Page 72 of Yours, Now and Always
The three of us turn to him. Ethan and Callan lose it, their laughter filling the room, and I can’t help a grin.
Callan shakes his head. “Okay, that one wasn’t terrible.”
Bradford’s mouth quirks. “It was the crampon metaphor that really lost you, wasn’t it?”
“That’s the one where you said date nights keep you from slipping off the mountain?” Callan asks.
“That’s the one.”
Ethan’s still grinning. “Brother, I love you, but that might have been the worst speech you’ve ever given.”
“It was,” Bradford agrees without hesitation. “Hands down. No contest.”
I arch a brow at him. “You give speeches for a living. How the hell did you land on mountain climbing metaphors?”
Bradford crosses his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “I don’t know. I sat down to write something meaningful and it just...went there. By the time I realized I’d compared marital conflict to avalanches, I was too committed to stop.”
Ethan snorts. “You could have just winged it.”
“Next time, get your speech writer to handle it,” Callan suggests.
Bradford’s expression shifts. The amusement fades, replaced by something quieter. More serious. His eyes find mine, and when he speaks, there’s a weight to it.
“I didn’t want to outsource it,” he says. “This was too personal for that. I wanted to say something thatmeantsomething.” He shakes his head, almost laughing at himself. “In hindsight, I should’ve just spoken from the heart instead of trying to craft some perfectly worded fucking TED talk.”
The teasing drops from Ethan’s expression. “For what it’s worth, we got what you meant.”
“Even through the crampons,” Callan jokes, but there’s warmth behind it, not roasting.
Bradford’s eyes stay on me. “Seeing you this happy...it’s everything I wanted for you.”
Before I can respond to that, we’re interrupted by Mom. She appears behind Bradford who steps aside to let her into the cottage. Immediately, we’re all aware that something’s off. And not just because she’s barefoot, but because her hair’s a mess and she’s wearing what looks like a crown of wildflowers that a three-year-old made.
“My boys,” she says, dreamy and delighted. “Hasn’t the air been delicious today? I think the trees are happier than I’ve ever known them to be.”
Callan tilts his head, frowning. “Mom?”
Ethan’s lips pull up at the ends, amused as hell. “I was thinking the exact same thing about the air. So delicious.”
She turns in a slow circle, arms out like she’s absorbing the energy of the room. “What a truly lovely day for you and Amelia to get married, Gage. I even heard the angels singing a moment ago.”
Callan leans closer to me. “Is she high?”
I don’t take my eyes off her. “She’s high.”
Ethan’s grinning, clearly loving this. “High as fuck.”
Bradford moves further into the cottage. “Jesus. How?” He eyes Ethan. “Did you give it to her?”
Ethan laughs. “Nope. I had no clue she was into weed.”
I give him a look. “She’s not.”
“Mmmm.” Mom is still spinning and now humming too.
There’s a knock at the door and then Dad calls out, “Gage? You in there?”
“Yeah,” Ethan says. Then he looks at us, too fucking happy about what’s happening. “This is going to be fun.”
