a second?”
Before I could answer, Jensen leaned in, pressing a kiss to my temple and murmuring, “See you back there.” Then he followed in the direction Brantley had gone, leaving me and Stone alone.
“Wanna sit?” my brother asked, waving his thick arm to the porch steps. I moved that way, taking a seat on the top step and waited while he lowered himself down beside me. “Shaney, sweetheart—” he started at the same time I said, “Stone, I—”
We both smiled, and if felt like the tension between us had just been broken. “Sorry,” I giggled, bumping his shoulder with mine. “You go first.”
“I’m sorry,” he started. “And not just for how I acted about you and Jensen, but for everything. I haven’t been a very good brother to you, but there hasn’t been a single day in my life where I haven’t thought about you. You’re one of the most important people in my life, squirt. I love you more than you can imagine and I hate that I ever made you feel differently.”
I sniffled to fight back the burn that hit my eyes. “I know you love me,” I said softly, looking over at him into the same amber eyes I had. “I never doubted that. And I love you too. You’re my big bro. I’ve just missed you like crazy.”
“I’ve missed you like crazy, too, darlin’. Even if I didn’t show you. You’ve always been on my mind. I just want you to be happy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I am happy,” I told him with a genuine smile. “I’m really happy, Stone. I know you were worried, but you don’t have to be. No matter what happens, I’m gonna be okay.”
One corner of his mouth crooked up as I nuzzled into his side, forcing him to lift his arm and wrap it around my shoulders. “I know you will, squirt. ’Cause you’re the toughest chick I know.”
“Thanks.” I laid my head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. “So, now that we’re good, does that mean you’ll be heading back to Cali?” I tried to keep my tone light and airy, but there was no hiding the dejection in my voice at the thought of him leaving.
“I could,” he said, his arm giving me a squeeze. “Or . . . I could stay.”
My head shot up, my eyes big and full of hope. “Really? For, like . . . a couple more weeks?”
“Or, I was thinking maybe for good.”
I shot up straight. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.” He grabbed hold of me and pulled me against him once more.
“Stone, I love having you here, and it would make me so happy if you’d stay for good, but I don’t want you giving up your life like that. You and me, we’re good, sweetie, and we’ll stay good even if you go back.”
“I know that,” he said in his low, raspy tone. “But Brant’s growin’, and I’ve already missed a big chunk of that. You’re gonna start settlin’ down. Life here is movin’ and I feel like I’m missing everything that matters. I left back then because it was what I felt I needed. I needed to see what was out there, experience life on my own terms. But now it’s time for me to come home.”
“Well, it would be nice for you to actually settle down somewhere. You know, you aren’t getting any younger, old man,” I teased. It was something I loved throwing in his face, the fact he was so much older than me. Stone’s dad had knocked up our mom by accident before he bailed on her. Stone was twelve when my dad came into the picture and only months from fourteen when I was born. Even before our mom took off, she’d shoved the responsibility of taking care of me off on him, so it had been Stone who’d practically raised me.
“Thirty-eight’s not old,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, but you’re only thirty-eight for another month or so, and thirty-nine is old.”
“Asshole,” he grunted with a gravelly chuckle.
I giggled along with him and rested my head back on his shoulder while we lapsed into silence. I broke it several seconds later. “Stone?”
“Yeah, squirt?”
“Thrilled to have you back for good, big bro. More than you can imagine.”
He twisted his neck and leaned in to press a kiss to the top of my head. “Thrilled to be back for good, sweetheart.”
And just like that, me and my big brother were good again.
“Fuck, yes. Jensen, baby,” I moaned as I dug