Page 54 of Reclaimed Roots

"Crystal," Chase muttered, his cheeks flushing red. He pushed back from the table, mumbling some excuse about needing to return a call before beating a hasty retreat.

Silence descended on the table, broken only by the scrape of Natalie's fork against her plate as she took a dainty bite of pie. Then Elliot let out a low whistle. "Damn, Nat. That was badass."

Natalie shrugged. "Just setting some boundaries. Chase is a good guy, but he needs to learn to keep it in his pants."

Mom cleared her throat delicately. "Well said, dear. Now, who wants coffee with their pie?"

As the conversation resumed around us, Natalie caught my eye, her expression melting into something tender and intimate. She reached under the table to find my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

I squeezed back, my heart so full it felt like it might burst. That woman amazed me.

Humbled me.

Made me want to be a better man.

The kind of partner she deserved.

The kind who would chase after her while she chased her dreams.

Chapter Twenty-Three

JASPER

I gruntedwith exertion as I loaded the last cooler onto the boat. The ice sloshing inside promised cold drinks and good times ahead. It was a perfect mid-summer day—blue skies, a light breeze off the water, and that golden quality to the light that only comes this time of year.

Days like this, it was easy to forget all the bullshit. The stress of the orchard, the wounds of the past, the uncertainty of the future. Out here on the lake with the people I loved most, it all seemed insignificant.

"Jasper! Heads up!"

I turned just in time to catch the tube of sunscreen Elliot lobbed my way. I grinned and saluted him with it. "Thanks, bro. Can't have that fair Everton skin crisping up."

Elliot rolled his eyes and hopped down into the boat. "Spend some more time working outside and you'd already have a tan, pretty boy."

I flipped him off good-naturedly. My attention wasalready wandering to the vision in the red bikini top and frayed denim shorts climbing aboard. Natalie looked like a dream, all long legs and sun-kissed skin, her dark hair piled on top of her head.

She caught me staring and quirked an eyebrow. "See something you like?"

"Always," I said, pulling her into my arms. She rose up on her toes to brush a kiss across my mouth. It was chaste, sweet, but I felt it all the way to my dick. Every casual caress from her was a live-wire straight to my heart.

"Ugh, get a room!" Chase swaggered up to the boat, a case of beer tucked under one arm. "You're triggering my gag reflex."

Natalie pulled away with a laugh. "Jealousy is a disease, Chase. Get well soon."

Chase gasped, clutching his chest. "And here I thought we were besties."

"In your dreams." But she was grinning as she said it. If anyone could give him his shit right back, it was my girl. And I fucking loved that about her.

Despite the bullshit that went down at the bar, there was genuine affection beneath their snark. I could've held a grudge against my big brother, but why?

I got the girl, and he got a black eye.

Plus, he'd backed off substantially since she put him in his place at dinner a few weeks ago. Since then, things had been comfortable. Normal.

Natalie had always been one of us in all the ways thatmattered. It felt more and more like she never left with each day that passed, each night she slept in my bed.

The weird part? We were really justsleeping. We hadn't actuallyslepttogether. And now that it was athing, I didn't know how to take that step. So we kissed and touched and got each other off, but damn, I wanted to fuck her so bad.

It was killing me.

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