Page 94 of Sassy Love
She looks up, taking another sip. “Laws?”
“We’re dancin’.”
“Oh, I would love to, but my feet are killing me.” The smile on her face paired with the mock-innocent look tells me she’s full of shit. “Send my husband back to me when you’re ready, hey.”
These two totally set me up.
Dammit.
I lean over and swipe my hat from the table and push it onto my head before I close in on Reed and the woman who oughta be in my arms right now. Not his.
“Cuttin’ in, bud.” I wave a hand between them.
Reed reaffirms his hold on Carlie. “Yeah, we’re not done,bud.”
Carlie tries and fails to tamp down a grin as Reed whisks her away from me.
Like fuck, little bro.
As he makes the mistake of spinning her around with one hand, I step in and slide my arm around her waist, pulling her to me.
I’m a damn Neanderthal. It’s not my best moment, I’m aware. But the heat washing its way through every inch of my body at watching her happy in some other man’s arms is suffocating me.
Even if it is my brother’s.
I pull her closer, dropping my face into her hair as we take up the rhythm of the song. Her hands move, one sliding across the back of my neck, the other pressing into my chest over my heart.
The first useful lungful floods in.
“Lawson?” she whispers.
“Yeah?”
“Thank you for bringing me with you.”
“My pleasure, Princess.”
We sway our way through the song that will always be my favorite from this single second on. I lift my head and meet her gaze. Silver lines it.
“You okay?” I rasp.
She scrunches up her face and nods. “I’m great.”
Rubes drifts past, closing in on Reed on the other side of the dance floor. So much for sore feet. Somebody bumps into my shoulder, and I turn to find Mack and Gracie, my brother wrapped around his wife from behind as they shimmy across the dance floor. Gracie’s belly leads the way as Mack dips his head to her ear, and she smiles and rolls her head back, planting a kiss on his cheek.
Hudson sits at the head of the table, Addy on his lap, her arms around his neck as they watch their daughter, Hattie, wander around, collecting flowers from everyone’s table.
Fuck, the love and adoration are everywhere. This family of mine is pure heart and soul.
“Now I understand.” Carlie’s hand slips from my chest to my jaw as she holds my gaze.
“What do you understand?” I ask.
“Why you’re such a nice guy.” Her attention wanders around the room, landing on my brothers and their wives, finally resting on my parents who sit at the table, Ma tucked into Harry’s side. The old man’s eyes are closed, whiskey in hand, as he sways his head to the song. “You’re so lucky, Lawson.”
“Yeah, I am,” I rasp.
Christ, what I wouldn’t give to have what the rest of my family has found.
