BeforeBeau could question Zane’s reference to marriage, the front door opened, andBeau looked over to see Sawyer strutting in, his cowboy hat low on his head.
Ok,now Beau was really liking the odds.
Oh,fuck.
That’swhen Beau realized that Sawyer wasn’t the only one who had graced the small barwith his presence. As soon as Sawyer made his way inside, a long line ofintimidating men followed not far behind: Greyson, Jared, Jaxson, Brendon,Braydon, CJ and last, but certainly not least, Curtis Walker.
Asthough the rest of the bar felt the earth shake the same way Beau did,everything went quiet. Including the conversation going on behind him betweenTravis and Gage.
“What’sgoing on?” he heard himself ask Ethan.
“Turnsout you were right,” Ethan said calmly, the hint of a smile on his lips as he continuedto stare back at Beau.
“Why’sthat?”
“They’rejust here to support me.”
Justlike Beau had known they would be.
Curtiswalked up and clapped Beau on the back as he moved around to his side.“Congratulations,” he offered with a crooked grin.
BeforeBeau could respond, Sawyer walked up and offered his hand. Transferring hisbeer to his other hand, Beau reached out and shook the proffered hand at thesame time Sawyer said, “’Bout damn time.”
Whatthe fuck was going on?
??
Ethanfought the urge to laugh when Beau’s eyes widened as he stared back at Sawyer.
So,for once, he’d managed to throw Beau for a loop. Looking back at the man heloved, he watched as his eyes widened to the size of saucers as the implicationsof what he’d actually done settled in.
“Youtold them?” Beau asked incredulously, his voice lowering to a whisper whenSawyer and Curtis stepped away.
Takinga sip of his beer, Ethan offered Beau a smile. “I did.”
Justlast night, he thought to himself. While Beau had been at thegym, Ethan rounded up his brothers and asked them to meet him at their parents’house. They did. And after fighting his nerves for almost an hour, Ethan hadfinally told them the reason he had called them all together.
Turnsout, they all knew. Not that Ethan had expected any less, but they gave him achance to tell them outright. Getting things out in the open had helped mendthe relationships that he’d purposely avoided with them. And when the twinstold him they wanted to celebrate, he hadn’t been able to refuse.
Asthe conversation around them resumed, his brothers and cousins coming up tocongratulate them both, Ethan was doing his damnedest to take his own adviceand ignore the men sitting at the front of the bar.
Hehadn’t been all that thrilled with the idea of celebrating at Moonshiners whenthe twins had suggested it, for that reason alone. It wasn’t that he was hidingbecause, thanks to the long overdue conversation he’d had with his familyduring the week, Ethan had decided to stand up for what he believed in.
Intruth, Beau – with a little push from Sawyer and Travis – had given him thecourage, allowing him to make the decision to stand up for himself. And forGavin.
Gavin’smemory had been buried beneath the hate and fear that Jimmy had instilled inEthan’s heart, never receiving the proper attention it deserved. Not that Ethanhad come to that realization easily. That little tidbit of information had beenlearned during his first counseling session earlier in the week.
Hehadn’t told Beau about the now weekly one-on-one sessions with a professional andbecause there had been so much going on during the week – including Beau’sconfrontation with his parents – he’d decided to hold off.
“What’sgoing on, E?” Beau asked, confusion contorting his ruggedly handsome features.
Ethanknew this was the moment of truth.
“Rememberwhen you were at the gym this week?”
Beaulaughed, but there was no humor in it. “I was at the gym every day this week.”
“Right.Well, I’ve been busy.”
