Chapter 38
Cole
GEEKING OUT
"So this is still a thing, huh?" Shane points at me and his sister, his lips curling in disgust. "Bruh's ancient, Ari."
The Ledger family is spread out across the living room when we walk in, every pair of eyes turning to us the second we step inside.
"Shane," Ethan cuts in, his voice low and unimpressed. "Cole and I are the same age."
"Yeah," Shane shoots back without missing a beat. "And you're fucking old."
Ethan closes his eyes briefly, like he's choosing not to say something he'll regret. I clamp my mouth shut to keep from laughing, because I actually find Shane hilarious even when he's being an ass about me specifically.
Ethan rolls his eyes my way, exhaling through his nose, and I offer him a tight, appreciative smile. We haven't exactly been on great terms since Ariana and I started seeing each other, but right now he doesn't feel like an enemy—and I'll take it.
"Leave Cole alone," Ariana says, stepping in front of me as if she can physically shield me from her brother. "You were horrible to Dominic when he and Elyse got back together and you've been nothing but rude to Cole since day one. I'm done with it."
Shane shrugs, slinging an arm around Dominic. "Yeah, but me and Dom are cool now because he earned it. You know…because he got shot and shit."
Ariana's lips form a tight line, eyes thinning to slits.
"So Cole has to take a bullet for me before you'll treat him like a human being?
" She shakes her head. "You're out of your mind.
And honestly? I think all of this is misplaced guilt because you know exactly how terrible you are with women.
One day someone is going to come along and completely humble you, and I want you to know we are all going to enjoy every second of it. "
A chorus of agreement moves around the room.
Shane scoffs. "Please. That's not happening." But there's less conviction behind it this time. After a beat, his eyes flick to mine—still annoyed, but not nearly as antagonistic. "I'll be nicer."
"It's all good, man," I tell him. "I fucking hate Nora's husband, so I get it."
He laughs at that and the tension in my shoulders relaxes a fraction.
Ariana looks happy at our exchange, her gaze moving between me and Shane like she can't quite believe what she's witnessing.
I've never had a woman defend me before—especially not like it's instinctive—and still, my heart overfills with a warmth unlike anything I've felt.
It's the kind of feeling that makes a man want to do something stupid.
Like pull her into his arms and kiss her senseless in front of her entire family just so she knows I noticed.
Ariana is generous and gentle, the embodiment of everything warm and good. That someone like her would be protective of me, even for something this small, makes me feel like I must be doing something right for once.
"What?" Her smile stretches wide when she catches me staring at her.
"Nothing." I grin back, and I think I might be fucking blushing.
Dipping my head, I press my lips to her forehead because I have to touch her and it's the only thing I think I can get away with in front of everyone at the moment.
A collective "aw" ripples through the women. Layla looks openly approving. Elyse is more subtle about it, but the ghost of a smile is there. Scottie and Marisa split knowing glances.
The guys are decidedly less enthusiastic, but no one's gotten hostile yet—so I'd say we're making progress, and dinner hasn't even started.
When Leanne calls out that the food is ready, we all shuffle into the dining room. Shane trails in last, grumbling about being banned from the kitchen for the foreseeable future.
Ariana takes my hand and tugs me along behind her to guide us to our seats, which I'm grateful for because suddenly nerves pierce me in the middle of all the chaos.
This is a big family, even bigger now that more of Ariana's siblings have paired off. I know this is a house full of people who love her and I just want them to like me enough to tolerate me because I'm not planning on going anywhere.
"So, Cole," Jack starts once everyone is settled and eating. "Any exciting plans for Benton this year?"
I set down my fork to give Jack my full attention. "Actually, Blake and I will be traveling to California soon for a blush crush."
Jack nods, interested. "Which region?"
"Central Coast. We source from a grower down in Paso Robles for our rosé program. The fruit comes in earlier there than it does here, so we time it to oversee the harvest and arrange transport back to Red Mountain to finish fermentation."
"Smart," Jack says. "Ledger used to source from the Central Coast years ago before we expanded our own acreage enough to meet production needs."
"That's the goal eventually," I tell him. "We've been scouting land. Blake found a couple of promising parcels on a recent trip but the soil testing is still pending. Until then, sourcing lets us keep the quality consistent without overextending."
I glance over at Ariana, worried I'm boring her and everyone else to tears talking shop with Jack, but her pleased smile says otherwise.
"I don't know why you guys were so hard on Cole," Elyse chimes in. "He's geeking out over all the same things you all do."
That pulls a chuckle out of Jack. "I think we can all ease up a little, yeah?
" He glances at his sons. "One day you'll all be old and gray and the things you thought you cared about won't matter as much.
Big deals aren't so big anymore. Most of life is petty nonsense, and it's the people in your circle, the ones by your side, who matter in the end. "
Jack's right. It's the people by your side who matter most.
And if the person by my side when I'm old and gray turns out to be Ariana, I'd consider myself a very lucky man.