Sutton’s eyebrows lift. “Did I meet your sister this morning? Mackenzie?”
Kyler smiles. “You did, yes.”
“She really helped the food pantry,” Sutton tells him within earshot of all of us. “I’m forever grateful. She even set us up with a monthly delivery so the pantry never has to worry about running out of food again.” She brings a hand to her chest. “Truly, I’m so grateful. Please thank her again for me. She really came to the rescue when we needed it most.”
Kyler’s glances at me and I decide now is the perfect time to stare at the driveway. Sutton doesn’t know I set the whole thing up, and she doesn’t need to know. What’s important is that Portland’s citizens in need will not be going hungry any time soon.
Kyler clears his throat, his expression softened. “I’ll absolutely tell her.
Behind them, Killian steps out from the group carrying a hammer and a lightbulb.
“Killian,” he says, Bishop next to him. “We’ve met.”
Sutton looks between them and then back at me. “Right. The brothers.” She gestures to all of us. “This is the Portland trifecta we hear so much about?”
Killian crosses his arms. “Oh, so you’ve heard of us, eh?”
“Well beside the fact I met all of you in the Alley Tap that one night, three men who look eerily identical save for a few, uh…” she looks Killian over, “piercings and maybe a few tattoos. All paid to wear expensive pants in order to play professional tag…I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t heard of you.”
Killian laughs. “Tag, huh? Really?.”
Sutton cocks her brow. “Am I wrong?”
“Nah,” I break in. “You’re not wrong. My kind of tag is just tougher than their kind of tag.”
“How so?” Bishop asks, feigning offense.
“Because in my game, we aim for full contact tag while you sissies run from it.”
“Fuck off, bro,” Killian says with a hearty laugh. “At least we look better in our expensive pants.”
“Debatable,” Orry calls out from the porch. “Have you seen your brother’s ass in his pants?” He lets out a whistle and all the guys on my team come to the defense of my ass in football pants.
I shake my head. “You know, I could’ve done this without you guys. I told you I had it handled.”
Boone claps me on the back hard enough to rattle my spine. “You did, and that’s precisely why we’re here.”
Jake gestures toward my SUV. “He’s right. Plus, where’s the fun in that?”
Sutton crosses her arms and looks at me. “Admit it. You recruited an entire football team to move eight boxes.”
“I absolutely did not. I promise you that.”
“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get the lady moved in.” Kyler gestures toward the driveway and the chaos begins immediately. Boone grabs two boxes. Jake grabs three. Orry tries to carry one under each arm like he’s competing in the Strongman Olympics.
“This is unnecessary,” I say.
“No, it isn’t,” Boone says. “This is male bonding.”
Sutton laughs quietly beside me and walks toward the guest house, and it’s all I can do not to stop in my tracks and ask her to laugh again. The sound of it, so light, so carefree…it makes me feel so fucking good.
Within thirty seconds every box she owns is inside, which means the entire moving operation is basically over. Kyler sets the last box on the kitchen table and then opens it.
“Careful,” Sutton warns. “My six-pack of dildos are in one of these boxes somewhere.”
The room goes so quiet you could hear a football deflate.Eight professional athletes, over twelve hundred pounds of muscle, frozen like someone hit pause on the universe.
My brain short-circuits.
