“Damn, I love you,” I say, not hiding just how much I mean those words.
"Good. BecausedamnI love you too.” I lean in to kiss her again but before I can, there's a loud thump against her door. We jump apart and for a second, I worry I'm about to come face-to-face with Dee's father and his shotgun.
Dee groans when we see not just one of her brothers, but both of them, pressing their faces to the glass and grinning at the two of us.
The car door opens and Dee laughs at the two of them as they wrestle to get to her first.
They help her out of the car before shutting the door--and me away from them--and pull her in for a group hug. When I round the hood and move to stand next to her, I don’t hesitate in wrapping my hand around her waist and claiming her back again when they finally let her go.
They don’t hide their amusement at the move but thankfully they let it slide and make no secret of the fact they're sizing me up. I hide my nervousness and stand strong, knowing that they could likely take me down in a wrestling match with one arm tied behind their back.
"Do ya drink?" one of them asks, their accent thicker than Dee's one.
"Scott! What kind of question isthat?" Dee shrieks.
"An honest one," Scott says with a shrug, glancing at Dillon before his eyes turn back to me. "So, do ya?"
"I do on occasion. Only after the work is done," I reply, sensing this is a test.
Scott nods approvingly.
"Do ‘ya play Pool?" Dillon asks.
Dee snickers and buries her laughing into my side, making her brothers smirk. "Oh yeah. He does. But little sis here has taught him more than a few lessons about losin' along the way. Am I right?"
I can't help but chuckle. "Yep. Only beat her for the first time this Christmas."
Scott holds his hand up in the air for a high five which Dee gives him. "Right on, Dee Dee. Makin’ us proud up there in the Great Land."
"She's a shark,” I tell them.
"Always has been," Dillon replies, puffing his chest up as he holds out his hand to me. "Dillon Daniels, the best big brotherthisone has ever had.” I shake his hand and soon have Scottstanding in front of me, pushing Dillon out of the way. I shake his hand, yet his grip is a little more purposeful, the same as his intense narrowed stare that cuts right through me. “Scott Daniels.Protectivebig brother of Dee. Nice to meet you.”
I return his handshake with just as much strength, hoping he’ll read the respect in my eyes. “Been wantin’ to meet you both for a while. Nice to put faces to the names.” I look over to Dillon. “I see your hair has grown back.”
That seals the deal apparently if the grins are anything to go by. They both look at Dee and nod. “You did good, little sis,” Scott says.
“I’m the lucky one. Your sister is amazin’.”
“Oh yeah,” Dillon says, nodding in approval. “You’ll do.”
Dee giggles and snuggles into my side. “Can sleep easy knowin’ you like him, big brother.”
“Good. Now let’s see if he gets the parental’s approval.” Scott looks me up and down. “Don’t think that’ll be an issue though. Those tree trunk legs and hammer arms look like he works hard, so you help us with the chores and you’ll be Dad’s new favorite son.”
Dee just laughs harder at that. “He’s not wrong. Where do you think I get my work ethic from? C’mon.” She leads me toward the house where her parents are standing on the porch waiting for us.
“Darlin’!” her mom cries as we step up onto the porch. Dee walks out of my arms and straight into her parent’s outstretched ones.
Dee’s father steps away from the women, leaving them to their reunion, but instead of shaking my hand, he pulls me in for anunexpected hug, slapping my back softly as he does it. “Nice to meet you, Toby.”
“You too, sir.”
He snorts. “The only person to call me sir is the bank manager. You can call me Gaz.”
“OK, Gaz.”
He pulls his wife into his side and I don’t miss the way it mimics the way I’ve done the same to Dee. “This here is my wife, Sharon, or Shaz.”
