Page 82 of Late to Love

“We were in middle school,” Levi says. “There was nothingadventurousabout it.”

“I don’t know,” Ox muses. “I think it gave us character.”

I snort. “It gave us something, all right.” But for once, as I think back over those early hard years, the ones where we were likely a lot poorer than my brothers and I realized, there’s no bitterness. Running my own place now, I understand how difficult it can be to simply make enough to pay the bills. Thankfully, I’m well past that stage, but there were some months when I first opened Hall’s Balls that I really wasn’t sure I’d make it. Ironically, it was Levi who offered to help float me if I needed it, and the man definitely had the cash to spare. I didn’t take it. In hindsight, my ego was so delicate that I probably would have closed the place before I took help from my little brother. I’m glad it never came to that.

“I should apologize, too,” Levi says, his voice so low that I barely hear him.

My eyes snap to his.

The faintest red tinges his cheeks. “I was probably more of an asshole than I needed to be.”

Ox snorts. “Was?”

Levi glowers at him before looking back at me. “Fine. Iammore of an asshole than I need to be.”

I shrug and grin. “It’s cool. You’ve learned from the best.”

“Maybe we’ll have a contest to see who’s got the meanest-looking scowl,” Ox teases. “It’ll be close.”

“Shut up, Ox,” Levi and I say in unison.

Mom wraps an arm around me and squeezes. “We love you, little one.”

Dad nods and holds my gaze. “Proud of you, too.”

He’d said something similar a moment ago, but this time, the words unlock something in my chest, and I blink back the sting in my eyes.

“Was really something to see your place today,” he continues, not seeming to realize how much his words have affected me. “We should have visited a lot more than we have. You’ve done a great job with it.”

“You really have. But that name, Anthony,” Mom says with an air of resigned exasperation. “Hall’sBalls? It’s so…crude.”

My brothers and I laugh. And it feels amazing.

Chapter31

Darcy

SUNDAY MORNING YOGA isn’t the same without Anthony. I didn’t exactly expect to see him here, but I did hope. I worried about him all last night and literally had to turn my phone off and put it under the couch to keep me from checking it constantly.

And when I woke up this morning and dug it out, it honestly sucked to see he hadn’t reached out. But Ididtell him to reach out once he had his shit together, so…I guess I need to be patient.

Amanda casts a worried look at me as the instructor calls the class to order. “You okay?”

I nod stiffly. Because I have to be okay. I have to trust that Anthony will do the very thing I told him he needed to do. And I have to wait.

I can’t focus. Every pose feels forced, and Amanda keeps looking at me like I might burst into tears at any moment. Probably because I keep huffing and puffing, thanks to my inability to get focused. It’s all shit. I’m jittery and it feels like I have ants in my pants.

Halfway through, I give up, nodding an apology at Amanda and the instructor as I roll my mat and pick my way to the door. I burst outside and practically run to the edge of the boardwalk, bending over and taking deep breaths.

“Darcy? You okay?” Ox’s voice breaks through my jumbled thoughts.

With a final exhale, I look up, shielding my eyes from the sun as I find myself in front of Anthony’s little brother. “Hi, Chief.”

He huffs a smile. “Please. You’re practically family. I’m Ox.”

I shift on my feet. “I don’t know if that’s true,” I admit. “But thanks.”

“Oh, it’s true.” He smiles. “Don’t worry.”

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