Page 3 of Forever in the Country

“Yeah, that one,” I say and he giggles. “What? Spikes are cool!”

“I’d be a T. rex.” I mock gasp because that answer would surprise absolutely no one. “What about Uncle Wren?”

The way he calls Sorren “Wren” absolutely melts my heart. From the very first day Sorren and Marlee landed in Clementine Creek, I knew he was different. We were all just kids back then, but he was quiet and serious with moments of fun and carefree.

Seeing him smile continues to be one of my very favorite things, because it happens so rarely, I want to make sure to treasure it. The darkness of his early life had ebbed slowly from his eyes over the years, but when he was discharged from the military following an injury, we all stepped up again to help him get back to himself.

I smile at the little boy with messy blond hair in the back seat because he’s gotten to Sorren in a way the rest of us never could. Every single one of Sorren’s rough edges and hard lines melts away when he spends time with Briggs.

I’ve found them passed out together on the couch at more than one family function—Sorren with his hand behind his head and Briggs with his head on Sorren’s chest.

“What’s that other big one? Alphasaurous? Allysaurous?”

“Allosaurus,” Briggs hoots and shimmies from his seat. He thinks I’m hilarious and he’s right. Someday, he’ll be too old for nephew night and won’t think it’s awesome that his aunts and uncles fight over spending time with him.

Until then, I’ll milk it for all it’s worth.

I snap my fingers. “That’s the one.” Briggs never fails to pepper me with his dinosaur knowledge and while I am rusty, Ididgrow up with four brothers.

“Is Uncle Wren coming tonight?”

“You know it.”

“Yes!” Briggs does a little fist pump as I turn onto my street. Sorren’s car is already in the driveway along with Tanner’s. “Dad’s here too!”

A horn beeps behind me as I pull into the driveway. My brother Case waves like a lunatic and his fiancée, Hannah, laughs in the passenger seat. Spilling out into the front yard, my brother scoops Briggs up and throws him over his shoulder. “Coming through!” he bellows as Tanner opens the door.

“Whoa!” Tanner chuckles as he watches Case carry his son into the house. We’ve welcomed Tanner into our family with open arms. He might be Fallon’s ex-husband, but Otto has never made him feel like he wasn’t a part of our family too.

“Dad!” Briggs yells and waves from upside down.

“Hey buddy.” Tanner smiles and it’s so full of love for his son. He’s still getting used to us—and the unending chaos—but nights like these are for family, and whether he likes it or not, he’s part of ours. “Is it all right if I crash nephew night?”

Briggs whoops and then giggles as Case tickles him till he dissolves into belly laughs.

“Need a hand, Rhea?” Tanner asks, and I narrow my eyes playfully.

“Remember the rules of nephew night. We let you come because you’re cool and we like you. But there’s no parenting tonight. Nephew night is sacred. Keep it cool,” I say seriously.

“Yeah, be cool, Dad!” Briggs yells from somewhere inside.

“I’m always cool!” he yells back and then frowns when Case and Briggs start laughing again at his reply.

I pat his shoulder and try to hide my smile. “Can you grab the cupcakes out of the back?” He nods and takes off down the steps.

It’s already pandemonium in my house but I love it. Fallon had confided in us that they’d been isolated when Tanner had been in the Air Force. They did the best they could, but moving to Clementine Creek had been as much about her coming back to her hometown as it was about giving Briggs a life full of love and happiness.

Lucky for them, we’d adopted them all outright and spoiled the daylights out of Briggs.

“Is everything ready?” I ask Sorren as I dump my purse on the counter. He bends down and kisses my cheek like he does every time he sees me.

I ignore the sparks that flare with that single touch.

“It’s all set, Sunshine.” He smirks and I have to brace my hand on the counter. A smile of that magnitude from Sorren Mackay is a thing of beauty. That plus the use of his nickname for me and I’m a goner. “What?” he asks, and I bite my bottom lip in response.

“You’re smiling.”

“I smile,” he deadpans, but his scowl has returned and I can’t do anything but throw my head back and laugh.

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