Page 54 of Falling for Him
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
Bennett
I walk upthe front steps of my brother’s house just as the front door opens and Sutton comes rushing out. Brantley is on her heels and she ducks behind me holding out her hand for him to stop.
“Tell him to back off,” she says, sounding a little out of breath. “It’s one night and I’m literally less than forty-five minutes away. He is being a caveman.”
I grin and glance up to find my brother staring at her with narrowed eyes.
“My wife is supposed to sleep in bed next to me, not on a damn floor in some apartment in Montgomery.”
It’s like a comedy show and I have a front row seat.
“Will you get your head out of your ass you big cranky gorilla? I’ll be back in the morning.”
“You think using my brother as a shield is going to stop me from getting to you?”
“No, but it is giving me a little room to make you stop grumping along enough to listen.”
He arches his brow at her.
“One night,” she says, “with my very best friends. I haven’t had one since I moved in here and it’s for Camryn. I can’t not be there, Brant. In the morning I will be up bright and early and back here. I’ll even bring back a few cinnamon rolls to you.”
“I want it to go on record that I do not like this at all.”
That makes me chuckle.
“One more chuckle out of you and I’m gonna tie you to the chimney and leave you there all night.”
“He is a grumpy gorilla,” I tell Sutton, glancing at her over my shoulder. “I’ll go left, you run for the car,” I tell her and her eyes widen. Suddenly she takes off, Brant goes to move around me and I go right instead. He collides with me, then starts bitching under his breath just as Sutton jumps inside her SUV and slams the door shut.
She taps the horn, backs up, and waves through the front windshield.
“You’re buying dinner, asshole,” he says, spinning around and going back inside. He looks like a scorned child, who just found out Santa wasn’t real.
Our night endsup being a house full of guys, beer, grilled food, and a competitive two-on-two tournament of cornhole.
Brantley came out of his mood, but I noticed him with his phone glued to him all night. Texting and smiling, I assume messing with Sutton.
I randomly got a message here or there, one with Camryn surrounded by everyone as they worked on styling her hair and makeup.
It’s crazy how quickly I’ve grown attached to her. Not really remembering what it was like without her. She is the perfect cross between a tomboy and a frilly girl. She likes dresses and dolls, and she likes fishing and riding four-wheelers.
I’ve already decided once the house is all ready I’m gonna buy Cam her own little four-wheeler. I know Lexi may fight me on it, but in the end I’d win. Between her puppy dog eyes and mine we were good at getting just about anything we wanted out of Lexi.
“You’re up.” Finn flops down in the seat next to me and points toward the game in process. “I give, man.” He shakes his head. “Rory and your brother take this shit entirely too seriously. Me, I just want to sit back and relax after a long ass day of inventory and trying to soothe my mother.”
“How is your dad doing?” About three months ago Finn’s father started showing signs of illness. After weeks of testing, andfeeling like pure shit, the verdict was in. He never smoked a damn day in his life, and he’s got lung cancer.
“Dad’s taking it like a champ, Mom on the other hand is a wreck. She’s trying to keep her head high, but she’s not used to seeing my dad so weak. The chemo and radiation are taking a lot out of him. He’s dropped weight, sleeps more than he doesn’t, and on the nights when it hits him hardest, he can barely keep down water.”
My own father flashes in my mind and I couldn’t imagine seeing him in that state. Buckley O’Shay is a big man, broad, burly, and strong, seeing him like that would destroy me.
The sound of my phone pinging has me reaching into my front pocket and pulling it out. An image of Lexi and Camryn using one of those crazy filters fills my screen and it makes me laugh. They both have balloon heads, their faces ten times larger than they should be.
Instantly I laugh and turn it to Finn who also gets a little chuckle.
“It’s about time you got your head out of your ass,” he says, taking a drink of his beer. I don’t argue, I don’t even react, because truthfully I feel the exact same way.
