Page 68

MONTANA

“Mom, Dad, Uncle Deke, Aunt Marlie, Uncle Tanner, Nana, Pop, guess what?” Jace screams the second we’re in the foyer. Everyone’s inside the house, no one is out by the pool, I’m assuming because Jace ran out of the pool when he heard Asa’s truck pull up.

“The fuck,” comes from Deke. The man beside me, well, his body locks up tight, our hands disengaging as he pulls me closer to him, his arm banding around my lower back.

“So glad you two finally made it.” His mom takes the brownie cake-like dessert out of Asa’s hands. Thank you, Food Network, for showing me an amazing recipe that I tweaked to put my own twist on it.

“Always, Mom.” Asa bends down to kiss her cheek. I go to hug her one sided since she’s now got the other hand occupied.

“Is anyone going to say something, or will it just be me?” Boy, there’s been a whole other side to Deke lately that I don’t think I’ve ever seen.

“You know what? I think I’ll say something. The reaction you’re giving us is the exact reason why we kept quiet.” Asa is ready to throw down.

“Well, you know, bubba, it’s not like you have the greatest track record with women. It wasn’t long ago you were trying to take Jace to the park to pick them up, giving him pointers on how to approach them,” Keller responds.

“Dad, Uncle Asa never did that. Why would you say that?” Jace defends his uncle.

“Then what did you do?” Alana looks from Jace to Keller as he talks.

“Well, we did go to the park, got ice cream, and we’d talk, but he mostly pushed me on the swing, or we spun around until I was ready to lose my dessert. For the most part, he was telling me to stay away from women who were so forward and trying to come and talk to me,” Jace says matter-of-factly.

“Asa.” Keller hangs his head, upset with the information his son gave out so freely.

It shows me that he feels remorse but didn’t think enough to get to the heart of Asa.

“I wish so much… I wish I had taken the time to talk to you. If you’re happy, I’m happy.

But if you fuck with her heart, brother or not, I’ll whoop your ass.

” Asa’s fingers massage my side. A sigh of relief is all you can hear in the room at this moment

Until Leena says, “Why do you even care?” I did not expect her to have mine or Asa’s back like this.

Seriously, I figured she’d be the one to be upset with us.

“She’s my best friend. No, it’s not ideal that she’s, you know whatting with my brother, but who are they hurting?

Also, sister from another mister, I love you.

I would have given you hell, you know, seeing as I’ve warned you about Asa eighteen thousand times, but, man, do I wish you had let me in on this whole little secret love fest. Though, if we all really thought about it, Asa hasn’t been around as much, and my bestie, well, let’s just say she’s been otherwise occupied in the sense of girls’ night, long talks, and manicure days.

Which, listen, Asa, I love you, but share my friend, okay?

” God, I don’t deserve her as a friend. Seriously, I have sucked, and I’m going to have to do so much better.

“Love you, Leena. Come give your brother a hug.” All three of us are hugging. Jace wiggles his way in between the masses, and we laugh together.

“Love you, Asa. Love you, Montana, but, ummm... do you think you can get my brother to ease up on the scaring men off tactic? At this rate, I may never have children of my own, if you catch my drift.” The whole living room laughs at that. Clearly, Leena did not use her inside voice in the huddle.

“I’m not okay with this. For how many years he’s been the easy one, never settling down, jokester, and prankster?

Who’s to say Asa won’t do the same to Montana?

And now she works for us. This is going to be an epic nightmare, one you created.

” He points at Asa. Boy, oh, boy, Deke has been gunning to hurt my man, and I’ve just about had it.

“I mean, it’s less than ideal. Don’t we have anything in the employee handbook that states anything against coworkers dating? ”

Tanner pipes up, “I don’t see this being an issue. If that does happen, which I’ve got a damn good gut feeling it won’t, we can separate them until tempers have cooled down.” I watch as Marlie smiles brightly.

“Montana the reason you don’t want to expand to Alabama?

” My eyes scan the room. Mr. Hart has his hands on his chest, chin jutted out in a way that shows he’s clearly upset.

Mrs. Hart is looking at Deke with disappointment at his words.

Wow, he really can’t read a room. Marlie and Alana look like deer caught in the headlights, as if they didn’t know this was even talked about.

“You’re a freaking idiot, Dekey boy.” Leena slaps his chest. Thankfully, she grabs Jace’s hand. “Let’s go have a soda while the adults talk, okay, kiddo?”

“I think you need to rein it the fuck in right now.” Asa’s body is simmering with anger, absolutely boiling that Deke would even think to bring this up during a family function.

“Deke, brother, not sure what’s going on, but you’re taking your anger out on everyone in this room, and it’s not something I’m happy with.

” Keller is seething mad, so I do something in an attempt to be smart: I kiss Asa on his cheek, my hand goes to his heart, and I tell him, “I’m going to take the ladies out of the room.

I think you all need some time to talk without me, okay? ”

“Yeah, this won’t take long. If it gets too bad, we’ll go home,” he replies, kissing my lips.

“The hell you will. No one is leaving,” Mr. Hart states vehemently.

“Deke, I know this is a lot, and if you don’t think me working for Hart Construction is a good idea anymore, that’s okay.

I don’t want to be the cause of trouble, but what I won’t do is give up on your brother.

It seems to me that’s happened enough throughout his life already.

” With those parting words, I walk towards the back of the house.

Hopefully, the women follow in my wake because I have a feeling shit is about to get real.