“You’ll see her in a few days,” Dallas says and then sighs. “But fuck, I miss Willow too. And Michael.”
Penn takes his phone from his pocket, holding it up toward the sky. “I wish there was better reception so we could at least call the girls.”
Grady and I share a laugh, but my chest aches with the thought of wanting to talk to Hazel right now too. I wonder what she’s doing… Is she editing on the couch? What socks does she have on? Is Blueberry on her lap or in his bed?
And that’s when it hits me.
I’m starting to get used to this life.
Fuck. That means that I now have something to lose.
“No, I’m going first!” Parker launches from his chair, stumbling over to where I’m sitting, lifting up his shirt. “Gage, you gotta tattoo me first, man!”
“No, me!” Dallas shoves Parker aside, lifting his shirt up now. “I need my Goose and goslings right over my heart, Gage! Right now!”
Penn comes up behind them. “Where do you think I should put the bag of frosting, Gage? I was thinking my ribs, but what about my butt cheek?” He starts to unzip his jeans, but Grady stands up to stop him.
“I think you all need some water and food,” he says, leading Parker over to the picnic table that’s covered with snacks. We brought enough food for a small army, but none of us are small men, so I’m sure the majority of it will get eaten by the end of the weekend.
“Um, I think that’s a good idea. Besides, doing tattoos in the middle of a forest is not exactly sanitary, not to mention I don’t have any supplies with me,” I say, actually enjoying being the sober one as I watch my brothers-in-law act like children.
Fuck. I have brothers-in-law.
“Damn it, Gage. You should have brought your stuff.” Penn follows Grady and Parker pouting, but Dallas stays behind, staring down at me before I can stew on that realization for too long.
“Uh…you okay, Dallas?”
He arches a brow at me. “Are you in love with my sister?” he says, followed by a hiccup.
Trying not to laugh at him, I rise from my spot so I can look at him eye to eye. “I think that’s between me and her.”
He nods. “I respect that, but I want to make sure thatyourespecther.” He takes a step closer to me. “I’m so proud of that girl—how honest she is, how hardworking she is, how talented she is, and how hard she loves.”
“I agree with everything you just said.”
“Then care to explain these?” He holds up my pills, and my stomach instantly drops.
I pause before responding so I don’t overreact. “Where the hell did you get those?”
“They fell out of your bag when we were unloading.”
I reach for the bottle, but he holds it further away. “Give me back my fucking medicine, Dallas.”
We stare at each other, our jaws clenched tight, until he finally shoves the bottle into my chest. “I’m no doctor, but I know that if you’re taking those, there’s something going on that I’m guessing you’re not being transparent about.”
“Why don’t you mind your own business?”
He lowers his voice. “The second you married my sister, your business became my business. Does Hazel know about this?”
I don’t back down, looking him straight in the eye. “Not yet.”
“Are you planning on telling her?”
“When the time is right.”
“Which is? Before or after she falls in love with you?” I don’t say anything as the truth dawns on him. “Fuck, she already is, isn’t she?”
“I don’t know, but I know how I fucking feel.”