Page 10 of Thick & Thin

I missed Devin, but I was happy for him. I went from seeing him every day when he lived at home to seeing him a few times a week. He was a family man now, married to the perfect woman and raising a daughter who was so much like me when I was little, I almost felt sorry for him. Emma bear was my world, and she knew it, which meant she got whatever she wanted from me.

He sighed at my wording and hugged me back. “Language, Jenny,” he muttered.

Daddy chuckled. “You might as well give that up, Devin. That ship sailed a long time ago.”

“Yeah, but she’s got Emma sayingshitnow.”

“Whoops.”

He shook his head. “Yeah. Whoops.” He moved across the room, his heavy boots thumping against the old linoleum flooring. “Where’re you off to?” he asked, opening the refrigerator and grabbing one of Dad’s beers.

“Player’s Place with Josh and the guys.”

“You skip and float today?”

I nodded. “Yep. I’m worn out too, but soon I’ll be in Texas with that full ride, so I better enjoy it while I can.”

Devin and Dad both smiled.

The day I had received my acceptance letter to Texas A&M, my dad cried. One because I would be halfway across the country from him, but also because he was proud of me. If I never accomplished another thing in my life, earning his pride at that moment would see me through.

Devin settled his heavy hand on my shoulder, and my eyes trailed up his sleeve of tattoos noticing a few new ones he had gotten for Lilly and Emma.

“We’re so fucking proud of you, Jen.”

I nodded again, feeling tears press against the back of my lids. Then I shrugged his hand from my shoulder.

“Don’t go getting soft on me, Dev. I swear, Lilly’s ruined you.”

At that, he chuckled, and Dad laughed.

I was raised by two alphas, and growing up, I often wondered how different I would be if my mom had stuck around, but these days, I no longer thought shit like that. I was proud to have been raised by two strong males. It made me stronger.

“A woman will do that to you,” Dad said, shaking his head.

Our mother had a done a number on him, leaving him to raise two kids and apparently running off and starting a new family before dying of cancer. We didn’t talk about it. Ever.

“Listen, if Josh drinks, then you drive,” Devin said, repeating what Dad had said earlier.

“I will. No worries.”

“Then have fun,” he said before turning toward Dad. “Show me what you were talking about earlier. I’ll see if I can figure it out.”

Then they were out the door and in the garage, standing over the open hood of the Dodge Dad had been working on for the past few days.

I started a load of laundry while I waited for Josh, washing the sand and river water from my clothes while I was out for the night. Lilly, Devin’s wife, had given our laundry room a farmhouse makeover for Dad’s birthday. Instead of our old, rusted washer and dryer, we had a new set of front loaders I barely knew how to use, and I was surrounded with fresh walls and farmhouse quotes. Even I had to admit she had done a great job.

Our little modest house was coming together now that Dad had let up some and allowed Lilly and Devin to remodel for him. Dad was never one to take handouts, but Lilly assured him it was her job as his daughter to make sure he had a comfortable place to grow old in. He agreed, grinning at her, knowing good and well he could never say no to her. She had won him over from the start.

Once I got the washer started, I heard the loud rumble of Josh’s truck as he pulled up. By the time I stepped out onto the front porch, the screened door smacking closed behind me, I walked up to the three most important men in my life leaning against Josh’s truck. Arms crossed and laughing at something.

Dad and Devin were wearing their usual mechanics uniform, and Josh had on a pair of faded jeans and a black T-shirt. His hair was wet on the ends from his shower, and his cheeks were flushed a bit from being in the sun all day. He was so gorgeous.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. Just bullshitting with your dad and Dev. You ready?” he asked, popping open the passenger’s side door as if we were on a date.

Daddy and Devin grinned at me before Devin pretended to cough behind his large hand. I rolled my eyes and moved to get into the truck.

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