Page 42 of The Wayward Sons & the Seattle Sirens

“Us,” Mal corrected.

“Oh, I ain’t in charge of that. No, ma’am.” I shook my head adamantly. There was no way in hell I was stepping in the middle of their relationship. That shit was complicated enough. “If you want a whole relationship with your brother, you need to do the fuckin’ work.”

“I’ve done the work,” she faltered even as she said it.

“Don’t you try lyin’ to me too,” I warned Mal when he opened his mouth to say something. “I sure as fuck know both of you ain’t had a damn thing to do with him for fuckin’ years. Life and all that, I get that. But if you want him in your life, you got to fuckin’ try. That man fuckin’ dropped every goddamn thing to come rescue your ass and help you rescue your husband’s ass. He damn near killed himself tryin’ to help y’all. And no, before you say shit, I ain’t on your side. I’m on his side every fuckin’ time. If you want Ryder in your life then fuckin’ try. You want him to tell you shit then fuckin’ tell him shit.”

I sounded like a fucking dad scolding his goddamn kids. But I stuck by what I said. I knew Ryder wasn’t good at keeping in touch with them, but they needed to keep in touch with him too. Shit, this kind of drama made me glad I didn’t have siblings. This shit was complicated.

“You give that man an inch, I promise he’ll go the fuckin’ mile,” I continued. A trait I both loved and hated about Ryder. “Just pick up the goddamn phone and send him pictures of Jo or a text message or some shit. It ain’t that complicated. Text him Star Wars shit for Christ’s sake.”

Mal laughed because we both knew Ryder would absolutely entertain stupid conversations about that damn series with Mal if he texted about it. That was just Ryder.

“Okay,” Tessa said. From the way that woman stared at me, she had about half a million other things she wanted to say to me. I sighed and popped a fry in my mouth as I waited for her to continue speaking. If she and Ryder fixed their shit, that meant I was stuck with her. I was stuck with all their dumbasses as family.

And that single thought made me fucking smile.

CHAPTER 33

Gray! We can’t keep the baby!” I yelled after Gray. Things I never thought I’d say.

“That man better give back my baby,” Tessa grumbled.

“Oh, I ain’t keepin’ her,” he told us as he wandered across the parking lot with Jo half over his shoulder. She giggled and babbled the whole way. “But I am teachin’ her about the good music.”

“That man is about to play Taylor Swift for her,” she said.

“That man is about to play Taylor Swift for her,” I agreed with a stupid smile. God, I loved him. I shoved my hands in my pockets as I watched Gray turn on our car and sit in the front seat with our niece. As soon as the engine turned on, he had his song playing and danced in the front seat with Jo.

And while all of that was funny, the entertainment only increased as Jake joined them. What ensued was nothing short of a literal dance party when Gray stepped back out of the vehicle to make it a whole thing. The two passed Jo around, dancing and making a scene.

“Why… why is my husband joining them?” Tessa asked.

“I don’t know, but that little girl has two grown men dancing in a fucking parking lot to teenage pop songs,” Mal commented.

“I like him.” Her shoulder bumped into mine.

“Me too,” he chimed in. “You should keep him. Unless the whole temporary thing is still in play. Is there a cutoff for when it stops being temporary?”

“Mal!” she exclaimed.

“What? It’s a legitimate question!”

“I bought a ring,” I told them quietly.

“You what?” Their response was in unison as they faced me. I shrugged.

“I bought a ring,” I repeated.

“Oh, my fucking God—ow!” Mal’s rant was cut short as Tessa smacked him hard on the shoulder.

“How long ago?” Tessa asked.

“I bought it… four years ago? Something like that. I don’t know,” I said. I kept my gaze on Gray, loving every moment of his simple antics. “I don’t even know if he’d say yes, or if it’s even worth asking, but I have it in my wallet.”

“You two are so fucking clueless,” Mal replied. What the hell did that mean?

“Don’t you say a word,” she snapped.

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