Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79968 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 400(@200wpm)___ 320(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
As Harlan and Jax took off toward the food, Rush gave me a faraway look.
“I think I might shed a tear,” he said. “Harlan doesn’t want to bash my skull in, after all.”
I snorted. “And I’m glad for it.”
Rush and I took another few moments on the front porch to ourselves as the party raged on inside, music and chatter floating out through all of the open doors and windows.
For now, however, it was just me and him on the porch, taking a quick moment of solitude before the party really got into full swing.
“Oh,” I said, reaching into my pocket. “I suppose now that the job is fully done, I can give you this back.”
I held out his house key in the palm of my hand.
Rush shook his head. “You keep the key,” he said softly. “I want you to feel welcome in my house any time. As if it were your own. And I mean that.”
My heart squeezed. “You sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything,” he said, stepping out and holding me at my hips.
I let out a breath. “You know Harlan’s right, by the way,” I said. “Your dad really would have been proud of you.”
Rush looked down, running the toe of his shoe over the fresh planks of wood on the porch. For a second, I thought he really might start to cry, but when he looked back up at me, he was giving me a sweet smile.
“For the first time ever, I think I actually agree,” he said.
I ran my fingers through his dark hair. “I love you.”
“I love you so fuckin’ much, Shawn.”
“Bet you’re glad you got with a construction nerd now, huh?” I teased him. “Made your house the perfect get-together spot.”
“I don’t regret it for a moment,” he said, leaning in and resting his forehead on mine. “You’re my construction nerd now, you know. And I don’t think I’m ever going to want to let you go.”
“Good.”
He kissed me. “I thought a relationship might make me feel tied down, but I feel… calmer, with you. And more excited for life, which seems like an impossible combination, but it’s true.”
“Well, I’m yours for as long as you’ll have me.”
“You know what, Shawn?” he said, his eyes sparkling. “I think I did good, teaching you to flirt.”
I laughed. “I guess I flirted with you so hard it made you love me.”
“You sure as hell did.”
Just then, I heard the telltale shouting from inside the house that I knew could only have been coming from my mom—and only for one reason.
“Oh no,” I said.
“What’s wrong? Is she okay?” Rush asked.
“She’s okay, but someone’s about to get hurt,” I said. “Sounds like someone put the Dolly Parton song on the stereo.”
“Shit,” Rush said. “Jolene hates Jolene.”
We both burst out laughing. “Let’s go turn that off and save someone from getting socked in the face by Momma Jo,” I said.
“Right by your side,” Rush said.
The two of us headed back in and defused the situation quickly. Rush persuaded my mom to go outside and help Dad with the grill, and soon she’d forgotten all about the Dolly Parton cardinal sin.
And as I watched Rush get into the fray, I realized something that startled me.
He wasn’t just becoming a part of my world and my family. He was returning to it.
Rush had always felt like he should be right here with us, part of the big, weird sprawling family that made us who we were. And I was so damn lucky that I got to call him mine.
- The End -