Page 100 of Home in the Country
“That isexactlywhat I meant.”
Shaking my head, I look back to see Briggs in complete concentration. His tongue peeks out of his mouth and touches the shaving cream above his lip. My eyes meet Tanner’s in the mirror, and we chuckle before shaving and rinsing our faces.
It’s a moment I’ll never forget for as long as I live, and I hope that we have many more just like it.
Briggs scurries down the hall as we step back into the living room just out of earshot of my brothers and Sorren.
“Here, I wanted to give you this before everything got too hectic.” Tanner hands me a wrapped garment box, and I eye him suspiciously before turning it over and opening it.
Behind the layer of tissue paper sits a black shirt with “Bonus Dad” in white block letters. My heart catches in my throat becausedammitit’s been ready to explode all day.
Tanner makes quick work of the buttons on his shirt and then he opens it to reveal his “Dad” shirt. I grin and then Briggs comes racing toward us and skids to a stop with his hands stretched out and a smile just as big.
His shirt reads “Son.”
And then I can’t stop the tears. Scooping Briggs into one arm, I wrap the other around Tanner and hold them tight. It wasn’t easy getting here. We had some really hard days and more than a few tears shed.
But we show up every single day, and God, I wouldn’t trade a minute of it.
“I love you guys,” I choke out through the tears and kiss the top of Briggs’s head. Tanner returns the sentiment, emotion clear in his voice.
“I love my dads!” Briggs yells into where we’re huddled together, and it brings the relief we need to pull ourselves together.
I’m lucky—so damn lucky—and already know today is going to be the best day of my life.
* * *
FALLON
“Y’all, is this really necessary?”I ask as my hair is curled and pinned and sprayed into submission.
Isla shrugs. “Otto said it was part of the package he got for the family photo shoot.” She eyes me over the top of her magazine. “Have we talked about how cute that is yet?”
“My brother is such a romantic at heart,” Rhea says with a smile.
“I can’t believe how adamant he is about doing this. I like the candid photos we have, but he wants professional ones.” I roll my eyes and Cheyenne grins.
“Y’all are the absolute sweetest, and the way that Otto and Tanner get along…” She places a hand over her heart.
“Right? They have the ultimate bromance.” Marlee laughs.
“They’re ridiculous.” I chuckle and then stare at myself in the mirror. “Is this too much?” I ask and they all shake their heads.
“You look beautiful,” Rhea says, and she looks so sincere I can’t help but smile. I’ve had this weird flutter in my stomach all day that I can’t quite put my finger on. I woke up to a text from Otto. He sent me a link to the song “Stop Coming Over” by Chris Lane.
Again.
He’s been hinting not so subtly that he thinks we should move in together and really start on the next chapter of our lives.
Honestly, it’s weird. Iwantto marry Otto and move in and do all the things, but the lead-up to that feels exhausting. It’s not just Otto and me that we have to consider, and boy have we consideredeverything.The planning and merging and all the details—I just want to skip ahead to the good part.
“What’s the look for?” Isla asks.
“Adulting is hard.” She snorts as I continue, “I’m hoping I can convince Otto to just elope or do a city hall marriage.”
“No, ma’am,” Rhea says with a hand on her hip. “Mama was already sad she didn’t get to fuss over this one.” She hitches her thumb in Isla’s direction.
Unsurprisingly, Isla shrugs.
