Page 57 of Feels Like Falling
It feels good to laugh—even if just for a short while.
“You guys get started without us?” Mason says with a smile as he steps out of the shadows, grabbing chairs for himself and Bodhi from the back of Archer’s truck.
The worn path between the properties is the perfect go-between and we use it often.
The first time they came upon the fire, it had been to make sure the field wasn’t burning. After that, it was because this is where we all gather now—aside from game night.
At one point a variety of the Thayers would make a habit of stopping by, but it didn’t happen as often with them all settling down, leaving the bachelor life in the rearview mirror.
“Montana is havin’ a meltdown,” Archer says before taking a sip of his beer.
I scowl at him then look back at the newcomers. “Just wanted to come out and enjoy the night.”
Bodhi’s lips twitch the slightest bit as he accepts a beer from Mason and settles into his chair. There’s an ease to their relationship—a level of comfort and comradery that the rest of us will never breach. They may not be bonded by blood, but there’s not a single person who can argue that they’re not brothers.
“Uh-huh. So trouble in paradise then?” Mason asks with a cocky smile as he kicks his legs out in front of him, crossing one work boot over the other.
“No,” I say at the same time Jensen and Archer sayyes.The jerks. Looking back at the fire, I go for flippant. “Unless you got some words of wisdom for me, y’all can shut it.”
“Isn’t he supposed to be the nice one?” Jensen asks the group, causing a couple of snickers as the flames from the fire climb into the night sky.
“Iamthe nice one. Things just got complicated tonight.”
“We’re gonna need more than that,” Jensen pries. Whether it’s just his natural inclination to dig for information or that he’s a gossipy fucker I’ll never truly know, but tonight I can’t fight it.
“I took her on a date, a real one, date went to shit—we pivoted—date got better. Went back to her place and her father showed up with anit’s complicatedstory about him bein’ back in Blackstone Falls.”
“When you say youwent back to her place,you mean…” Mason says with a grin and the one track mind of a guy in his early twenties while completely ignoring my glare. Bodhi sighs heavily next to him, and I appreciate the unspoken support.
Turning my attention to Archer, I watch as his eyes widen with recognition and sympathy. He’s the only one who knows what happened, the one who helped me build an empire that would stand against the wrath of Ellison’s father.
One I’d love to rub in his face.
“So obviously you and her father have a history,” Jensen says easily, “and what? He’s back and you think he’s going to keep you from her?”
Did I think that?
No, because I told him I wouldn’t let it happen.
“It just feels like since we started tryin’ to do this the right way, everything’s just gone to hell in a handbasket in the last twenty-four hours.”
“So go back to what you were doing before,” Mason says matter-of-factly before taking a sip of his beer.
If only.
“I don’t know if it’s that easy,” I admit.
“Did you ask?” Mason says with his eyebrows halfway up his forehead. “Seems like you’re getting worked up a lot over nothing before you know it’s something.”
All eyes turn to look at him, but he only shrugs like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. Kid may be a goofball most of the time, but he’s seen more in his years on this earth than most will their whole lives.
“Just let me know if I need to bury any bodies,” Bodhi says over the crackle of the fire, the faintest hint of a smile on his face.
“You’ve been hanging out too much with the Thayers.” Jensen groans and we all chuckle although I have no idea if Bodhi’s offer is legitimate or not.
“Man, I miss them,” I say, happy to have the focus shifted from me. “They doin’ okay? I can hardly keep track of what they got going on over there.”
Archer snorts. “I don’t know about the Thayers, but I heard our beloved sheriff had to do a wellness check on Miss Thelma and she answered the door wearing only?—”
