Ryan's Love - C.A. Harms Page 0,57

it to tip upward and fall off the back of his head. This only made it harder for Dad to hold Jackson off. He could easily overpower any of us.

“Dickhead,” Jack grunted. “Why the hell are you spouting shit about me anyway? You jealous your date used you to get close to your older brother?”

Noah lunged at the exact same time Ma swatted a broom in our direction. He took the impact on the side of the head, which only made Jackson laugh harder. I had watched her come around the corner of the house carrying the broom yet said nothing. I was too interested in seeing what she planned to do to my brothers. Ma turned on Jackson now, and he shut up instantly. We were three grown men who were stubborn as hell and always right, until it came to Mama. She ruled the house, and when she was pissed, you listened.

“I’m gonna say this once and once only. You, Jackson Michael Sawyer, need to stop trying to fix every problem you have with your fists.” She narrowed her eyes when he attempted to speak. When she knew he got the message, she turned to face Noah. “And you should know better than to badmouth your brother. You’re not much different than he is when it comes to women and poor choices.

“Three grown men, and we can’t leave you alone for five minutes. We have a yard full of people, and I feel like I got a damn group of toddlers fighting over the only goddamn swing.” She held the broom out and looked over each of our faces. “Stop embarrassing me, or I’m gonna kick each one of your asses.”

She pushed through us, and as she rounded the house, she hollered back over her shoulder, “Oh and Jack, I better not catch you molesting that poor girl against the side of the barn again. She deserves better than a damn animal like you.”

When we knew she was out of earshot, the laughter broke out. My ma knew how to put a scare in each of us. We also knew when to surrender. Once again it was a win for Mama Sawyer.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Amber

The cookout turned out to be great. After a few little hang-ups and a much-needed breakdown from Bailey after her embarrassment, Ryan took me around, introducing me as his girlfriend. We got a mixture of reactions, though most people congratulated Ryan. Zoey in particular tried her best to appear happy that he had once again found someone who made him feel amazing. But I could see the irritation in her eyes every time Ryan showed me any sign of affection.

When Olivia brought Zoey up to me and said she was the doctor that took care of her after the wreck, my stomach felt uneasy. I was thankful Zoey had been there when Olivia needed her, yet I hated her earlier flirty behavior with Ryan. But that uneasy feeling evaporated when Olivia told Zoey I was her dad’s girlfriend. Seeing the look on Zoey’s face was one of those oh hell yeah moments.

Once darkness set in and the fire was lit, most people went home. Only a small group of us remained sitting around the fire, sharing some drinks and laughing. Bailey and I were drinking a bottle of whiskey Bill had given us, and she was hitting it hard because she was still slightly embarrassed about being caught dry-humping Jackson earlier. It was down to just the three brothers, me, and Bailey when she reached the point of wasted. As she held her hand in front of her face, we all laughed.

“How many fingers are you holding up, Bailey?” Noah asked.

“Seven,” she chirped enthusiastically.

“Oh yeah, all on one hand, huh?” Ryan asked, making me giggle.

“Yes, and twelve on the other.” She squinted like she was in a state of deep concentration.

“Hey, Bay, what do you think? You ready to go home and get some sleep?” I asked. I had been drinking, so I knew we would need a ride. But she was so loaded, I thought she would be ready to go.

“Nope,” she responded quickly.

“Come on, Bailey, why don’t you let me get you home? You’re gonna feel like shit in the morning, sweetheart.” Jackson stood up and took a step toward her, holding out his hand.

“Oh please, Jack, you need to just chill out and take a Viagra. I’m fine, and I’m not ready to leave.”

Everyone froze, staring at Bailey intently. Had she truly meant