“You didn’t steal anything. Igaveit to you, remember?”
I’d give him everything if it meant being in his arms forever.
***
Two days later, we’re on a flight back to Texas, Teddy in tow.
Justin made some calls around town for contractors to sub out the work that needed to be done to the house. We left instructions with his kind neighbor who looked in on him from time to time to let them in and make repairs.
I can’t thank Justin enough for taking care of everything. Making the calls, scheduling bids, paying for it all. And he made sure Teddy was part of the entire process, which made him feel good. That he was able to make these decisions with Justin’s guidance.
My heart surged with unexpected joy, watching the two men bond over the last two days. I’d forgotten that his grandfather was a cop as well. Served for twenty-five years on the force before he was gunned down during a robbery. Teddy’s mother committed suicide a few years later, the pain of losing her husband too much to bear. He never had any siblings. He was completely and utterly alone. Just like me, only now, we have each other and that gives me an incredible sense of comfort.
We are waiting on Pop to pick us up at the airport, but Justin’s brother Asher shows up instead.
“Where’s Pop?” Justin asks, a sharp bite in his tone.
“He’s down at the VFW with Grady. This must be Selena. Pop has told me all about you. I’m Justin’s brother Asher,” he greets and Justin grunts.
Returning his smile, I take his offered hand. “Nice to meet you.” After introducing him to Teddy, Justin grabs my hand and leads us toward the parking garage.
Asher is the exact opposite of Justin. They both share the same color hair but that’s about as far as their resemblance goes. Where Justin’s eyes are a lighter shade of blue, Asher’s are almost navy in color, shielded by a pair of black rimmed glasses. His charcoal colored T-shirt stretches across his muscular body, accentuating his thick biceps and colorful tattoos that adorn each arm.
Once we have all of our luggage loaded in the back of Asher’s SUV, Justin helps Teddy in the front seat and buckles him in then we climb in the backseat, me in the middle, hip to hip with Justin. I can sense his irritation by way of his tight jaw and tense shoulders.
“You a cop too, Asher?” Teddy asks.
I catch Asher’s grin in the rearview mirror. “Yes, sir. Memphis PD.”
“Memphis? Those streets are rough, son. I had a friend in college who grew up there.”
“That they are, sir, but I like it rough.”
Asher and Teddy make small talk the rest of the way but Justin remains silent until we pull into the driveway.
“You and Teddy head inside. I’ll bring in the luggage,” Justin says.
I nod, unbuckling my seatbelt. “Are you going to be okay?”
He leans over, curling his hand around my neck to pull me in for a quick kiss. “I’m good, babe. I’ll be in soon.”
I do as he says and lead Teddy inside.
“Was it me or could you cut the tension with a knife? Those two have some kind of sibling rivalry going on,” Teddy remarks after we make it inside.
I take one final glance before shutting the door and catch a glimpse of Asher scowling at his pissed off brother.
“Need some help with that?” Asher asks as he approaches the back of the truck.
Ignoring him, I retrieve all of the luggage and haul it up to the house. “Damn it, Justin, would you fucking talk to me,” he demands.
At the top of the porch steps, I set down the luggage and turn on him. “Why are you here?”
“Why do you think I’m here?”
“To annoy the piss out of me. Try and steal my girl. Both.”
“I didn’ttryto steal the last one. How was I supposed to know who she was? I’d never met her or seen a photo. Bitch played me.”
