Page 100 of South of The Skyway

“Good,” Rhyett said simply. “It’s good to be very clear with Jameson; never leave any room for confusion.”

“And what are we being clear about, exactly?”

“That you’re mine, baby. Strictly off limits. You can read about whatever you want, but there’s nobody I love enough to ever let them touch you.”

His words triggered something primal inside me. The feminist in me wanted to protest, but the fear and outrage only made it as far as the back of my throat, because I couldn’t even argue with him. He spoke the truth, and that’s what terrified me.

Inhaling was still about as easy as bathing a feral cat when we caught up with Milo and Juniper at the cafe beside the bookstore.

They’d already ordered appetizers by the time we settled in our seats. Jameson had hung back to tell us where they’d all gone, though he hadn’t said a word and simply led the way when we emerged.

A platterof bruschetta and a round of tableside guacamole later, Juniper and Rhyett were debating the deep complexities of selecting the proper fridge for the industry-worthy kitchen they’d designed together.

“I think that will work fine. I just think the smart fridges are so fancy,” Juniper said happily, draining the last of her mojito. “I’m so scatterbrained that a shelf updating my shopping list isn’t the worst idea in the world.”

“Creepy is more like it,” Milo muttered under his breath. He’d been relatively neutral in the entire debate, but the subtle quirks of his lips had me thinking he was team-Rhyett the whole time and unwilling to get in the middle of it.

“Are we still doing the pool?” Hadlee said, absentmindedly tapping away on her phone, as she had been for the duration of the great fridge debacle of the twenty-first century.

“Next spring, Had,” Rhyett said simply, but Jameson wasn’t having it.

“Maybe if you got off the internet and actually listened, you would've heard that the first time.” Jameson snipped. Hadlee didn’t miss a beat.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a dick, I’d take you out to dinner courtesy of the five-figure deal I just closed.”

Milo’s fork froze mid-air with a bite of whatever he’d ordered in some spicy-looking red sauce, while Juniper’s hit the table with a thud before she gasped. Elora smirked knowingly at her brother right as Rhyett erupted in a whoop.

“Nicely done, Had!” He reached over my head to offer her a high-five, and I laughed when it turned into a hair ruffle.Brothers. Not that I knew from personal experience, but it seemed a very big brother thing for him to do. Her trill of laughter was cut off by the explosion of questions that circled the table. Hadlee gave us the down-low on the travel magazine that had hired her for freelance work with a pretty price tag, four weeks’ worth of free hotels throughout the country, and compensation for airfare or mileage.

That was one way to see the country.

Something like jealousy sat bitter on my tongue. Not jealousy of Hadlee, per se, but rather just a bitter twist that I hadn’t thought to do something so courageously ambitious. Here she was, years younger than me, and hitting the gas full throttle. I could learn from that level of tenacity. Someone like that would grow the bookstore faster than I’d ever dreamed.

“Oh,” Juniper squeaked, throat bobbing as she pressed both middle fingers into her tear ducts like she could forcibly contain the pride brimming in her eyes. “One baby is coming home after years away, starting a personal coaching business all by herself.” That had to be Elora. “Another about to take over as boat captain. Hadlee landing five-figure travel deals. And Rhyett finally found someone who loves him. I just couldn’t be more grateful.”

My stomach dropped, my mind retaining enough sense to worry that the blood in my face had gone with it. Rhyett just laughed.

“You act like I’m a sixty-year-old bachelor, Mom.”

“Oh shush, just let a mother be happy.”

“I’m not saying don’t be happy, just don’t act like I’m on my deathbed. I’m in my prime, over here…” His words trailed off into the suddenly deafening buzz that had invaded my ears. Nausea swam circles in my stomach. She wasn’t…wrong. She wasn’t wrong at all, in fact.

I was in love with Rhyett Rhodes.

I was in love with the man who was supposed to be a one-night stand. Fuck, I had fallen for someone a decade older than me, someone wonderful and ambitious and successful. Who prioritized my pleasure like a fucking currency who—

I chugged my water, setting it down with a clink, disoriented when it did nothing to quench the desert in my mouth. Looking around for our server and coming up empty, I snatched Rhyett’s next. Vaguely, I knew he’d glanced in my direction as I stole it, but I couldn’t look up at him, my ears still too full of cotton to hear the conversation.

Rhyett wasn’t just better than I’d ever dreamed of. So was his family. It was beyond me, but somehow this rag-tag group of siblings genuinely loved each other. Sarcastic quips and subtle digs might have been an art form, but it was obvious even to my untrained, bitter eyes that they actually gave a shit at a deep level. Maybe the missing half of them were total pricks, but I didn’t think so. They were kind and welcoming and easy to be around. Perhaps a little huggy for my taste, but at least it came from a good place.

There wasn’t a world in the universe where I knew how todothat,bethat for someone. Let alone fourteen someone’s. And, oh God, if we had kids…

“I’m not feeling well,” I said softly, not sure if anyone but Rhyett heard me over whatever exchange was playing up and down the seats like a light-up piano. My napkin settled where my ass had just been as I stepped around the chair. I was too busy trying not to puke to pay them any mind. “Please excuse me.”

Maybe Rhyett said something, but I certainly didn’t hear it as I made a beeline for the bookstore.

FORTY-FIVE

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