Page 191 of The Archer Brothers

“Hey, bud. You got this?”

“Yeah, I’m good. Is it okay if I sit with Grace?”

“Yeah, of course. You can sit anywhere you want. If you need me, just holler.”

EJ nods and reaches for a plate. I stay for a minute to make sure he’s all set before heading back to Ryley.

“He’s going to sit with Grace,” I tell her.

“You’re going to have to have ‘the talk’ with him before too long.”

“They’re not old enough,” I point out.

“With the internet, TikTok, and YouTube, they’re old enough. Believe me, I’ve seen some of the stuff online. And I’d rather he knows now than for it to be too late.”

“I’ll talk to him,” I tell her, although it’s the very last thing I want to do. “We’ll start with respect and how you treat a woman.”

Ryley kisses my cheek. “Thank you, Archer. And don’t forget to use real words, like erection and vagina. Don’t sugarcoat anything.”

“Damn, woman. You really know how to sour a mood.” I reach for my beer and take a drink.

She laughs. “Do you want to be a grandpa in five years?”

It’s a good thing I swallowed before she says this. “Five years, he’ll be . . .”

“A horny kid.”

Ryley’s not wrong. When Nate and I were twelve, we used to love going to our friends’ houses because, more often than not, their dads had a box of Playboys in the garage. Shit got real when we’d come across a Hustler. I don’t want that for EJ. Not if I can help it, at least.

I promise to start talking to EJ about the birds and the bees and the changes his body will go through. When we’re done eating, it’s time for Ryley to dance with her father. They dance to Isn’t She Lovely by Stevie Wonder. Jensen spins Ryley around the dance floor while the rest of us look on. And when it’s my turn to dance with my mom, I find that she has changed the song.

“This was mine and your father’s favorite song. We used to dance to it every time he came back from deployment or before he’d leave. I thought it would be nice,” my mom says as Landslide by Fleetwood Mac plays.

“It’s perfect. I had no idea, or I would’ve chosen it.”

When the song finishes, the DJ says he’s open to requests. I have a feeling that before the night is over, he’ll have us on the dance floor, doing the funky chicken. I’m going to need a lot more beer, just in case.

Ryley and I make our rounds. Our guest list is small, and while we know most people, we invited a few colleagues of Jensen and Carole’s. They’re the behind-the-scenes people who helped us unravel the mess we’re in.

Once we’ve thanked everyone, I take Ryley out to dance. I don’t care how I look. I want to remember tonight as being fun and free, and the day after tomorrow, I’ll deal with whoever is fucking with my family. We dance around until the music slows, and then I bring her close to me.

“Are you having fun?”

Ryley nods. “I am. Are you?”

“I am. It’s strange to think that years ago, we probably would’ve had a hundred or more people at our wedding, probably in service people alone, and now, we have barely forty.”

“It’s forty people we love and trust. Our lives are different now. We’re different. Before, it would’ve been a grand affair, but that was years ago. We’ve changed. I want our wedding to be intimate. I love that we’re sharing this moment with our friends and family, and we’ll remember every single bit of it. We know who is here, and we’ll leave tonight knowing we spent time with them.”

There’s a tap on my arm, and I look to find our son standing there. “May I cut in?” he asks, with a hint of laughter in his voice.

I step away from his mom. “Of course.” I put her hand in his and step off to the side, where I find my sister. “Hey, Tink, wanna dance?” I hold my hand out and wait for her to take it. She does and lets me lead her onto the floor.

“So, are you or Nate next?”

Tink scoffs. “I have to find someone first. Nate and Cara seem headed down the path of wedded bliss.”

“Ryley seems to think you have something going on with Rask.”

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