Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 60231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60231 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 301(@200wpm)___ 241(@250wpm)___ 201(@300wpm)
My jaw drops. “That’s what you have to tell me, and you hope I’m not mad?” I smack his chest, earning an ouch from Luke. “And don’t patronize me with that ouch.”
He laughs, licking his lips.
“I’d like to see Gavin,” I say, thinking about his adorable smile.
“Good. Because he’s here.”
“He is?”
Luke gives me the sweetest, sexiest grin that melts me to my core. “Come on.”
CHAPTER 7
Luke
“It’s me!” Gavin shouts from the entryway moments before Laina and I come around the corner. “Wow. She really is here.”
Laina giggles and runs toward my brother. He thrusts a pizza at me and drops a few bags to the floor just in time to catch Laina in a huge hug.
“Sure. Leave me here holding the pizza,” I mumble.
Gavin looks at me over Laina’s shoulder and winks.
“My gosh, Gavin,” she says, pulling away from him. “It’s so good to see you.”
“I’m as handsome as ever, right?”
She laughs, her cheeks rosy. “How are you? What have you been up to?”
“Oh, the regular. Working at Steele’s Farm during the day and The Wet Whistle some nights for shits and giggles.”
“Sounds downright delightful,” Laina says. “Are you seeing anyone? Married? Kids?”
“Guess you haven’t been following him online,” I say under my breath.
She hears me and casts me a smile.
“Me?” Gavin asks. “Hell, no. Kids are a hard limit. I remember what a pain in the ass I was growing up, and I have absolutely no interest in offering the universe a chance to pay me back.”
“Fair,” she says.
“And no lady friend at the moment. I’m kinda enjoying my freedom.”
Laina crosses her arms over her chest. “Trust me. Be careful in relationships because, before you know it, you can be standing in a church about to get married and realize it’s the worst thing you could ever do.”
Gavin makes a face. “Yeah. That’s a hard no from me.” He bends down and picks up the bags. “I came bearing gifts.”
“Ooh, you did?” Laina asks.
“Luke asked me to round up a few things for you, so I worked some magic.”
She looks over her shoulder and gives me a soft grin. It hits me square in the heart. Oof.
“I have a couple of shirts and shorts, courtesy of Kennedy, who now thinks I have a woman trapped in my house or something.” He shakes his head. “I told her she was sick and couldn’t go home, and she just kind of smirked at me.” He looks at me. “How does she do that?”
“Because she’s us, Gav.”
He snorts. “Poor Chase. Anyway, I also brought you a prepaid cell phone.” He hands a box to Laina. “You’ll have to activate it. All the stuff is in this bag. And I also didn’t ask for this, but Kennedy sent shampoo and face wash and stuff. Apparently, she thinks I’m a heathen and have no toiletries.”
“Do you?” I ask.
“Hell, no.”
We all laugh.
It’s so nice to stand here with the two of them, talking about stupid shit. Gavin and I see each other just about every day at some point, but it’s different tonight.
I take in Laina and observe her interaction with my brother.
Or maybe she’s just the difference.
“This was so sweet of you, Gavin,” Laina says, grinning at me. “And you, too, Luke.”
“Hey, he might’ve requested this stuff, but I’m the one who did the dirty work,” Gavin says. “I even went to town and battled the crowds from the wedding ….” He stops and frowns. “Shit. Sorry.”
Laina shakes her head. “It’s fine. Don’t be sorry.”
Gavin doesn’t look convinced but moves along anyway. “I got you snacks and juice boxes.” He pulls a bundle of cherry-flavored children’s drinks from a bag. “Ta-da!”
“I haven’t had one of these in forever,” she says, taking the package from him. “How did you think of this?”
“That one is all me. You know how you associate people with odd things? Or maybe it’s just me that does it,” Gavin says.
“No, I do it, too,” Laina says.
“Me, too,” I say. “I can’t think of Mallet and not think of that pink bubble gum that he always chewed. He’d stick it under the table before dinner until Mom caught on and about killed him.”
Gavin laughs. “I associate Laina with cherry drinks because that one summer we mixed the hell out of that shit with vodka. Do you guys remember that? We’d get the alcohol, and Laina would get the juice or whatever that stuff actually is.”
She catches my eye, and we exchange a look. How could I forget that summer? Skinny-dipping at the lake. Driving around for hours with her next to me while listening to classic rock. Getting hamburgers from The Wet Whistle and driving out into one of Cotton’s fields to talk until the stars came out.
It was one of the best summers of my life.
“And I brought you guys dinner,” he says, nodding toward the pizza in my hand. “I figured you’d had enough for the day and just wanted to relax.”