Page 93 of Feels Like Falling
“We’re still grabbing dinner. We just need to stop over at Sundown Realty for a minute.”
“Why? I thought we could get takeout and eat naked in bed.” She pauses. “Wait, did something happen at the cottage again? Dad didn’t mention it,” she asks, frowning. Evan had moved into the cottage not long after Ellison and I had gotten engaged, and she’d officially moved in with me.
It was a happycoincidence.
“No, I just keep forgetting to drop off the receipt for the part I had to buy,” I say easily, referring to the leak under the kitchen sink that Evan had called about a week ago.
Ellison doesn’t say anything, and I’m thankful as we pull into the lot that Archer’s truck is already parked, the lights on inside.
“Come on, I think Bea is inside still.”
She huffs but otherwise doesn’t complain as she gets out without waiting for me to open her door. I chuckle as I snag her hand, lacing her fingers with mine as we walk toward the building.
“You should have fed me first,” she hisses and I chuckle, planting a kiss on her forehead, opening the door to Sundown Realty and letting her walk in ahead of me.
“Surprise!” Bea yells, a massive grin on her face.
“Um, what?”
Archer hands out beers because while this normally calls for champagne, it’s really not our style.
“Welcome to the family!” Bea singsongs while Ellison holds up her left hand, awkwardly pointing at her ring with her bottle.
“This isn’t enough?”
I snicker, taking her hand in mine. “Welcome to the Sundown Realty family.”
“We own it and we just closed on a bunch of properties closer to Nashville,” Archer clarifies when Ellison continues to stare at us.
“We’re celebrating!” Bea says while doing a little dance.
“Can we go back to the part about you owning it?” Ellison asks as she looks around.
“Montana and I needed a way to ensure we’d never lose the farms—this is it,” Archer says.
“All of it?” she asks, her gaze locking on mine.
“Yes.”
“All the signs and the cottage and the renting of my parents’ house?”
“Yes, and only the four of us know,” Archer confirms.
“Why?” Ellison asks, her brow furrowed. “Why the secrecy?”
Archer’s lips roll inward as his cheeks heat. “We’re just two guys who never wanted to leave the county, and a lot of people see that as a lack of ambition.”
“They can fuck right off,” Bea huffs, making Archer grin and pull her against him.
“We’ll never have to worry about losing our legacies. And I needed to make sure I could give Grandad everything he needs,” I say. “We’re the underdogs.”
“Well, I’m proud of you.” Ellison squeals as she launches herself at me. “Both of you, truly, this is incredible.”
“Is it weird how unaffected they both were?” Archer asks as he looks from Bea to Ellison and back again.
I shrug. “I think it means we picked the right ones.”
“I do have a question though,” Ellison says, looking up at me. “Why didn’t you rub your success in my dad’s face? The signs are all over town, so you have to be doing well, right? And now into Nashville?”
