Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 138588 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138588 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)
He was so romantic. “Ignore him. He needs you as much as I do. We need each other. I think we might even love each other.”
“I’m never going to say those words often. Probably,” Sawyer amended. “But I will say I didn’t think I would ever want to do this. The whole relationship thing. But I do, and it won’t work without you. Teach and I would butt heads too much, but you handle us both. I don’t miss my brothers so much when you’re around.”
It was as close as Sawyer would ever get to telling Wyatt he loved him. Because he did.
“I don’t know what to do,” Wyatt whispered, looking into Sabrina’s eyes. “I can’t lose you. I would rather die than lose you.”
“You can lose me at any moment. We don’t know how much time we have, but if you walk away, then we won’t get any time at all. Wyatt, I would rather die trying to keep my family together than live without it.”
Something seemed to break inside him. He leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, devouring her like a starving man. Sabrina could feel the emotion cracking off Wyatt. Fear. Rage. Anxiety. Love. So much love. All those emotions were forming a hurricane inside him, and she had to show him she was safe harbor.
She let her hands find the silk of his hair, pulling him close. “I love you. I don’t ever want to leave you, but if it happens, know how much I loved you.”
He picked her up and started to carry her away. To the bedroom. Where she would show him why they belonged together.
* * * *
She loved him. She fucking loved him, and in the end it was all that mattered.
Wyatt was trying to protect her, but if he walked away, he was marginalizing her because he knew damn straight if she was in trouble, he would never allow her to go because she worried he might get hurt. He would stand by her no matter what. He would step in front of her to take whatever was coming her way. He wasn’t going to allow her to take pain for him, but he got it now.
Love meant risk. Freedom was risk. Life was fucking risk, and the only thing a person could hope for was to have the absolute best humans he could find to risk everything for.
Sabrina and Sawyer were his family. His real family. Blood was an act of coincidence, a roll of the dice that could only be forged into true bonds with love and patience and service to one another. He hadn’t found love from his blood relatives, but he’d found it in abundance here.
Damn, but Bliss was his family, too.
He carried her through the kitchen and the living room, moving toward the bedroom. If he could get to the bedroom. Bella was wagging her tail and seemingly trying to get between his legs. Probably because if he was incapacitated, she could love him as much as she wanted. “Sweet girl, I’m going to need some time with your new momma.”
“Bella,” Sawyer intoned. “Stop trying to murder Wyatt via tripping. Come on. I’ll get you a snack and you can have some crate time.”
This was what Sawyer had talked about, though he’d used all the wrong words. He’d talked about getting free time since Wyatt was around, but it was more than not having to watch a show he didn’t want to watch. It was about having someone else he could count on. Someone who would always stand up for their family. Someone who wouldn’t let him down.
“You know why he told you he loved you in the middle of a deeply emotional moment.” It also came with a bastard who knew him far too well and didn’t mind ratting his best friend out to their one-day wife. At least that’s how it was going to be for Sawyer.
Sabrina’s lips curved up, her arms tightening around him as he moved into the bedroom. “Because now he doesn’t have to talk about his feelings. He knew we would have to settle this thing between us before we could do anything else, and he also knew we would end up in bed, so he thinks he’s said it and now it’s settled and he’ll never have to say it again.”
“I’ll fix it,” he promised. If she was staying, he wouldn’t let anything hurt her. Even Sawyer.
She shook her head. “I have what I need. It’s hard for him. He’s already opened up so much. Give him time. Before you know it, he’ll be the most romantic man in Bliss.”
“I will not.” Sawyer entered, pulling his shirt over his head. “I will be surly and need alone time and I won’t talk much, but that’s why Wyatt’s around. He’ll chit chat about whatever book the two of you are reading and I’ll…” He seemed to think for a moment. “I’ll teach you how to build a table if you want. Or we’ll start easy. I get the feeling we’re going to need some bookshelves.”