Page 48 of Stone Deep
TWENTY-SIX
BRITTON
Slade’s car was in the driveway. I sat in my car for a good ten minutes trying to talk myself out of this. He hadn’t let me explain anything. I just wanted that chance. I pushed the driver’s door open and stepped out. A misty spray of rain was being blown on shore by a strong wind, but the sky above the town was still blue.
By the time I reached the door, my stomach was twisted into a painful knot. I knocked.
A minute later the door opened. It was Slade’s sister-in-law, Amy. A frown crossed her face. “Slade isn’t home,” she said curtly.
“Oh, thanks. It was sort of a surprise visit so that makes sense.” I turned to leave.
“Wait, Britton, why don’t you come in and have a soda? Hunter’s out too.”
I hesitated.
The frown vanished, and her radiant smile appeared as she grabbed my hand. “Come on. I live with two Stone brothers. Girl talk is like a friggin’ walk in a park full offlowers and free ice.”
She held my hand, led me to the kitchen and motioned for me to sit. She squinted one eye in my direction. “Hmm, you look like a lemon-lime kind of girl.”
“Good call.”
She grabbed us each a glass of ice and a soda and pulled up a chair across from me. We sipped the cold drinks. Amy was one of those people who was never a stranger to anyone. You instantly felt as if you’d been friends with her forever. It was a cool and rare quality. I admired her for it.
She smoothed her pretty copper hair back. “I told Hunter I wanted to cut my hair in that pixie style, but he looked grumpy about the idea. Of course, grumpy is sort of his usual expression. Even when he’s having a good time, he’s wearing a scowl.”
“They say opposites attract, so you two are perfect for each other.”
“I guess so.” She took a sip and laughed. “Shit, if that isn’t a major understatement. It was like someone dropped that big ole butthead onto the planet just for me. I never saw myself with anyone but Hunter. Weird, huh?”
“Not at all. You strike me as the kind of person who would know when she found the right person.”
She laughed. “Hey, do you want some cookies? They’re those pink and white animal shaped ones with the tiny sprinkles.” Before I could answer, she’d sprung off the chair and reached up into the cupboard for the cookies. She seemed to weigh the bag on her palm and creased her brow. “Those pigs have eaten half the bag.” She placed the cookies on the table. “I swear sometimes that they’d eat my hand if I wasunlucky enough to stick it in the bag at the wrong time.”
“It’s got to take a lot of food to keep those two guys happy.” I opened the bag and grabbed out a cookie. “I confess that I have a weakness for junk food. Slade got to see my dirty little secret firsthand on our road trip.”
“See, I knew I liked you.” She grabbed out a cookie and looked at it. “Scored an elephant.” She turned it around. “Or maybe it’s a lion.” She shrugged and popped it into her mouth. “My mom used to put these in my lunch. I love nostalgic stuff that reminds me of grade school. Don’t know why. I just do.”
“Hmm, let’s see why—playing at recess, parties at friends’ houses and no worries about paying the rent or any of the crap that comes with adulthood.”
“Yep, that’s it.” She raised her can. “Here’s to kidhood.”
We toasted and sipped.
She glanced around her kitchen. “This was the house Hunter, Slade and Colt grew up in.” Her face smoothed, and she tapped the can with her finger. “They didn’t have a good childhood.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I sort of caught that. Sounded really harsh.”
“It was.” She leaned back. “But they all came out of it all right. Not everyone would agree, but I think they’re all great guys. Colt and Slade are like brothers to me. Colt and I argue like siblings.” She leaned forward. “I take pleasure in irritating him. Slade, he’s always been the most levelheaded of the three. It might have been because he wasn’t the oldest and he wasn’t the baby. Not that he didn’t suffer just as much as Colt and Hunter. He did.”
My throat tightened at the thought of Slade having to endure so much hardship as a kid. “I’ve never met anyone like him,” I said. “When he came to find me—” I blinked back tears. “I hadn’t told him about my marriage because, to me, it hadn’t been a marriage for a long time. There is still a piece of paper keeping me legally tied to Ryan, but that’s all there is. But Slade was so shocked and hurt and—” I shook my head. “Shit.”
She reached over and took hold of my hand. “I’m going to tell you something, but you are sworn to secrecy cross your heart hope to spit on your mother’s grave or step on a crack or whatever. You can’t tell Slade.”
I nodded.
“I’ve known Slade my whole life. He usually just blows through each day a happy camper. Not much bothers him, and he’s always in a good mood. In fact, I’ve always considered him to be the easiest Stone brother to hang out with—less grumpy and funny as hell.”
“Totally agree.”
