Page 23 of Rhett (The Swift Brothers #3)
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tripp
“W hat have you been up to? I haven’t seen you around as much.” My brother, Bruce, sits beside me in the family room, with the large picture window overlooking my parents’ snowy property.
It’s just the two of us here at the moment. Meadow is playing with her younger cousins and the grandparents, and Bruce’s wife, who is a nurse, had to work today.
“We’re lucky, ya know? To have the family we do.” To have a mom and dad who would do anything for us. Who want to spend time with their grandkids. I can’t help thinking about what I’ve learned about Gregory Swift, and how foreign some of the things I do with Meadow are to Rhett because he never had a dad who did the same. It makes me glad East found Archer because I know the Thorns will love him like their own. Glad that Morgan has Dusty because the James family will be the same for him, and it makes me wish even more that Rhett had come with me today because I want him to have that with my family.
I want him to have everything.
“We are,” Bruce says. “For sure. What makes you say that now, though?”
“Just thinking about some friends of mine. The things you learn about people when you take the time to get to know them. It’s so easy to look at someone from the outside and decide who they are, to imagine they have the perfect life. Or just not see their hardships, and then when you really look or take the time to listen, you see there’s more going on.”
Bruce frowns. “Is everything okay? Do you need something? Is Meadow having trouble?”
See? This is exactly what I mean. I don’t know what it’s like not to have this kind of support, and before Archer got with East and I started to get to know Rhett, I assumed the Swift brothers were the same. “Meadow and I are great. Things are better for me than they’ve been in a long time. Like I said, just thinking about a friend.”
“Okay, well, let me know if you need me to take care of some business for you,” he says playfully, making me snort out a laugh.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, B.” We sit there for a minute, watching the light snow falling. I’m thankful it’s been a mild winter for the UP because too much snow is a hassle, but damn, is it pretty.
I wonder what Rhett is doing. I hate the idea of him being home alone all day. I think he’s spent too much of his life alone, and that’s another thing people didn’t take the time to see.
“Real talk?” I ask Bruce.
“Always.”
I look behind us to make sure no one slipped into the room. “I’m seeing someone.”
“Oh shit. Who? How have you managed to keep that a secret in Birchbark?”
I chuckle. “I don’t think many people would question it because he’s a man.” My being bi is not common knowledge around Birchbark. I’ve never dated a man until Rhett. I’ve hooked up with men in secret, but really, I haven’t been with a whole lot of men. I haven’t been with a whole lot of people in general, since I got married young and hadn’t been looking for anything serious afterward.
Archer knows, of course, because there’s not much Archer Thorn doesn’t know about me. It’s not something I’ve shared with my family, but I don’t have any worries coming out to them. That’s not how being a Cassidy works. We love unconditionally and affirmingly. It’s how we’re built.
“Wow. I can’t pretend there weren’t times when I wondered about you and Archer.”
“No. Never us. He’s a brother to me. And my…” Hell, what do I even call Rhett? My boyfriend? My partner? “Person. It’s even newer for him. No one knows about him, so I can’t tell you who it is, but damn, B. I’ve never felt this way before in my life. Not even with April. It hasn’t even been that long, but there’s no doubt in my mind that I’m in love with him. I just… I worry about Meadow. I always want her to be okay. He’s good to her, so it’s not that, but what if he’s not as serious as I am? What if feelings change and he leaves?”
Rhett would never hurt us on purpose, and he said he’s serious too, but I’ve been burned before, and feelings are complicated. Sometimes we hurt people without intent, and Meadow always has to be my first priority.
“She’s already lost her mama. I don’t want her to lose anything else. And though she has her girlfriends, we know it’s not always easy on her being trans. She’s felt different her whole life. People haven’t always treated her well because of who she is, and now she’s going to be the only kid in her middle school with two dads? What if that becomes something else for her to be teased about?”
I’m getting ahead of myself thinking about Rhett as being that big a part of our family, but I want it, and it’s my job as Meadow’s father to always think about how my decisions could affect her.
“Meadow will be okay,” Bruce says. “She’s the strongest person I know.”
“But I don’t want her to always have to be strong. I just want her to be able to live her life.”
Bruce nods, sympathy clear on his face. “There’s not a better father than you, Tripp. Hell, I can only hope to be as good a dad to my kids as you are, but you also have to live your life. Meadow will want you happy. That little girl loves you more than anything in this world. You’re her hero, and you’ll always do your best to protect her, but you can’t shield her from everything in her life. You can’t hold yourself back from being happy because some little asshole at school might say something to her. You support her, and you love her, and when the world shows her its uglier side, you’re there for her. And the rest of us will be too. You deserve a partner, and it won’t do you or Meadow any favors if you hold yourself back from someone you love.”
He’s right. I know he’s right. I drop my head against the back of the couch. “Yeah, the thing is, I don’t think I could hold myself back even if I wanted to, and part of me feels guilty for that. Fuck, B. I want him. Want to be with him. Want him to be mine.” I roll my head to the side and look at him.
“How cute. My brother is in love. I can’t wait to find out who he is so I can tell him how you went through a phase as a kid where we couldn’t get you to shower, and you walked around with a cloud of dirt behind you.”
I swat him. “You asshole.”
“Hey, you told Robin stories about me. All’s fair when it comes to getting revenge on your brother.”
We chuckle, but then I say, “Thank you. I’m glad we’re close.”
His forehead wrinkles, like he’s wondering where that came from. “I’m glad we’re close too.”
Footsteps sound from behind us, and then I hear, “Hey, Dad. Hey, Uncle Bruce.” Meadow walks over and sits between us.
“Hey, Meadow-bug.”
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
My chest swells. “Yeah. It’s perfect.”
She drops her head against my shoulder. Bruce pats her on the thigh, then gets up, making an excuse to leave, and we sit there together, watching the snow fall.
“Next time we should try harder to get Rhett to come with us. I don’t like it when he’s alone,” she says.
My heart expands to the point where it feels like it won’t fit in my chest. “I agree. We will. I don’t like it when he’s alone either.” I put my arm around her and kiss the top of her head. “I also think you’re really freaking awesome.”
“I get it from you.”
I smile. “I think you get it from you, but thanks.”
We sit a while longer, then join our family for dinner.
When we get home, Meadow and I take care of our nightly routine, then head to bed. Once I’m alone behind my bedroom door, I text Rhett.
Me: You awake?
Rhett: Yes.
I call him, and Rhett answers instantly. “Hello.”
“Hey, baby. How was your day?”
“Good. Really good. I finished Morgan’s stools, and Dusty came over. We had fun, but after he left, I spent the last few hours worried I messed up.”
Nerves twist in my gut, but it means so much to me that he admitted those things. Rhett is opening up, trusting me and those around him more and more. “Why? What happened?”
He doesn’t answer right away, so I sit here, listening to him breathe, giving him the chance to work through what he needs to say.
“I told Dusty about us. He won’t tell anyone, so you don’t have to worry about it getting back to Meadow, but I probably should have talked to you about it first.”
My worry evaporates, and I beam into my dark bedroom. “You’re so fucking sweet, and you don’t even know it. I don’t mind that you told him. I’m fucking honored that you did. It means a lot to me that you wanted to share us with someone you care about. And actually, I did something similar—I told my brother I’m with someone. I didn’t out you, of course, but I wanted to share something .” This is fucking ridiculous. We’re fucking ridiculous, but in the best possible way. “I mean, I think it’s a sign that we both opened up to someone the same day. Feels pretty meant-to-be to me.”
I hear the smile in Rhett’s voice when he says, “Me too. No one has ever been this good to me before. I didn’t know it was possible.”
“Jesus, baby. I wish you were here.” He could be here, and he would be if I told Meadow. I want that. Maybe need it.
“I told Dusty I would meet them all at Gracie’s next weekend. I’m bringing Morgan the stools, and we’ll hang out. I was thinking maybe you could come with me…and we could spend the night together afterward?”
“I’ll make it happen.” I don’t think there’s a damn thing I wouldn’t give Rhett Swift.