Game (Gentry Boys, #3)(81)

“It’s good,” I nodded. “It’s so damn good.”

“I hope you’re speaking for more than your dick.”

“Well, he is undeniably ecstatic. But it’s all good, Creed.” I listened to the sound of Deck cracking a joke inside and then the three girls laughing uproariously. “Still can’t believe the three of us got so lucky.”

“We are the luckiest sons of bitches on the planet.”

“Fuck yeah.”

“It’s been a hell of a year.”

“That it has.”

My brother sighed. “Miss you, man,” he said quietly. For Creedence to say something like that was like a regular person throwing arms wide and howling about everlasting love.

“Miss you too,” I confessed. “We should do something tomorrow. I mean, if you’ve got time.”

“I’ll always have time for you, Chase.”

Well now I was getting a big old veritable lump in my throat. The big guy was just dissolving into holiday homebody sappiness before my eyes and I loved it.

“You know,” I told him. “I decided to enroll full time next semester. Even picked a major.”

Creed was pleased. “Shit, that’s great. So what’s it gonna be?”

“Secondary education, with a concentration in history.” I paused. “I want to teach. I think maybe there are a lot of kids out there who don’t get told regularly how much they matter. They deserve to have someone in their lives who believes in them. I think I could be a good teacher, Creedence.”

“You’ll be the best, Chasyn.”

We stood silently side by side and a few minutes later Cordero joined us.

“Damn,” I smiled and slapped him on the shoulder. “Daughters.”

“Daughters,” he grinned and shook his head like he couldn’t believe the sound of the word.

“Poor girls,” spoke up Creed. He explained when Cord looked at him curiously. “You do realize they’ll never ever be allowed to date as long as I’m alive.”

“Oh hell no,” I confirmed. “No pubescent creeps are coming near my precious little nieces.”

“We won’t need to worry about any of that,” promised Cord, stretching with a smile. “They won’t be leaving my sight until they’re twenty one and maybe not even then.”

There was more laughter from the kitchen. Cord turned to listen. “We ought to go join our ladies.”

“We should,” I agreed. And soon we would. But right now, on this remarkable Christmas evening, I just wanted to enjoy another quiet minute beside my brothers.

After all, it was where we had started.

It was where we would always return.



THE END