“But the mural…?”
“Is fucking funny.” Austin grinned. “Once I got over my initial annoyance, I liked it. Like it still. Although I don’t really appreciate all the Badass merch that was included.”
I wasn’t going to sellout Dylan after all he did to protect me. I’d be taking the fact that he’d been the one to add that stuff to the grave with me. So I hitched a shoulder. “I was mad at the time.”
“I get that.” He tapped the top of his desk. “So we’re putting it to bed?”
I nodded.
“Good. See you at Aunt Wendy’s this weekend? You want a ride?”
“I can call an Uber.” I raised my eyebrows at him. “So I’m good.”
“Good.” He grunted. “As long as you’re planning on sticking around. Dylan is already a fucking basket case. I can only imagine what would happen if you up and split. The kid would lose it.”
It was weird to hear him refer to Dylan as a kid. I know they had a six year age gap, but Dylan was all man, not a boy.
But I was too intimidated to call Austin out on it. Instead, I just nodded and gave him a, “see you there.”
Then called for an Uber.
I couldn’t deny that I spent the whole drive turning over the other part of Austin’s statement in my head again and again. Dylan was a basket case over me?
Since he’d gone AWOL, he’d gotten my dad a lawyer and hooked me up with a new opportunity with the web series, all while keeping his distance from me.
Why?
It was time to find out.
Chapter 18
Dylan
I stared at all the box trucks lining the street in front of Aunt Wendy’s house. This seemed a little over the top for a first birthday. Granted, Austin had gone all out for Wyatt’s fourth birthday. The kid had lost it when he saw the petting zoo in their backyard. But Fliss was only turning one.
I parked my bike in the first spot I found and grabbed her present out of my saddlebag—board books of the classics, both fairytale and literature. Maddie was going to love them. And Fliss loved reading time with her mom.
Indy had disappeared early this morning for a change. Her, Hope, and Maddie had been thick as thieves this morning, bouncing from one condo to the next to get ready. I was happy she was making friends with my friends and family. But I was still annoyed that I hadn’t gotten time with Indy since I hadn’t seen her in so long. Not that I was going to think about whose fault that was.
Of course when I got to the front door, no one was there to greet me. I ducked into the house, taking in all the people running around. Caterers I’d never seen before bustled around in Aunt Wendy’s kitchen. People running in and out of the backdoor, carrying folding chairs and décor outside. It was mayhem, and I had yet to see anyone I knew.
Walking deeper into the house, I headed for the busy backyard, but the sight that met me had me stopping in my tracks.
A huge metal arch stood at the far end of the backyard with rows and rows of folding chairs facing it. Someone was twining fabric through the metal while another laced flowers through the fabric here and there.
This wasn’t a birthday party.
Ryan and Hope were gettingmarriedtoday.
“Surprise,” Ryan rumbled behind me.
I spun around to face him.
My brother stood there in a tux with a little pink rose pinned to his lapel and grinned at me. “You interested in standing up there with me? I need a best man.”
“I—of course. Always. I’m here for you, bro. You know that.”
“Good. There’s a chance I might pass out when she gets to the altar, and I might need someone to hold me up.”
