Balance (Oakley’s Crew #2)

23. Archie

23

ARCHIE

“ C ome on, Thatcher, this is all you’ve done?” I can’t help it, the growly, angry look Thatcher Langley shoots at me on the construction site makes me cackle. He’s just so pissed off all the time—but then I sober when I remember he’s a widower. I can’t imagine losing Cane.

I rub the spot over my heart, and yeah, ouch. That hurts.

“I’m just kidding,” I say quickly.

He grunts at me, looking out at the concrete slab that’s dry and looks like heaven to me. This is going to be our home—Cane’s and mine. He sold his house a month ago, and we’ve been living with Walker and Dutton since then, and let me tell you, they’re getting tired of us.

Though they usually turn it into hilarious jokes. I still can’t wait to move in here. The framing is starting to go up all around me though, and I feel a sense of rightness come over me.

Cane climbs out of his truck, a big box in his hands and his face a little grumpy. I am so busted. “How did I know you’d be here harassing the builders?”

“Please take your man,” Thatcher says, his hardhat making him look even more gruff somehow.

“Here. Peace offering.” He holds out the box I now see is from the bakery in Hayes. Thatcher grunts a thank you and directs his crew to grab a pastry before getting back to work while I wave my goodbyes and walk Cane back to his truck, which is parked next to mine.

“They’re doing an amazing job,” he says, looking out around the land. His eyes lock on the barn that’s nearly finished. The animals are currently living at Jackson’s place because he already had an old, abandoned barn on his property, but I cannot wait until we’re all home.

It’s been a challenge visiting them at Jackson’s place every night and every morning and then having to leave them before I head to work and Cane heads to Larnard. He’s hired a nice woman to take over his store, but since he doesn’t have his shop here yet, he’s had to go to the room he has at his store to refinish the furniture.

I’m ready to be settled. It’s getting warmer so more and more jobs are coming through. The land we bought is about forty-five minutes from Hayes and a little closer to Walker and Dutton’s place. They said a buffer is good for our friendship, whatever that means.

Oakley and Travis bought a cool little building they use for another shop about ten minutes from our house, and they’re going to let Walker and me run our own crew together but also borrow some from the original crew when we need to. And we meet weekly, all of us together, to make sure the operation runs smoothly.

Oakley’s Crew is thriving, and I couldn’t be happier with that. “Come with me for a minute,” Cane says, and my feet have already started following him before my brain catches up.

I have a little while before I need to head to work, and I’m not in a hurry to part from him. He leads me to what will be our backyard, near the barn. He looks up at the tree and then his eyes meet mine. “You know, when I was going to marry Evie, it was my idea to have the wedding out under the trees in the backyard. It took her a while to come around to it...”

A jealous, small little growl slips out of my throat, just thinking about him marrying anyone else. “Marry me,” I blurt out, surprising myself because ... well, shit...that wasn’t how I planned to propose, even though I did plan to do it soon.

He lets out a laugh, shaking his head at me. “You just couldn’t let me have this one, could you?”

“What do you mean?” I ask as he slides down to one knee, taking my hand.

“I mean, marry me. Under this tree on this land that’s ours.”

I look down at him, his smiling face trained on mine, and I nod ridiculously fast. “Is it too soon to get married this afternoon?”

He laughs, and I pull him up, his hands going to the sides of my face. “I’d marry you this morning if that were allowed, but I think there’s a waiting period on a marriage license.”

“Let’s get one. Like today. I want to marry you as soon as I can. I don’t need or want anything fancy. Dolly and Baby can be our witnesses, for all I care.”

He kisses my lips with a smile. “I think the witnesses have to be human, so I was thinking more like Dutton and Walker... and we probably should invite the whole crew.”

I grin at that, knowing they’re going to give me so much shit for this and happy as hell to take it all.

“Sounds good to me. As long as they can drag there asses here soon.”

He kisses me again. “How about we go get the license today and plan out a backyard wedding?” He looks over at the foundation of our home. “Some people may think we should wait until the house is done.”

“Some people are wrong.” I wrap my arms around him and nuzzle his neck. “I think the house, as it is right now, is the most beautiful backdrop for our wedding, and I can’t wait.”

I can feel him smiling, even though I’m not looking at his face. “Me too.”

I guess we’re getting married.

Hell yes.