This makes him laugh. “Yes, we have the black bear and the grizzlies.”
A shudder runs through my body. “No, thank you.”
“Don’t you have like giant spiders and snakes?” Charlie argues.
“Yeah. But I won’t be ripped apart by a spider or a snake. I could hit one with a broom and that’s it. I hit a bear with the broom, both me and the broom are dead.”
“Stick close to me, I’d make sure no bears get ya.” He winks.
“If you’re wearing those cowboy jeans, then I’ll be sticking to you like glue.”
“Derrick, they are just jeans,” he argues.
“On anyone else they may be, but on you …” I fan myself, which makes him laugh. Which is deep and gravelly, I like it.
We continue talking all day until the sun sets and Everly knocks on the door to let us know dinner is ready up on the pavilion.
“Are you going to join us tonight?” I ask him.
“Yeah, I will. Go on up without me, I’m going to freshen up first.”
“I can wait.”That doesn’t sound half needy, Derrick.
“You want to walk to dinner together?” he questions me.
“We are walking to the same place, why not just go together?” He nods but frowns as he does. “I can meet you up there if you’re not ready to go.”
“Um … yeah, I think I’m ready.”
“Charlie, breathe. This doesn’t mean anything. We kiki’d all day together, it’s what I do with my girls. Us walking in together isn’t a declaration of love or that anything is going on, if that is what you are worried about,” I reassure him.
“No. That wasn’t it. I um …” There goes that bicep as he rubs his hair. “What about your rockstar friend from the beach?”
Oh. Right. Chance. I blew him off last night as I was all up in my head, and he’ll probably want to catch up again because I ignored him all day today.
“We’re friends. There’s nothing going on.”
“Just BJs on the beach between friends.” Charlie raises a brow.
“Sounds like someone else I know.”
His eyes flare with acknowledgment. “Point taken. I don’t want to be stepping on anyone’s toes.” His analogy makes me laugh. “Asshole.” He curses at me.
“Oh, come on, that was funny.”
“A bit.” He chuckles as we walk out of the bedroom. Everly looks at her brother like he’s grown a second head as he continues to laugh, but she doesn’t say anything. I can see it on her face, watching Charlie laugh has taken some stress away from her. He mentioned something about her giving up her dreams to look after him, and that is admirable, especially in someone so young.
57
DERRICK
The three of us walk to dinner, making small talk as we go. Most people are here, and the tables have filled up. I can see the girls have kept a space for me, but when Sienna looks up and sees me with Charlie and Everly, she puts a wiggly Ryder on my chair making it look like there’s no room for me.I love that girl.
“Charlie,” Jackson calls out, indicating for us to come over. He’s sitting with Hudson and Parker, his brothers, while Finn and Isla are sitting with the group and their parents. There are enough seats for the three of us. Jackson’s eyes narrow as Charlie and I sit beside each other.
“Derrick, you seem to have more color in your cheeks,” Hudson teases.
“Because my heart started beating again.”
