Seconds and thirds were filled to the brim.
Once I had the dishwasher loaded, Ethan stepped up and started washing the dishes. Alec was drying them as Granger put them where they went.
Dominik was cleaning the table and counters.
Garrick was sweeping.
We could all hear the women laughing.
My dad was sitting on a bar stool and sighed, “Good people. Good food. Nothing like it.”
Peter, who was sitting beside him, nodded.
***
We were on the back porch, not even twenty minutes later, when Granger asked, “Still cool with you?”
He was referring to when he asked if Tatum could hang out here with the girls while he and I headed to work in a few days.
I looked at where my woman was sitting with Talia, Lila, Everly, and Tatum, and saw it, she indeed fit right in. Then I nodded, “Totally.”
He looked at her and then back at me, and nodded, then he asked, “The fuck is up with your brother?”
I chuckled, then shook my head at where Garrick was leaning against the wall, close as fuck to where they were sitting but out of eyesight.
“Got no fucking clue. Can say, never seen him like this,” I told him.
“Well, he’s your brother, so, know he’s a good man. Long as it ain’t Alec,” he said with a hint of disgust in his tone.
I laughed, “I agree with you there, man. Love Alec to death, but something is seriously wrong with him. It’s going to take a special kind of woman to shape that kid up.”
***
Dominik was out in the yard with Garrick and Granger, getting the fireworks ready.
Harlee was cuddled to my side.
She twisted her head and pressed a kiss over my heart when she said, “Thank you.”
I looked down at her, “For what, baby?”
“For this. You didn’t have to let us use your house.”
I leaned back, brought my hand up, placed one finger under her chin, lifted her head.
The moment I had her eyes, I said, “Plan for this house to be our home, Darling. Why wouldn’t I be okay with it?”
I watched as a slow smile formed on her face, and then that blinding one that always caused my heart to stutter.
Just then, they lit the fireworks.
And since it had cleared up just enough with the rain, we all moved out from under the porch, hanging and watched.
Something caught my eye, and I watched as Dominik moved, but where he moved shocked the shit out of me.
Hmmmm.
He moved directly behind Talia and stood there.
