Page 103 of Yours to Lose
I can’t help but smile at the puppy dog energy he exudes. Seeming to recover his senses, Jordan shoves him away. “Get your own girl. This one’s mine.”
“For the moment,” I mutter, giving him a major side-eye.
Jordan leans down and presses a kiss to my head. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to laugh, I swear. It kind of just happened.”
I lean up and kiss his jaw. “It’s okay, J. I really like seeing you happy.”
A low whistle brings me back to the moment, and the quietest of the four brothers steps up between Elliot and Noah. “You must be Cooper.”
He studies me, his eyes the same color as his brothers’ but somehow more intense, more discerning. It’s not unfriendly, just protective. A kind of close the ranks vibe I can appreciate. Nothing about him gives youngest brother. I can already tell that this is the one who holds them all together. So, it means even more when he steps forward and wraps his arms around me in a tight hug.
“You make him happy,” Cooper whispers in my ear. It’s a statement, not a question, but it warms every part of me.
“I really hope so,” I whisper back. “He makes me happy too.” The only evidence Jordan heard the exchange is a hitch in his breath and his arm tightening around my shoulder. I wrap my arm around his waist and squeeze. And despite all my most embarrassing things strewn all over the driveway, there is nowhere I’d rather be than here.
I haven’t even been inside yet, and I already know. This is warmth and love and family in every sense of the word. This is the place where you can be your most authentic self and know that these people will accept every part of you. This is where you lay your secrets, knowing they’ll be safe.
A sniffle comes from behind us, and when I turn, I see Jordan’s parents standing shoulder-to-shoulder, taking us all in. His dad’s eyes are glazed over, and his mom is openly crying and looking at Jordan with so much love that I almost feel like I’m intruding on a private moment.
“Well?” Despite her tears, she glares at all four of her sons. “Pick up all this stuff and take Jo’s suitcase into the house. I set up snacks in the kitchen. She and I are going to get to know each other.”
I smile, wanting nothing more than to know the woman who raised all of these excellent men. As his brothers start picking up all my stuff and I try really hard not to be embarrassed by one of Jordan’s hot brothers touching my spare thong, Jordan turns me to face him, his hands cupping my face, gliding his thumbs over my cheekbones. “I can stay if you want me to. I’m not afraid of my mom.”
I shake my head, bringing a hand up to cover one of his. “I’m fine, I promise. Despite all evidence to the contrary”—I wave a hand over my scattered belongings—“I really do have myself together. Kind of. Mostly.”
Jordan smiles softly and leans down to kiss the spot below my ear. “I’m really glad you’re here, Hurricane. I like the way Boston feels with you in it.”
I lean my head against his briefly. “There is literally nowhere else I’d rather be.”
With one more kiss to my forehead, Jordan grabs his suitcase from the trunk and follows his brothers. My eyes stay glued to him until he disappears into the house.
“You love him.” I turn to see Pam studying me.
I nod, because something about Pam makes me want to tell her all my secrets. “Yes. He’s my favorite person.”
I’m not sure what I’m expecting next, but it’s not for her to wrap me in the biggest, tightest hug I have ever experienced, whispering, “Thank you for making him so happy.”
When she releases me, Rob steps forward, wrapping me in another hug. He leans back, his hands on my shoulders and his eyes steady on mine. When he says, “Thank you for bringing my boy back home,” I know for sure he’s not just talking about how we’re here in Boston.
Looking back and forth between Jordan’s parents, it occurs to me that I’ve been so focused on Jordan that I didn’t stop and think about what this whole family lost. A sister. A daughter. The promise of a future. My heart aches for all of them. “I’m sorry for what you’ve all gone through these past two years. Jordan is the most important person in the world to me, and I promise to do everything I can to make him happy. Thank you so much for having me this weekend. I’m sorry about the chaotic entrance, but I’m really happy to meet you all.”
Pam slings an arm around my shoulder. “Honey, I am chaos personified, so we’re going to get along just fine. Also…” She glances over her shoulder, tossing her husband a grin and lowering her voice. “The AirVibe is the best, isn’t it?”
I cackle, pretty certain I’ve just met my soul sister, and her name is Pamela Wyles. “Sends me into the stratosphere, every single time.”
Pam laughs and Rob bites his lip like he’s trying to keep from laughing and everything about this is perfect.
Pam squeezes me a little tighter and guides me towards the front steps. “Welcome to the family, Jo. You are going to fit right in.”
The funny thing is, I already feel like I do.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO
JORDAN
“El, what’s up with you?” Face buried in his phone, Elliot totally ignores me. I glance over across the kitchen island where we’re all sitting and see Noah and Cooper rolling their eyes like they know something I don’t. Sitting here with my brothers around the island where so much of my childhood took place, I can’t deny the contentment that washes through me. It’s really good to be home.
“What?” I ask, my gaze bouncing between them. Elliot still hasn’t looked up, and I’m almost sure he didn’t even hear my question.
