn’t that be cool?”
She hops down from the swing, taking a tentative step in my direction. I open my arms, beckoning her to step into them for a hug, and I’m not disappointed. My girl throws herself at me, her little arms wrapping around my neck as I inhale her sweet scent and memorize the feel of her curls underneath my palm. I don’t know how I lived without them for almost a month. The hug lingers, shattering another small piece of my heart.
“I missed you, little one,” I murmur into her hair.
“Miss you.” It’s barely a whisper, so soft I’m almost certain I’ve imagined it. She shifts in my hold, brushing her nose against mine like she so often does with Ivy.
“Bug? Did you say something?”
She nods, a little light coming back into her eyes as I smile down at her. “Do you want to say something else?” Just those two small words feel monumental, and although I’m dying to hear more, I won't push. She shakes her head. “That’s ok. You talk when you’re ready.”
I kiss her forehead. “Let’s go find mommy, yeah?” She tugs on my hand, leading me up the walkway. I jerk to a stop as I spot Ivy there, arms curled around her knees at the top of the steps.
“Did she… Did she just speak?” she asks. I nod at the love of my life, face turned down and tear stains on her cheeks, wishing I could fix everything that’s broken between us. Rylin releases my hand to sit beside her mom, resting her head on Ivy’s shoulder. Without hesitation, Ivy pulls Rylin onto her lap, wrapping her in a tight embrace. “Love you to the moon infinity,” she whispers.
Suddenly the short distance between us feels insurmountable, and I wonder, not for the first time, if winning her back is even a possibility. I don’t know what she wants anymore; maybe I never did. But I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, I will stop at nothing to bring them back to me for good.
I’m the last to arrive at the Ridge and the place is shockingly quiet for a Thursday night. The guys are all waiting for me at the bar, beers in hand. Liam slides another down the pristine bar topand I catch it, downing the cool liquid in one long pull, barely tasting the bitterness on the way down.
“Shit. Rough day?” Liam asks.
I throw my head up to the ceiling, keeping my emotions in check. “Rylin spoke.”
“Holy shit, dude! That’s amazing. What did she say?”
