Page 92 of Up in a Blaze

Rommy nervously shifted on her feet near us. “Sorry if I said something wrong.”

“You didn’t,” I told her. “We’re just working things out.”

She smiled. “I can see that, and I think it’s amazing.”

With a grunt, I looked at Loyal. “Text me your address. We’ll drop them there later.”

He tipped his chin up. “You got it, brother.”

I glanced to Country, who met my gaze. “No work for the next week for you and Henri, brother.”

There it was again.

Brother.

That word, along with his intense stare, told me the past was forgiven, and I was club. We were a part of the family he’d built. And Christ, that shit hit me right in the gut in the best kinda way.

I nodded, jaw clenching, and he grinned before walking over to his woman, who was misty-eyed from watching us.

Henri pulled Sawyer with him as he cried out, “Family hug.” He and Sawyer stood at Arlo’s and my side and wrapped their arms around us. Sawyer let out a watery laugh, resting his chin down on his brother’s head.

Henri puckered his lips at me. I dipped and kissed him.

“Shopping is calling me, boys,” Henri announced.

In the mall, Sawyer moved closer to me in the store and asked softly, “Is there any way I can get Henri to stop buying us things?”

Snorting, I shook my head.

Sawyer sighed.

“Does it really bother you?” I asked. If it did, I would put a stop to it. But Henri was having the time of his life finding things for Arlo and Sawyer.

Sawyer scraped his top teeth over his bottom lip as he thought about it. “I guess… I just never want you two to think we’re taking advantage.”

“We never would, kid.”

“I’m nearly nineteen, Blaze, and I work full-time. And now I won’t have people breathing down my neck, so I can afford stuff for us.”

“That’s good you can. You buy whatever you want, but we’ll still want to get you two things, and it doesn’t matter how old you are, Sawyer. You’ll be a kid to us even at twenty-fuckin’-five. But the difference is, now that you’ve accepted us, you’ll be our kid. You and Arlo.”

His gaze dropped to the carpet in the store. He stayed like that for a while. Henri glanced over, brows drawn.

I tipped my chin, telling him I had this situation, and my firecracker went back to showing Arlo things.

“You know,” Sawyer whispered, sniffing a bit, “I’ve heard people talk. Usually, you’re the quiet one, who doesn’t like to talk.”

Chuckling, I rested a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t talk much, kid. I am better at listening. But I’m finding that I like speaking to you and Arlo. But don’t fuckin’ tell anyone I said that. Everyone will try to have a chat with me.”

Sawyer grinned up at me, even with misty eyes. “Your secret is safe with me.”

I grunted. “Good. But serious, there could be days when I don’t have anything to say. Just don’t think you or your brother have annoyed me in some way, because it’ll never be that. Some days I just need to watch and listen.”

“Okay, Blaze. I’ll tell Arlo too.”

“Appreciate it.”

“Mon amour,” Henri called. He and Arlo were walking our way from the register with the boy holding another new bag. I already had three. “We have decided we need food.” Arlo stood beside him nodding.