Nash Brothers Box Set - Carrie Aarons Page 0,315

“I will cherish every time I look at it on my morning walk. I’ll always see you on Main Street, now.”

“I wish Ryan were here to see this,” Presley mutters sadly, and Penelope leads her away by the elbow.

My heart drops to my feet when my sister-in-law says that, because I wish she was, too.

“You’re a fucking moron.” Forrest rounds on me, shaking his head.

“What?” I throw my arms up. “Do we have to do this today? You do all realize I just accomplished something huge.”

“You told her to go. You got mad, acted like a child, and told her to go to Denmark.” Bowen fills in the blank, and they all stare at me like I should be grounded.

“Do you think that being in love is easy? It’s fucking hard. Especially with Penelope. Never fall in love with her, woman is barking mad,” Forrest quips, and Keaton shoots him a glare.

My twin continues. “But seriously, being in a relationship, a partnership, it’s hard. Not every day, but a lot of days. You fight, you disagree. But that doesn’t mean you kick the woman you love out of your home, much less your town. You should have fought for her and you know it.”

“She wanted to go to Denmark,” I say weakly, knowing that’s not exactly true.

“Bullshit,” Keaton curses, and all three of our heads swing his way.

My big brother has to be mighty pissed at me to let a curse fall out of his mouth.

“You’re in love with her, and she’s in love with you. So you two have some issues, who cares? Presley and I couldn’t be more different, but we make it work. Because we would rather die trying than be with anyone else. And at the end of the day, you and Ryan are more alike than anyone I’ve ever known. I knew it from the moment I saw you two together. The connection you have is deep, maybe deeper than any one of us has with our wives.”

Apparently, they aren’t even going to let me defend myself. Not that I really have a leg to stand on, most of what they’re saying is right on the money. I hang my head, thinking about how much I fucked up. I never should have let her go. I should have gotten right in her face, challenged her like she always challenges everyone else. I should have told her to hell with her boss, we’d fight a lawsuit together. That I wanted her right here, living in our apartment and teaching in the school I know she loved working at.

“Speak for yourself,” Bowen grumbles, but Forrest elbows him to get with the program. “They’re right, bro. You’re a moron. But you don’t have to remain one.”

“What does that mean?”

They all roll their eyes at me, but Forrest speaks. “Pull your head out of your ass and go get her.”

Keaton follows that harsh directive up. “Go to Denmark, Fletch. Your clock is done, there is nothing keeping you here. Of course, we want you to stay, but your place is with Ryan. Plus, I always knew this town was too small for you. Knew it the minute you came home from the hospital and wailed your lungs out every time Mom brought us down to Main Street. You’ve spent a lot of time holding yourself back, keeping yourself small. Time to go big, brother.”

Each one of them looks at me expectantly, and I know it’s inevitable.

Whether it’s right now, or I get my ass in gear a month from now, there is no question that I’ll be going after her. And I’ve wasted enough time in my life.

So I ask for the help they’re clearly offering. “How fast can we book a flight to Copenhagen?”

38

Ryan

I stare at the picture on Presley’s Instagram feed, the one she just posted.

It’s a photo of Fletcher, looking as handsome as ever, standing below the monstrous clock tower. The one he designed. I missed it, the unveiling. His biggest accomplishment, the thing he’s been working so hard for, and I wasn’t there. The hard truth rips me apart.

Tears well behind my eyes, and I blink them back rapidly. I’ve cried more in the last two weeks than I ever have in my life, and I’m not about to break down in hysterics at my desk.

Not that anyone would care. Most of the people at this private security company are so secretive, they barely even look my way. They have whispered conversations in Danish, and