Page 59 of Stolen Vows

He shrugs, his grin wide, as he tosses his keys onto the counter with a metallic clatter. “Maybe I missed my big brother. You ever think of that?”

“No.”

He laughs. “Maybe I wanted to talk about the Gauntlet.”

I grunt, shaking my head. “C’mon, Beau, you know I can’t reveal any details.”

The Gauntlet is a yearly racing competition. A high-stakes, underground racing circuit that only the best get invited to. Beau was the reigning champ until he hung up his keys to adhere to Nana Jo’s will. Until recently, when he jumped back in and secured his spot.

Beau leans against the counter, taking a slow bite of his apple. “Nah, I know. I’m just fuckin’ with you, man. I was going home, and I saw you. Figured I’d stop by.”

I study my brother, taking in the ease of his stance, the way he’stoorelaxed. A familiar prickle of unease settles in my chest.

“You sure you’re still good?” My voice comes out quieter than I mean for it to, but I don’t take the words back.

Beau stops chewing for half a second, his gaze flicking to mine. His expression doesn’t shift, but I know him too well. “Yeah, man, I’ve never been more sure about anything.”

I exhale slowly, shaking my head. “I can’t believe you’re racing again.”

A muscle jumps in his jaw, but he nods. “I’ve made my peace with it.” His voice is firm, unwavering. “It’s worth it.She’sworth it.”

A sharp ping of recognition settles inside my ribs. He said the same thing when I asked him after he suddenly raced in the prequalifier.

It’s not that I didn’t believe him. Despite his devil-may-care attitude, he doesn’t do anything he doesn’t want to. But it’s still surprising to me that after all this time, he decided to walk away from his inheritance from Nana Jo.

A deep, familiar ache settles in my chest. I’m proud of him. I always have been. But fuck, part of me still hates what he had to give up. What he had to prove just to do what he loves.

My fingers drum against the counter, my mind whirring with calculations. Because Beau might be fine forfeiting his inheritance, but I still have mine. And there’s only one tiny stipulation to set it free.

And the solution to so many problems is sitting right in front of me. Nana Jo always said we had to build our own futures. That the money was just a safety net, not a golden ticket. I never thought twice about it. Didn’t need to. But now? Now it’s not just about me. It’s about Francesca. It’s about keeping what’s hers in her hands. And if that means playing their game, then fine.

My stomach tightens as the pieces slot into place, one after another, forming the kind of equation I should’ve figured out sooner.

Beau watches me carefully, his gaze narrowing slightly. “What’s going on in that big brain of yours, bro?”

I shake my head, keeping my expression neutral. “Nothing. Just thinking.”

Beau smirks. “Dangerous.”

He’s right. Because I just figured out how to fix everything. And it’s so fucking simple.

All I have to do is get married.

To Francesca.

21

GRAHAM

It’s Sunday night,and I’m at my parents’ house. Like I am every week. I don’t know if I’ve ever missed a Sunday family dinner before. Maybe the one time I had the flu and was still contagious.

I love my parents, and I love this house. It’s the same house we grew up in, so it’s chalked full of memories. Mostly good, some bad. All memorable. I have a feeling that tonight is going to add another tally in the memorable category. If it all goes well, at least.

Laughter spills from the dining room, the warm scent of Mom’s infamous lasagna and something sweet curling in the air. It’s familiar, grounding in a way I don’t often acknowledge.

Beau’s all smiles, of course, sitting at the dining room table with his arm slung over the back of a chair. But it’s the person sitting next to him that makes me pause.

I was too wrapped up in my head when they came in to realize he wasn’t alone.

---