Page 32 of All The Way Under

“I’ll replace all of that later tonight,” I promise. “We can lock ourselves in here. Maybe not forever, though. We have the world to save, you know?” I lean my forehead against hers.

Grimace scratches the door again.

“And a very indigent dog that needs me.”

“I love that for you. For us,” she says, correcting the term. “I hope he likes me. No, I hope he loves me more than anyone else. More than you.”

I find my shorts and pull them on, and Saylor slips her long dress over her head. Knowing she’ll be naked under that for the rest of the day might be torture. Fuck, her body is perfect.

I open the door and Grimace hobbles in like a grouchy old man pissed I made him wait.

He turns up his wiry snout and sniffs the air once, then again, like an oxygen connoisseur on a mission.

He waddles over to where Saylor is standing, and we both hold our breath.

It’s immediate—Grimace’s love or hate isn’t a gradual occurrence.

She knows this because we talked about how hilarious and discriminating it is.

She stoops down, holding out her hands, palms up. And maybe it’s because she smells like me, or maybe it’s because he senses the peace she brings, he licks her hands, then nuzzles into her pet.

Saylor’s eyes widen, and she immediately looks up at me.

“He licked me,” she whispers. “I’m going to get cocky and try to pet his head.” Grimace nuzzles into her hands more, even when she strokes the fur between his eyes. “He loves me. Oh my gosh, I could cry.”

Hands on my hips, I survey as my crotchety old dog falls in love with my woman. She scoops him up, and she follows me downstairs.

“Grimace, you are getting soft in your senile years, aren’t you, boy?” I reach over and run my fingers over his back as we descend the stairs side by side.

Saylor makes a pit stop in the bathroom off the kitchen, and I head out to the deck where Catherine and Nolan are bird watching with binoculars.

“I can’t believe Nolan sucked you into his old man hobby,” I remark.

“I can’t believe you disappeared for that long,” Catherine claps back. “Are you done hogging her attention?”

Catherine spins, holding out the binoculars to me.

“Look at the double-crested cormorant. It’s stunning. I’m going to fix us a cheese board and make some tea.”

Laughing, I take them from her and look where Nolan’s are pointed.

“It’s on the third try. It’s going to get a fish on this one. I have a good feeling for him on his next dive.”

I grunt. “I think I’m going to marry her, McLan. Nothing has ever felt like forever like this.”

Nolan turns slowly, his binoculars the last thing to lower to his side.

“Who are you and what have you done to my brother?” He swallows. “I’ve known you my whole life, and this is the most shocking thing you’ve ever dropped on me.” He smirks. “Does she know the real you? Like you’ve shown her Bitchy Brody?”

“How could she have not met Bitchy Brody? We were sweating in a cage together for a month. She knows him personally. When she looks at me, she sees through the rough shit. I told her about my…past. I’d marry her yesterday if I could.”

Nolan is slack-jawed.

“But if you tell anyone about this or that I was mushy, I will kill you with a wedgie. That’s a promise.”

He stutters, then stumbles over his next words, loud and clumsy. “What-what-what about her family?”

“Hello,” Saylor says, announcing her presence.

Nolan and I both jump at the same time.

“Oh god. Hello, I’m Nolan.” My brother is embarrassed. We don’t know how long she was there. I should, but I was preoccupied.

Saylor has two beers in her hand, and she extends them to us and pulls a third out of her dress.

“It has pockets,” she announces with a smile, sipping her beer. “Saylor,” she says without any tells.

Did she hear our conversation? Am I that out of sorts that I didn’t sense her?

“It’s so good to finally meet you. Catherine and I were chit-chatting in the kitchen, and she shared all the gory details.”

Looking between us for a beat or two is normal. We are identical, but she seems to be puzzling over something.

Catherine comes out, setting the cheese board on the outdoor coffee table in between the sofas.

“Isn’t Saylor beautiful? I can’t get over it,” Catherine squeals. “Cheese and crackers are here. A pot of tea too. A peppermint and lavender blend. We should drink it in between alcohol. Unconventional, yes, but fun nonetheless.”

“Thank you,” Nolan and I say in unison.

Saylor just blushes furiously, the rose color creeping to her chest and neck.

Saylor grins at the unison, as most people do. The in-sync thing is hard to get used to.

“Now that everyone is here,” Nolan says. “Catherine and I have some news.”

A bead of sweat rolls down my brother’s forehead.

“We are getting married!” Catherine squeals, pulling her ring out of her jeans pocket and sliding it onto her finger. “We wanted everyone important to be together before we announced it.”

My heart jumps and my stomach sinks at the same time. This is incredible and foreign.

Nolan kisses Catherine, and Saylor claps her hands with joy.

“We didn’t want to spring marriage news on you,” Nolan says, gaze lingering on mine.

He’s still processing what I told him. He clears his throat.

“Happy news all around for everyone,” he adds, gaze darting between Saylor and me.

“This is a celebration,” Saylor wails, both arms in the air. Her joy is contagious, and I can’t help but smile at her. “We need champagne. Lots of it.”

Catherine pulls a bottle from behind a sofa cushion. “It’s probably a little warm, but we’re ready!”

“I’ll go get glasses and some ice,” Saylor replies, rushing to hug Catherine and then Nolan.

Nolan watches me watching her and shakes his head—that sly grin on his face. We have to do everything at the same time. That in-sync twin shit.