Page 45 of Sweet Surprise
“Carson refereed beautifully.” Jess chuckled, reaching out to brush a strand of wayward tinsel from Carson’s shoulder.
Garret noted how his brother leaned into the touch, how his eyes followed Jess even as he ruffled Mason’s hair in greeting. There was no sign of the cautious, calculating businessman Carson had been just months ago. This was a man transformed.
“You’ve got a little…” Carson gestured to the corner of Jess’s mouth where a smudge of glitter sparkled.
Before she could react, he brushed it away with his thumb, his touch lingering longer than necessary. Jess blushed, and Garret had to look away, feeling like a voyeur, even if they were standing smack dab in the middle of Main Street. His gaze drifted to Preston and Sarah who had arrived late and squeezed in on his mom’s other side. Another couple who spoke silently with their eyes. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about his sisters. Rachel would be on the Jillian’s float and neither would be making lovey dovey eyes at anyone but the crowd.
“The Corn Hole Heaven float is coming!” Mason tugged at Carson’s sleeve, breaking the spell.
Sure enough, Aunt Liz and Vicki’s elaborate creation approached—a massive corn hole board decorated with thousands of sequins, crowned by none other than Mildred McEntire in a tiara that could rival the one given to Miss Universe. The family erupted in cheers.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” Carson grinned, slipping his arm around Jess’s waist.
“Only in Honeysuckle.” She leaned into him.
As Mildred waved regally from her perch, tossing handfuls of corn kernels dipped in silver paint, Garret found himself watching his brother instead of the parade. Carson pointed out details of the float to Mason, who now sat contentedly on his shoulders for a better view. Jess stood beside them, her hand resting on Carson’s arm, her face tilted up to them both with such open affection that Garret felt a tug in his chest. They made it look so blasted easy.
When had his pragmatic, business-minded brother become this man who gazed at his wife like she hung the moon? The man who hoisted a nine-year-old onto his shoulders without a second thought, who threw back his head and laughed at something Jess whispered in his ear?
And Jess—the nervous city girl who’d arrived at their ranch just months ago—now stood with the easy confidence of someone who knew exactly where she belonged. She caught Garret watching and flashed him a warm smile, without a word, including him in their happiness.
Maybe that was what struck him most. The way they’d built something that somehow made room for all of them. Not just Carson, Jess, and Mason, but the entire Sweet family. Even him, with all his edges and silences.
“Earth to Garret.” His mom nudged him. “Do you want some lemonade?”
He blinked, realizing he’d missed part of the conversation. “Sure, thanks.”
As his mother wandered off toward the lemonade stand, Garret found himself standing next to Carson. “This may be the best parade turnout yet.”
Carson nodded, his gaze darting from the parade to his wife, and then he glanced up to grin at his son. “Yep. All is good. Very good.”
There was so much contentment in those simple words that Garret wondered if there was some kind of magic attached to the family trust. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking. After all, with Jillian and Rachel still struggling to find believable future mates willing to give up a year of their lives for little reward, he seemed to be top on the list of who needed to marry next. Like he’d once heard the hero of some rom-com say, he believed in marriage too much to marry just anybody. That was clearly going to have to change, but wouldn’t it be something if maybe, just maybe, the trust had a little more magic to offer?
