Page 235 of The Nanny and the Beefcake
No matter.
He’d give the heartthrob shit later. Now, his Zen-master mind focused on one objective.
Get the girl.
But how did he prove that he got it, that the fight wasn’t what mattered the most?
He stared out the windows, watching traffic as a bus thundered by with a banner splashed across its side.
He read the nine words printed in bold indigo.
Those who can, do. Those who volunteer, do more.
It was as if Mere had sent the message—as if she were guiding him.
“Well, look at that,” he uttered, warmth blooming in his chest.
The clap of posh loafers meeting the tiled floor echoed through the lobby.
“Champ, Raz, how about we return to the weigh-in?” Briggs suggested, huffing and puffing and probably shitting his pants.
Raz watched the bus turn the corner. “You sent the final payment for Libby’s brothers’ schooling, right?”
Briggs sucked in an audible breath. “Yes, of course.”
“Do you know about the program they’re in?”
“Yeah, sure, I know quite a bit,” the man got out, gasping for air. “They take study-abroad courses at uni in Ecuador and work as volunteers building clinics in rural areas.”
He nodded. “And you’re familiar with my family’s foundation?”
“Yeah, champ, I took care of the legal side of donating to Helping Hands.”
“I’m going to need you to do a little more of that kind of work,” he said, nodding to himself.
“Erasmus,” Briggs got out, sounding more like himself. “This is highly unusual.”
“And when Briggs says highly unusual,” Calliope chimed, joining the pair.
“He means bloody bonkers. What are you doing? Are you off your rocker?” Callista finished as the sound of a stampede of footsteps signified the arrival of his friends and family.
He turned to find his kin, and Aug, and Madelyn, Rowen, Mitch, and Landon, the Colorado friends who’d become like family. “I’m doing what I should have done all along,” he answered and removed the wooden box from his pocket.
“Is there something in there for Libby?” Sebastian asked.
He took a knee, coming eye to eye with his son. “Yes, what’s in here is for Libby, but I need you to understand something, lad. I love Libby. I want to be with her. I want her to be a part of our family, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop loving your mum. You don’t have to worry about us forgetting about her.”
All eyes were on them when the air around Sebastian shimmered like it used to when he was a baby in his mother’s arms.
“Why would I worry? I love Mum and Libby, too. We can do that because we have the hearts of fighters. We’ve got big hearts, and there’s always room for more love. See these names on the stool. They’re in our hearts. They always will be,” Sebastian answered, wise beyond his years.
This kid!
The bystanders gave a collective sigh, and he glanced at his wanker chat group, which he should think about renaming.
Mitch dabbed at his eyes. “I’m not crying. It’s an eyelash.”
Landon peered at the chef, biting back a grin. “Dude, you’re crying.”
