He didn’t care if it took weeks or months to convince him this was where he wanted to be. Donovan was willing and eager.
Twenty-One
Brady waited until Reilly went to takea shower before he grabbed his cell phone and carried it out onto the back porch. He figured he should probably be doing this face-to-face, but he didn’t want to wait any longer.
He dialed Donovan’s number, surprised when he answered on the first ring.
“Merry Christmas,” he told his best friend.
“Same to you, man. What’s up?”
“You got a minute?”
“Yeah. Tate’s in the shower.”
Brady swallowed past the lump in his throat and began pacing the length of the patio. “I wanted to ask you … I mean, I plan to ask your dad later today, but I wanted to ask you first.”
“You don’t have to ask me,” Donovan said, sounding like he had been expecting Brady to bring this up.
“I do have to ask,” he countered.
“If you love my sister and she loves you, it doesn’t matter what I say.”
“But it does,” Brady told him. “If, for some reason, you’re against me bein’ with her, I’d like to know.”
Donovan sighed. “Brady, you are the absolute best man I know. For you to even think I might be against it…”
“I know,” Brady said, understanding Donovan’s disappointment. “It’s just … you’re my best friend and my business partner. I don’t want to do anything that’ll change that.”
“So you’re sayin’ you’d stop seein’ Reilly if I had a problem with it?”
“No.” Brady stopped walking. “I’m sayin’ I want to do this the right way. I love her, and you’re like a brother to me. I’m hopin’—”
Donovan laughed. “I’m fuckin’ with you. And that was the right answer, by the way. She comes before all else.”
“She does,” Brady agreed. “I want to ask her to marry me. I know it might be too soon, but—”
“We both know time is nothin’ when you’ve found what you’re lookin’ for. You don’t need it, but yeah, you’ve got my blessing. And you know my dad’ll say the same thing.”
“I hope so.” Brady sighed and resumed pacing. “How’d things go last night with Tate? I mean, you said he’s in your shower, so I’m gonna assume that’s a good thing.”
“It is. I asked him to move in with me.”
Wow. Holy shit. Brady honestly hadn’t expected that. “And?”
“He turned me down.” Donovan laughed. “That little shit’s gonna keep me on my toes.”
Brady grinned. “That’s a good thing. You need someone who’ll stand up to you.”
“You’re right. I do. Don’t think for a second you’ve got it any easier with my sister. She’s gonna give you a run for your money.”
“And she’ll enjoy it,” Brady added, laughing because he knew it was true.
And he looked forward to every minute.
***
Tate had just finished brushing his teethwhen his gaze dropped to his cell phone for the fourth time in as many minutes.
