Fucking Bridger is one of the things that has yet to be handled. He’s being a bag of dicks. Rowen even reached out to him, but he left her hanging. It was hard not to wade into this shit, especially because I’m partly to blame, but come the fuck on. He’s well into his thirties, while Rowen’s twenty-one. This is not the way you act towards your sister.
“You’ll never have to know either. You okay for now?” I ask.
“I am. I’ll let you get dressed and finish closing things down. The phones are turned over. I just need to finish emailing the part order.”
“That shit can wait. It’ll take me two minutes, and then we can leave. Craig and Marty can handle it if need be. They’re used to it. Though, I can’t say the email.” This causes her to chuckle. She jokes that I may have updated the garage and office area some, but that’s where it stopped.
She stands up, looking just as beautiful as she has all along, and if we had more time, I’d bend her over the desk and take her, knowing that would really calm her down.
“Braxton,” she purrs. I glance down at what she’s looking at. My cock is standing up. The towel isn’t even covering it at this point.
“Ignore it. I am.” I stand up, letting the towel stay where it fell, grab some clothes, and start getting dressed.
“Ugh, another time?” she questions.
“Absofuckinglutely, siren.” I step into my boots, take her hand, and head to my truck that Rowen has practically taken over, not that I mind. Her car is sitting outside the garage in the parking lot. She hasn’t even asked about it, but I know she enjoys being in my truck more than her car now. Especially since snow has started falling so early in the season. With any luck, she’ll just take over with my truck and I’ll use the Bronco on the rare occurrences we don’t ride to work together.
“You know, I never did hear back from the other applications I applied for. Are you sure you’re okay with us working together and practically living together?” Rowen asks once we’re both settled in the truck and we’re driving down the road.
“I’m more than okay with it. I like knowing you’re with me wherever I go,” I tell her matter-of-factly.
“Good, because I do too.” She nods her head, and the conversation is closed. She’s back to being quiet, and I’m sure it’s because she’s processing everything that could happen to her mom. I pick up her hand that was sitting in her lap, holding it in my own on the center console as we eat up the miles on the road.FifteenRowen“You four get on home. I told you all, your dad has overexaggerated. It’s a slight fever. They’re more worried about the fluid around my lung. This is all precautionary, and in fact, the doctor just left and said they have something new for me to try and I should be right as rain. Tell them, Rob.” Bridger, Peyton, Aspen, and I are standing in her room with Dad in the chair beside her, Mom in a hospital bed, looking like she should be anywhere but here.
“Mom,” I go to interject, but Bridger beats me to it. I’m so damned mad at him for being such a jerk. He didn’t even acknowledge me or Braxton.
“We’re all going to worry about you, and there’s no way any of us will leave if Dad has to go anywhere.” He’s standing off to the side, legs planted, arms crossed over his chest, and his usually easy-going attitude isn’t anywhere to be seen.
“I’ll only be here for a few days, Mom. So, you’ll have to deal with it.” Aspen is next to Dad wearing something I know she carries at her Boho Chic Boutique she owns out in Texas. I miss her a lot, our phone calls aren’t enough that’s for sure. And her only being here for a few days causes me to suck in a lungful of air, knowing she won’t be back unless it has something to do with mom. That thought alone makes me worry more than ever.
“That’s fine, but I don’t want you putting your life on hold. You know I love you, and for you to be here in a matter of a few hours lets me know your father told you right at the onset of these little ol’ symptoms.” She side-eyes our father.
“What were you saying, Ro?” Mom completely ignores Bridger, causing me to smile on the inside.
“Just that you know we’ll all take shifts when needed. We just want to help out where we can, not be an added burden.” I walk over to her, Peyton moving over so I can give my mother a kiss on the cheek.