Winter scratched his nose with his middle finger, pushing his sunglasses a little higher in the process. “Whatever, that’s so not the point.”
“Then what is?”
“This time apart, and how it might be good for us. You can figure your shit out without constantly worrying about mine.
“And what do you get out of it?
“Tavis and the chance to be a dad.”
The way he said it, so nonchalant and calm, helped Tripp see his brother in a different light. All those years calling Winter irresponsible and now it sounded like his twin was wholeheartedly embracing the life altering responsibility of parenthood. Hell, one look at Tavis and Winter together and he should have seen it all along. The way they completed one another’s sentences the way he and Winter used to, made each other laugh and communicated without words was a thing to be jealous of, and proved to Tripp that Winter had the relationship aspect of adulthood firmly in hand. He should have been upset that once again Winter had caught on to something before he did. He wasn’t though. He was proud of Winter for being willing to take this step.
Whoa.
One way or another, him and the rest of the guys in the band were going to be honorary uncles and damn, things wouldn’t just be changing for Winter, they would be changing for all of them. It brought Zakk’s question back to the forefront of his mind. Were they all holding on to something because it was the only thing they knew? If that was the case, then wasn’t it time to break the cycle?
“You will be safe, right?”
“Of course.”
“Winter…”
“The man I love is going to be riding behind me,” Winter said. “No way in hell I would let anything happen to him. I’ll be safer than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Despite the conviction in his brother’s voice, Tripp couldn’t resist raising an eyebrow at him, to which Winter matched his stare, arms crossed over his chest as he stared Tripp down.
“We have no plans to take major highways where we can avoid it. Tavis mapped out a route. It’ll make things take a little longer, but the adventure will be more than worth it.”
Despite the intensity of his gaze, Winter was smiling, and the look he shot Tavis’ way as the man approached was softer than any he’d ever seen from his twin. Winter was head over heels. It was a look that suited him. Something told Tripp that no matter what the future held, Winter would tackle it in spectacularly Winter fashion, and it would be epic, if a little unorthodox.
“You know what, I bet it will,” Tripp said, nudging Winter’s arm, but his brother didn’t move any closer to the bike.
“I’ll turn the Go Pro on here and there, let you see the countryside we roll through.”
“I don’t know which of us is stalling more.”
“You.” Winter said. “But that’s okay. I get it. Must suck to know you’ll be without all this awesomeness until we meet up at Rocktoberfest.”
Between Winter’s grin and the flourish when he brushed his fingertips down the front of his body, the mood shifted from apprehension to amusement. Tripp caught him in a headlock and messed up his hair before Winter wiggled free, giving Tripp a shove in the process. It sent him staggering over a low wall and toppling into the mulch and scrubby shrubs on the other side.
Floundering, Tripp struggled to right himself, while Winter snickered, his hand outstretched, only the moment Tripp reached for it, Winter yanked it back.
“What the hell!” Tripp snapped, waving his hand at his brother. “Help me up.”
“You’re not going to yank me down there with you, are you?”
“Like I’d tell you if that was my plan.”
“Then I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
“Damnit!” Tripp put his hand down and tried to rock himself forward. “Ow! Shit!”
He shook his hand as he lifted it, scowling at the splinter sticking out of the side.
“Look what you made me do,” Tripp moaned as he plucked the piece of wood free then sucked at the bead of blood that welled up.
“Hey, that’s between you and the wood shards, that’s got nothing to do with me.”
“You threw me down here.”