Ruby groaned, putting her fingers in her ears. “Don’t say too much!” she shouted, not realizing how loud she was talking. “That’s my brother and sex you are talking about in the same sentence.”
Thank goodness the kids were playing loudly in the yard, the babies close by with their fathers or in their mothers’ arms, couldn’t understand, but we had all the men’s attention now, and Gramps wasn’t holding his smirk back any longer.
My face turned redder than a Hothouse tomato as my eyes flew to Jett’s. What would he think about the ladies talking about him, me, us, and sex? I was scared he would put space between us, and I personally liked when there was no space at all—like earlier.
But Jett also had a smirk on his face, one that matched Gramps’s, and his eyes were bright with amusement. And don’t even get me started on the dimples that had heat moving from my face, south because, boy almighty, did they do it for me.
Always had.
Commotion next to me had me turning back to the ladies as Brinley yanked Ruby’s fingers out of her ears and pointed at all the men. “Think you could shout any louder?” she joked.
Ruby’s eyes rounded, her cheeks flaming like mine, only hers now matched her beautiful red hair. “Oops.”
“I’d love to have Griffin stay here tonight,” Gramps said, grabbing our attention.
“How embarrassing,” I muttered, causing the ladies to snicker.
Then something dawned on me. Jett was afraid of staying with me, and maybe trying it out without Griffin would befor the best. Embarrassment faded, and I was thankful for my friends and family.
“Thanks, Gramps.” I sighed, not wanting to say too much but knowing he’d just presented us with something wonderful. “I think Jett could use the sleep.”
By the look on the older man’s face, I was pretty sure his grandson had confided in him too. Dusty reached out and placed a hand on my shoulder as my gaze swept around the group. Yeah, they were catching on too.
“I know just what he needs,” I whispered.
It wasn’t sex, even as appealing as that sounded.
No, my husband needed hours of nightmare-free sleep while I held him in my arms.
“And that’s how I always knew you were perfect for my boy,” Gramps said.
With that comment, there wasn’t a set of eyes around us that wasn’t glistening with tears. I looked up and met Jett’s gaze.
We had always taken care of one another, him more so than me.
Tonight it’s my turn to take care of him.
He tilted his head, his brows rising in question as if asking if everything was okay. I gave him a sweet smile, and he smiled back.
We are going to make it.
I knew it in my heart.
Chapter Twenty-Four
JETT
My wife was my medicine.
On Saturday when we’d gotten home, Dusty retreated to one condo, and I stayed with Patience as planned. Fuck if I wasn’t scared to death I would have nightmares and hurt my wife, but she didn’t seem worried at all.
Both exhausted, we got ready to go to sleep, and she took my hand, leading me to her bed. I’d tried to convince her I could sleep in the spare room, but she wasn’t having it.
There was no talk of sex, no attempt at all to persuade me even. It wasn’t that it hadn’t crossed my mind; of course it did. I wanted Patience with an intensity that was almost alarming. But I needed something else more in that moment.
My best friend.
She slid into bed beside me, her soft body pressing up against mine tight. Patience wrapped one arm across my stomach, a silky, smooth leg over my thigh, and she rested her head on my bare chest.
