He scooped me up into his arms and twirled me around in circles as everyone cheered and went wild. We were both laughing and crying at the same time.
“I love you so much,” he whispered into my ear.
“Not as much as I love you,” I responded.
“Bullshit. Not possible,” he argued. And a little too loudly.
“That’sthree, uncle Bodie,” Embry sing-songed.
Bodie put my feet back on the floor and looked at me. “How does she hear everything?” he asked and I burst into laughter.
Grabbing the side of his face with both hands, I leaned in and rained kisses all over his face before pulling back. “She has better hearing than you, old man, but I still have no clue, she has bionic ears.”
The sexy beast that was going to be my husband smirked at me. “That comment, my love, is going to get you a spanking later.”
When I smiled at him, he said, “You like them too much, maybe I should have said I’m going to withhold all spankings from you.”
Giving him a mock glare, I told him, “Don’t you dare.”
We both burst out laughing as all our friends descended to congratulate us.
* * *
“I’m happy for you.”
I spun around, cupcake in my hand, to find Paxton standing behind me.
My brother gestured to my face and I laughed before brushing the remnants of the delicious treat off my mouth.
“Have you tried one?” I asked him. “You know Capri made them.”
The tone of my voice was suggestive and he caught it. “Leave it alone, sis. I’m leaving eventually and something tells me even if I wasn’t that woman wouldn’t be interested.”
Trying to forget the part he’d just said about leaving, I dug in my heels on the Capri subject. “Then why did she say you could be an underwear model, huh?”
Paxton’s eyebrows shot to his hairline. He turned, his gaze searching the room and I saw his eyes land on the dark-haired beauty we were talking about. What was shocking was she was looking right at him and quickly averted her gaze when she saw him staring at her.
He turned back to me and changed the subject. And I let him because the subject happened to be one I was happy about.
“You know you found a good man. Bodie talked to me and shared that he was going to propose before he did it. He didn’t have to tell me anything beforehand but I think it was cool of him to include me as he had the other guys.”
That surprised me and it must have shown on my face.
“Yeah, I know. Surprised me too,” he said, chuckling.
I’d heard that all the guys had known beforehand and helped set it up, but I wasn’t sure that my brother was part of that group. Knowing that Bodie and he were possibly becoming friends sent hope shooting through me that he wouldn’t leave after all.
“You know you could stay. We just found each other and have a lot of years to catch up on.”
I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind and I leaned back into the warmth that always seemed to bring me peace.
“She’s right you know,” Bodie said to Paxton.
Our conversation was forgotten when a scream came from across the room. Ruby was excitingly jumping up and down with her phone in hand as her husband, Lyric, tried to get her to stop. I chuckled. The guys were always so worried and overprotective when their women were pregnant.
But when aren’t they protective?I silently asked myself.
The answer was never.
