Logan bit his lip. He was putting on a good show, but I knew there was nothing he’d love better than to take a drive in that truck.
“Yeah,” I said. “Let’s test drive it really quick.”
The boys looked at me in surprise.
“I’m serious,” I said.
Jake held the keys out to me, but before I could grab them, Logan knocked them out of my reach. We all watched as they clattered to the ground.
“We don’t need to test drive it.”
“Because…” Jake was watching us carefully, trying to rein in the beam of light wanting to escape from him.
“Because I fell in love with the only girl in the world I would want more than your dumb truck.”
Logan ignored Jake’s excited shouts and ribbing and pulled me into his arms. I came easily and snuggled into that perfect spot, somewhere between his chest and neck. And he held me tight.
The epic fallout of this bet would last the rest of our lives. At every gathering that included Jake, he would remind us of this moment. He would insist that we name a kid after him, and we probably would just to get him off our backs. But even that wouldn’t work. He would be relentless.
And we would love it.
Because we only had appreciation for Jake Evans. A love as deep as any sibling could boast. And as Logan kissed my cheek and whispered his love for me in my ear, I knew he felt the same.
I only hoped that we could one day, if needed, return the favor.
35
Logan
The cabinets were in place. My guys were installing the hardware and touching up paint. We had flooring in. We were so close to calling a wrap on this project. I should have been more excited—the crew had killed it. Working in Eugene and being hands-on with almost every aspect of the build had breathed new life inside me. There’d been fewer hold-ups on the project because we didn’t have to schedule too many outside subs. I got to build the cabinets, and help my dad, and be here with Tessa. The thought of moving back to Boise was killing me. Tessa had ruined me for the better. I thought about her constantly, which I guess was no different than earlier this summer, but now I didn’thaveto stop.
I was sitting in The Grub Shack, waiting for Nate, who had asked me to meet him for lunch. My mind was a whirl of activity as to why he would want to meet with just me. Tessa and I had informed both of our families that we were dating, and the most common reaction was a hearty slap on the back as well as an eye roll. Jake spent much of his time on the farm trying to find me alone so he could rub in his victory again. I didn’t even mind. I owed that kid a debt of gratitude, and I’d let him have his hay day—at least for a little while longer.
The door of the restaurant opened, and Nate strode inside, the building seeming to shrink at his impressive presence. I stood to shake his hand, and when we were both seated again, he folded his arms on the table and studied me.
“So, you and my sister, huh?”
I shifted uncomfortably. I was a grown man. Nate shouldn’t have had the power to intimidate me, but the fact that he was Tessa’s brother and his biceps were, in fact, bigger than my head caused me to sit up a little straighter when I answered him.
“Yup.”
His eyes pierced into mine. “You’re not even going to ask my permission?”
What the…?
At my deer-in-the-headlights look, his face broke out into a smile. “I’m kidding. I’m happy for you guys. But I do feel like I have to say the obligatory…if you hurt her, I will kill you.”
I fingered the straw wrapper on the table, breathing easier. “Don’t worry about me. I’m all in. At this point, I’m more worried about Tessa realizing she doesn’t want me.”
He huffed out a sound of amusement. “Do you know anything about her scrapbook?”
“No.”
A small grin slipped on his face. “You should ask her about it sometime. But don’t do it when I’m around. Point being, I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Chad sidled up next to us, looking impatient. “What do you guys want? Or are you here for the free water?”
“Hot dog and fries for me,” Nate said automatically. Apparently, he’d been here before. I was about to order the same thing when a familiar voice called out from the back.
