Page 69 of Fake It Till We Fall
“What do you think of the new brew?” Ethan lifted his head from the pot of potatoes long enough to notice me.
I took a sip and then another. “Honestly?”
He nodded.
“It tastes like the others.” I laughed at his resulting scowl, but it was true. “Beer is beer, brother. I can’t tell all the minute details like you. But I do know when I like one. And I like this one.”
“Good enough.” Ethan shook his head and resumed his mashing.
I waited a few minutes, enjoying being around the hustle and bustle of the day, before I raised my voice enough to be heard over the chatter. “So I told Ollie I wanted to buy the store.”
The room went quiet for half a beat before Brody said, “It’s about time, brother.”
“No shit.” Ethan grinned.
“You deserve it, Gray.” Reid nodded. “That store should have been yours years ago.”
“Well, it’s not mine yet.” I resisted the urge to glance at my phone and my, as of yet, still unanswered text message. “But I have a plan and hopefully I can get the loan I need to make it happen.” I left out the part where Ollie hadn’t actually responded to me yet. “If all goes to plan, it’ll officially be Lyons Hardware in the new year.”
“Hell yeah.” Preston did a fist pump before taking the opportunity of the distraction to snag some turkey off Reid’s platter.
“So I guess you’re really here to stay then,” Ethan said. “No bailing to travel the world?”
I shook my head and looked between my brothers. “Why would I do that?”
It was Reid who answered. “What about Harper? Is she staying too, then?”
The question hit me harder than I cared to admit.
“I’m not going to lie, man.” Brody wiped his hands on a towel. “It’s getting pretty hard to see where the fake stuff ends and the real stuff begins.” He eyed me. “From where I stand, it all looks pretty damn real.”
“He’s not wrong,” Ethan joined in. “What’s going on there?”
Reid didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to.
I shook my head and looked into my beer. I didn’t know how to answer. The truth was, I wanted it all: Harper, the store, the life in Trickle Creek that I’d always dreamed of. The one I’d been pretending to have all month.
But wanting it and knowing how to make it happen were two very different things. My hand drifted to my pocket, brushing up against the small box I’d been carrying around all day. I hadn’t said anything to my brothers about it. Especially considering I didn’t know what I was going to say to Harper when I gave it to her. Or how she would react.
Before I could answer, the doorbell rang. Moments later, I heard Quinn yell, “Merry Christmas,” from the other room.
I put my half-finished beer on the counter and clapped my hands together. “Time for dinner.”
Grayson
Just like everyfamily dinner we had, it was a blur of activity. Only this one was amplified with Christmas cheer. Plates clattered; voices overlapped as dishes were passed back and forth across the table that was made bigger than ever with the addition of Delaney and Avery to the family…along with Harper and Willa, of course.
I couldn’t help but hope it was a permanent addition. They both looked like they belonged there. As far as I was concerned, they did. They always had.
And hopefully they always would.
“Harper, tell me about the boat.” Quinn had strategically positioned herself right next to Harper at the table and had been peppering her with questions about yacht life since they’d sat down. “How many rooms does it have? Is there a pool?”
Harper laughed as she scooped some mashed potatoes onto her plate. “It depends on the boat,” she answered. “But there’s usually one big stateroom where the primary guests stay and then two or three other rooms for their guests.”
“Wow.”
“And of course, there’s the staff quarters,” Harper continued. “But they’re much smaller, and I usually have to share a room with bunks.”
