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“Of course,” I assure her, unable to hold back my own grin.

“Absolutely,” Bryce agrees. “Besides, you’ll want to make sure you do it properly, as we’ll hopefully be the first clients after you branch out on your own.”

“What?” Josie gasps, looking at Kat. “Are you serious?”

“Bryce, I never said I was going to do that!” Kat’s shaking her head, but she’s still smiling.

“I know.” He grins back. “Now, are we going to beat the shit out of my house or what?”

We end up dividing into teams. The only person who’s not partnered up is Mia, but Kat seems confident in her ability to break things alone without getting in trouble. Apparently, Bryce needs to be supervised. I can’t help but grin when Kat comes toward me with a sledgehammer in her hand.

Her brow arches. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

My gaze roams over her from head to toe, soaking in every inch of her. “Is this what I missed out on when we were doing demolition at the pool?”

She rolls her eyes. “Yes, because me in a pair of ratty shorts and a paint-splattered tank top is the epitome of sexy.”

“I was talking more about the tool belt.” Grinning, I latch my finger into it and pull her toward me.

Her cheeks flush a light shade of pink that only has my grin widening. “I have a lot of stuff to carry with me, Carter.”

“Hmm,” I murmur, pressing my lips against her temple. “If that’s what you’re going with.”

“Hey!” We spring apart at the sound of Bryce’s voice, both of us flushing when we see him standing in the doorway with his hands on his hips. Behind him, Josie looks gleeful. “There will be no canoodling in my house!”

The laugh escapes me before I can stop it, which only results in me partially choking on it. Kat pats my back until I can gain control over myself. Josie’s biting both of her cheeks to hold back her laughter. Kat’s eyes are shining with mirth.

“Don’t say canoodling, Clark.” The sound of Mia busting shelves down in a closet follows her groan from the hallway. “It’s weird.”

Bryce scowls, gray eyes drifting from me to Katrina. “That’s it, we’re changing partners. I’m working with Carter.”

“Hey,” Josie protests. “What did I do to deserve that?”

“Someone needs to watch them,” Bryce warns, moving to stand next to me. “So, I’ll take Carter and the two of you can work together.”

“Aw, man, if you want to spend more time together, all you gotta do is ask,” I tease with a slight shove.

Kat’s grinning as she makes her way over to Josie. “That’s fine. We’ll work together and get more done than the two of you combined.”

He should know by now that we take competition seriously. Bryce and I exchange looks, nodding to each other in unspoken understanding, before looking back at our girlfriends. “You’re on. Loser buys drinks.”

“Deal.” Then she and Kat are bounding out of the room.

Hourslater,I’msorein places I’m not sure I’ve ever been sore before.

“Aren’t you the one who exercises eight hours a day?” Kat teases. She drops her keys on the table by the door as I collapse on the couch with a groan.

“That’s different.” They’re not all that different, both extremely physically taxing, but I used different muscles today and in ways I haven’t used them for years. I can’t remember when I was last on my feet for that long.

Unsurprisingly, the girls won and, honestly, seeing the determination on their faces while holding sledgehammers was a little humbling for both Bryce and me. We parted ways to shower and change before meeting up at Brick Tavern for dinner. I’ve only been there a handful of times, but half the staff knows the rest of them. It’s going to become our spot here in Columbia. Which is reassuring because it means we’re all putting roots down.

Kat sits beside me, curling against me, and resting her head on my shoulder. I sling my hand around hers, tilting my head until it can rest on hers. We sit in total silence for what could be seconds, minutes, or even an hour. Still, I let us float in it for a little longer before breaking it.

“You said yes to staying and helping us.”

“I did,” she agrees, shifting to get more comfortable. “Are you okay with that?”

I brush my lips against her forehead. “I’m more than okay with it. I don’t think it’s a secret that I’d rather have you here with me. With us. What are you thinking about doing after the club’s done?”