Page 76 of Tempt

“I love seeing her so happy.” Gran says, pausing at my side. “The way you love her, the way you look at her, it gives me such comfort. Knowing she has a man that will protect her and hold her up, without judgment, it brings me such joy.”

“She is incredible,” and even that doesn’t begin to describe her.

“I know you’ll take care of her.”

I nod.

“You were raised right,” she says sincerely. “You come from a good family with good values, and I know that there will be a day when I won’t be here... but knowing she has you, and that she is joining a family such as yours, and one that comes with an extended family too. That’s what I want for her. I want her to have a family, I want her to be surrounded by so much love that she’ll never feel alone again.”

“She will, but just so you know, she may have had a rough start, butyougave her a great life. You made her into the woman she is now, and I shouldthankyou, because she is everything.”

“Good man,” Gran says, placing her hand on my arm. Then she gives my bicep a squeeze and a glide of her hand up and down, and another squeeze, before growling. It makes me laugh because it wouldn’t be like her to not take a serious moment and make it dirty.

She too is an amazing woman, a little out of left field, but a damn good woman.

* * *

“Where does this box go?” Terrance asks as he enters the house and looks left and right.

“Bathroom,” Kyra answers before I can.

I smile as she directs everyone and moves around our house with grace. I could watch her all day every day.

Kyra glances up and finds me watching her, winking at me then blowing me a kiss.

“Beer?” Rhett offers as he enters the front door holding up a case.

There are several ‘here’s’that echo over the house. Suddenly all the guys emerge, each taking an offered bottle and then going out the back doors onto the deck.

I take mine and then, pause to press a kiss to my girl’s cheek before I join the guys.

“Look at Garrett,” Colton says once I step outside. “Got the house, the girl and next step is marriage.”

“The way it’s going I’ll be married before you.”

I notice a strange look between Mike and Colton, and I glance around to see if anyone else notices. Everyone continues to carry on and Colton glances down at the ground to avoid me.

“Okay you, two,” I move in closer. “Mike,” I challenge my brother. “You two got something you wanna share?”

Several minutes pass, neither of them saying a thing but I refuse to back down.

“Gretchen,” I holler over my shoulder and a few minutes later she appears in the doorway.

“What?”

“What gives, and before you say nothing, these two dumbasses already gave away that there is in fact... something.”

Gretchen looks at Mike and then at Colton and a smile stretches out over her face.

“You won, didn’t you?”

“Kind of,” she shrugs. “We got married in a small ceremony a week ago and I agreed to allow Maria to throw us a party next month to announce it. But the secret can’t be contained, because I told Grace, then I told Julian and well it's been all downhill from there.”

I chuckle.

“I don’t like to be the center of attention; I prefer quiet and low key.”

I already knew this about her.

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