Page 111 of Honeymoon Phase
“I’m aware.”
“Has she said she loves you?”
I wince and look away.
“This is a disaster,” Everly barks dramatically.
“It’s not a disaster,” I growl, my shoulders tensing with irritation. “We’re good. You don’t need to worry about me and Roe.”
“Luke, she’s known you for years. If she can’t admit that she loves you, then we need to fix this.” Judy comes over just then, bringing three beers and a soda for Everly. As soon as she turns back to put in our food order, Everly dives into planning mode. “You need a grand gesture. An epic moment before the wedding. Look what we did for Calder and Dakota at poker night. You need something like that. Or the baby shower for Wyatt and Trista. The surprise meeting with Cozy and my dad? You need a moment where she can just surrender her whole heart to you.”
“I don’t know, Evs,” I reply, taking a big drink of beer because this all feels overwhelming. “I think I just want to let things land where they are. I don’t want to pressure her.”
“This isn’t pressure, Luke! This is love. Sometimes we have to help it along.” She ties her blond hair back into a clip like she’s preparing for battle. “You start brainstorming your big move with Calder and Wyatt. I need to go check on my special projects.”
“What special projects?”
“Luke,” Everly snaps, losing all humor on her face. “Do you really think I sat over in Ireland and did nothing to help with this wedding?”
I blink back at her. “Um... kind of?”
She rolls her eyes. “I swear you three would be lost without me.”
“Hey!” Calder barks defensively. “I’m not lost at all. I havea growing new business and a girlfriend who tells me she loves me and my cat all the time. I’m in fucking heaven.”
Calder arches a cocky eyebrow that drops the second Everly asks, “When are you going to put a ring on it?”
All humor drains from his face as he broods into his beer. “Dakota needs more time. She just got divorced. Our circumstances are way different than Luke’s.”
Everly eyes Calder warily. “I’ll be watching you two closely over this holiday break. You better not be screwing this up. And you...” Everly swerves her head to stare at Wyatt sitting beside Calder. “Mr. Quiet Wyatt. What’s your status?”
My brother stares back at Everly, not saying a word.
“Baby number two?” she chirps, lifting her brows expectantly.
Wyatt closes his eyes and shakes his head. “I promised Trista we’d get the rescue center built before we discussed more babies.”
“Well, chop, chop! A woman’s fertility doesn’t last forever. Get that center built and get me another cousin or maybe I’ll find Trista a surrogate sperm donor.” She frowns and shakes her head. “I don’t... you know what... forget I said that. Just get to work on the rescue center, okay? I’ll be right back. I need to go make a call.”
She jumps up and marches out of the bar, muttering obscenities under her breath the whole way.
“Ireland has made her even more fucking terrifying,” Calder deadpans.
Wyatt and I nod in agreement.
And as I watch her tapping into her phone outside, I can’t help but frown. Everly’s usually pretty passionate about stuff, but this feels different. It feels like she’s choosing to fixate on our problems to avoid some of her own. And despite my own messof a life, I’m going to get to the bottom of it before she heads back for school.
Judy comes over with a tray of food, eyeing Everly as she gesticulates wildly on her phone. “That girl ain’t right.”
We all nod in agreement as she begins setting our food down in front of us. She pauses when she’s done, shooting us all an uncomfortable look. “Say, I wasn’t sure I should say anything, but I feel like I won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t.”
Wyatt, Calder, and I all straighten in our seats, taking in the obvious shift in Judy’s demeanor.
She puffs out a sharp breath and says, “Robyn told me when she was here last weekend that her and her husband are trying to buy Monroe Lumber.”
Wyatt and Calder’s jaws drop, and I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Now, I know it’s none of my business and you’re all adults, but I just don’t get a good feeling about their intentions with all of this. Her husband has always held a grudge against you boys even after all these years and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re trying to buy it to make your lives miserable.”
