Page 31 of The Only Heart that Matters

He rubs his eyes and gives me an exhausted, “Gus, Gus.”

“I got him.” I take the worn-out kid from his grandma, and he lays his head on my shoulder. His arms wrap around my neck, his body heavy with sleep. “Go.”

Mia spots us from across the room and makes her way to us, her eyes never leaving mine.

“You want me to take him?” she asks, rubbing his back.

“No, we’re good.”

And we are. The feeling of him completely relaxed in my arms grounds me. Gives my pathetic existence some sort of meaning. It’s ridiculous to feel that much over something sosmall, but this little boy in my arms and his mama looking up at me like I hung the moon feels like everything.

My everything.

“Well, if you really are okay, I’m gonna run to the little girls’ room, and then make sure all his stuff is together for my parents. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“We’ll be here.”

She walks away, and Knox fills the space. “Uh, Gus. You got a little something... right... there...” He points to Sawyer. “It’s a kid. Brother, it’s all over you.”

I roll my eyes, but before I can reply, something catches my attention. Mia’s ring. Rolling across the floor.

“Shit. Here, hold him for a sec.” I quickly peel Sawyer off me and hand him to my brother to go running after Mia’s most prized possession.

It’s moving fast across the dance floor, between high heels and boots, but I snag it before anyone steps on it.

When I get back to Knox, he’s holding a sleeping Sawyer out in front of him like the kid is bug-infested or something. Sawyer’s poor little limp body hangs so heavy his chin is practically touching his chest.

“He doesn’t have cooties, you idiot.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“You are an ass. That I know for sure. He’s a sweet kid. It might do you some good to get his germs all over you.”

His face contorts in disgust. “Here. Take him back.”

Slipping Mia’s ring in my pants pocket, I accept the sleeping angel, cradling him in my arms.

Knox is wiping imaginary germs from his body and pretending to have the shakes. But after a second, he gives me a wink that says he’s only messing around and the real him is in there somewhere.

“You aren’t getting any younger, big brother. When are you gonna find someone to settle down with and start a family?”

“Oh, no, no, no. You’ve got the wrong sibling. Cal’s the settling-down type. You,” he points at me and then himself, “me, we don’t have that domesticated side.” He tilts his head, examining me. “Well, I know, I don’t.” He waves his hand in front of me and Sawyer. “But you... I’m not so sure anymore.” He tilts his head to the other side. “Shit, I think this might just look good on you.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

Chapter Fourteen

Mia

I’ve been standing in the shadows by the abandoned cake table for two songs now, unable to bring myself to end the beautiful scene before me. Everyone I love in the world is in one place, and at the center, Gus sways to the music with Sawyer fast asleep in his arms.

When I ducked back into the barn, Angus was walking them toward the dance floor with Knox. Angus rubbed Sawyer’s back as he gently bounced them along to “We Are Family,” and there was no way I could interrupt the moment. When the song ended, I started to close the distance, but then Sawyer snuggled deeper into Gus and the tattooed cinnamon roll of a man gave him a kiss on the head.

That’s when the first tear fell.

My little boy deserves someone like Angus in his life.

He deserves to be loved.

---