Forever After All - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,2

was eighteen. My eyes stray to McKenna and Corbin, but it’s just Corbin in the light of the flames. I scan the surroundings, and that’s when I see her headed my way.

“Rip, will you go with me?” she asks.

I don’t need her to clarify. I know what she needs. She and Laramie both used to come to me for this very same reason, that is until Colby appeared in the picture. I don’t hesitate to jump off the tailgate and link my fingers with hers. Fuck, I’ve missed her. Stopping at the back of my truck, I grab the roll of toilet paper and the small paper bag for trash that we can toss into the fire.

“My hero,” she says, her voice sugary sweet.

“You know, it’s just us. You don’t really need me,” I remind her. Not that I mind. It’s been too damn long since I’ve spent this kind of time with her. She barely came home while she was in college. She was always studying, taking a full course load, or working at her part-time job at a local law firm. Besides, I don’t know how many times I’ve preached to her and my sister never to wander off alone at a field party, or any party for that matter.

“Rip, you can’t break tradition,” she says, leaning into me.

I can’t hold in my chuckle. When we reach the big oak tree, I hand her the toilet paper and the bag and turn my back. “You doing okay?” I ask when I hear her cursing under her breath.

“Yep. Good. Ah,” she says, and I find myself again not able to hold onto my laughter. “Are you laughing at me, Rip Callahan?”

“You’re cute as hell, McKenna.”

“Men. You don’t know how lucky you are. All you have to do is just whip it out, and you’re good to go. I have to balance myself and not pee on my clothes.”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask her if she wants me to help her strip out of her clothes, but I refrain. McKenna has always been beautiful. I never would have thought she could be any more attractive, that is until I saw her walk into my parents’ house yesterday afternoon. Her hair is longer, and her body, she’s filled out, and she’s now all woman. Something that eighteen-year-old McKenna was lacking when she left for college.

Don’t get me wrong, she was beautiful, and I wanted her with a fierceness that I can’t explain. I’ve noticed subtle changes in her over the years when our paths crossed, but tonight is the first time I’ve really got to spend any amount of time with her. Her visits were always quick, as she had to get back to work in Massachusetts.

“You need help?” I ask when I hear more cursing and rustling around.

“Nope.” She appears beside me and slips her arm in the crook of mine.

Arm in arm, we walk back to the fire. I stop us at the truck to toss the toilet paper back into the cab. After leading us to the fire, McKenna tosses the small paper bag into the flames, and as soon as we’re in sight, Colby looks over at me and grins. “It’s about time,” he says, smirking.

“Hey, you try squatting and not getting any on your clothes,” McKenna fires back, making everyone laugh.

“This one’s for you, ladies,” Corbin says as he turns up the music. Laramie pulls McKenna from my side, and they begin to dance around the fire. When the song turns slow, Colby stands and wraps my sister in his arms. McKenna backs away with tears in her eyes as the couple dances to Train’s “Marry Me” like no one is watching.

“Do you know something that I don’t?” I whisper to McKenna when she comes to stand next to me.

“Just watch,” she says, leaning her head on my shoulder. There are tears shimmering in her eyes, and I know that this is it. He’s going to do it, and my guess is that he’s been waiting for McKenna to come home. So that my sister's best friend could be here to witness the moment. As the song ends, Colby gathers Laramie’s hands in his and drops to one knee.

My sister stills, placing her hand over her mouth. As we draw closer, I can see she also has tears in her eyes. “Laramie, I’ve loved you for longer than I can remember.” Colby’s voice is strong. Clear. “These past six years have been