T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,13
focus on that, not busting your ass to pay the fucking rent.”
“But—”
“No buts, Lyssa. I’m gonna help you pay for the rental house, and I don’t wanna hear anymore about it.”
“Okay, but once I start making money, I’m gonna pay you back.”
“We’ll figure that out later, but for now, let’s focus on getting you moved.” He took a drink of his sweet tea, then said, “I’ll talk to the brothers and see if they can give us a hand.”
“That would be great.” I glanced down at his half-eaten sandwich and asked, “You mind if I make myself one of those?”
“You don’t have to ask, Sis.” He pushed the jar of peanut butter towards me. “What’s mine is yours.”
“Thanks, Clay.”
“I’ve gotta head back to the garage, but I’ll be done early.”
“Okay, I’ll just hang out here until you get back.”
“Good deal.” As he started towards the door, he looked over to me and said, “Make yourself comfortable. Landry should be home soon.”
“Sounds good.”
Once I finished my sandwich, Duchess and I went into the living room; she settled down on the floor while I sprawled out on the sofa. Nestled into the cushions, I thought back to the moment I found out I’d gotten my internship at Chez Philippe and how I had immediately envisioned myself fulfilling all my childhood dreams. Sadly, it didn’t take long for reality set in. I had years of hard work ahead of me, and not only that, I had to move to a big city where I really didn’t know anyone—except my brother. I was feeling completely overwhelmed by it all, but then Beckett came into the picture. I couldn’t help but smile as I lay there thinking about our morning together.
I was lost in my thoughts when Duchess suddenly got up and bolted towards the kitchen. Seconds later, Landry walked through the door. Duchess started pacing back and forth, waiting eagerly for Landry to pet her. “Hey there, sweetie. Have you been a good girl?”
“She’s been a very good girl”—I sat up on the sofa—“and great company all afternoon.”
“I’m glad to hear that.” Landry dropped her things down on the counter, then walked into the living room. “Clay told me that you found a place to live.”
“I did, and it’s perfect. I can’t wait to get moved in.”
“We’ll have to plan a moving party ... Get all the guys and their ol’ ladies to help.”
“Do you think they’d be up for that?”
“Absolutely.” She giggled. “They’ll use any excuse to have a get together.”
“That would be awesome, but I really don’t have all that much to move. I barely have any furniture.”
“I’ve got some things in storage that you might be able to use.” Landry sat down on the sofa next to me. “They’re just a few odds and ends from my old apartment, and if I had to guess, I bet there’ll be others who have some things for you to borrow.”
“That would be incredible. I don’t know how to thank everyone for helping me.” I could feel the warmth building inside. “It means so much to me.”
“You mean a lot to Clay, Alyssa. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you.”
“I know. He’s a great big brother, and I’m so happy that he’s found you and his brothers.”
“You and me both.” She smiled as she stood up and started towards the kitchen. “I was thinking about making some dinner. Are you hungry?”
“Starving.” I joined her in the kitchen and asked, “What can I do to help?”
“How about we cook spaghetti? You could brown the hamburger?”
“Sure thing.”
The days that followed went by in a blur. It was as if everything in my life shot into high gear the second I signed my rental agreement. One minute, I was signing on the dotted line, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in my new house, completely decorated with all this amazing furniture. It was absolutely perfect, and I owed it all to Clay and his brothers. With their ol’ ladies’ help, they turned my place into a home, and I was ready to start my new life in Memphis. I was standing in the living room, looking at the pictures we’d just hung on the wall, when Clay came up behind me and asked, “Well ... What do you think?”
“Oh, Clay. I love it. Thank you so much for doing all this.”
“You gotta stop thanking me, Alyssa. I wanted to do it. Besides, the girls did most of the work.”
“They’ve been amazing.” I looked around