Chapter 34
Elliot
Making Plans & A New Tradition
Three Months Later
“Now, do you remember the first step I told you that most people forget?”
I roll my eyes from the front seat of my truck. “No, Dil.” I hear the parking brake engage before I hop down from the driver’s seat. “When are you gonna believe that I listen to everything you say?”
Dilynne puts her hands in the air, backing away from me slowly. “Okay. I was just checking.” She lowers her hands and motions to the jack. “Now, time to put her legs up in the air.”
I smirk over my shoulder at her. “Don’t start with that.”
“What?”
“You know exactly what you said,” I say before reaching down and adjusting my cock.
She feigns innocence while shrugging her shoulders. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Standing tall, I stalk over to her, pulling her into me by her waist. “I’m trying to be a good student, so I need you to be a good teacher.”
She hums. “Hmmm, but what if I want our roles to be the other way around?”
A growl travels up my throat. “We can role play all you want later. But right now, I really want you to teach me how to change a fucking tire, Dilynne.”
Her smile is soft, and as I stare down at her, I wrestle with how I never let myself see her this way before.
It’s only been a few months that we’ve been together now, but I catch myself thinking back to how our relationship has changed and it brings me so much fucking gratitude that I can’t stand it most days.
Every lesson, every argument—it was all worth it to get here with Dilynne.
She pouts and takes a step out of my grasp. “Fine. Get the jack and let’s do this.”
Dilynne demonstrates how to loosen the lug nuts to extract the old tire, line up the new one, and put the lug nuts back in place.
“That’s it?”
“Yup!”
I push a hand through my hair as I switch places with her, taking a seat on the chair in front of the tire now. “I feel like a fucking tool that I didn’t know how to do that. I mean, if I were faced with this issue, I most certainly could have figured it out, but…”
She waves me off. “Don’t worry, I’ve judged you for far worse things than this. Besides, you have a teacher now for this kind of stuff, so if you’re willing, I’ll teach you much more complicated stuff than this.”
Nodding, I pick up the torque wrench and get to work, changing the tire—and barely breaking a sweat. Once we’re done, Dilynne leads me over to the sink to clean up. “So, you have plans tonight?”
She shrugs as she wipes her hands clean on a rag, tossing another in my direction. “Just bath time, which I thought you were going to join me for.”
I let out a groan, remembering our standing date. “I still plan on it, but if you’re willing, there’s somewhere else I’d like to take you first.”
“And where is that?”
“Charlotte.”
Her eyes widen. “Why on earth would we need to go to Charlotte?”
I frame her face with my hands. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes, of course, but…”
I cut her off with a kiss. “Then don’t ask questions and just join me for the ride.” A few hours later we pull up to City Hall as I shove my truck in park. “We’re here.”
Dilynne wakes from her nap. She passed out about an hour ago and I knew she’d be in a much better mood if I let her sleep for a little bit. “Where?”
“The community law council meeting.”
She whips her head in my direction. “You brought me here with you?”
Reaching for her hand, I bring it to my lips, pressing a soft kiss against her skin. “Yes. I want you to see what my grandfather created, why keeping this alive is so important to me. In fact, I think Tracy, Colby, and Thomas are already inside.”
Once we exit my truck, we walk up the steps hand in hand. “So the staff has gotten on board with this?”
I nod. “Yes. In fact, Colby is already trying to create a new branch in Asheville so there’s one closer to us.
The only reason this one is in Charlotte is because that’s where my grandfather started it, and this city is much bigger to serve.
But even smaller towns and their people need legal support. ”
When we enter the community center, Colby smiles over at us. “Dilynne? How did Elliot drag you here?”
“He kidnapped me with the promise of a bubble bath later and then I fell asleep, so I didn’t put up much of a fight.” Laughing, I kiss Dilynne’s temple. “You know I don’t know shit about the law, but I’m willing to help where I can.”
Colby nods. “Actually, I have some paperwork that you could help us with if that tickles your fancy?”
Dilynne bounces her eyebrows at me before walking away. “Sounds great. I love my fancy tickled.”
The two hours the clinic is open go by in a blur, and by the end of the night, I’m having to force Dilynne to leave.
“I wasn’t done filing,” she whines before shoving her burger in her mouth that I grabbed us for dinner.
“It’s okay. It will be there next week.”
“Then I need to go back to finish.”
I glance over at her as the corner of my mouth lifts. “You want to go back?”
Nodding, she wipes her mouth and finishes chewing before she speaks. “I do. I actually had fun, and it was…” She licks her lips. “It was hot seeing you in lawyer mode.”
I bounce my eyebrows at her. “So which is it? You want me to be your teacher or the naughty lawyer tonight?”
She hums in thought. “Both.”
“Both?”
“Yeah, I don’t think one time will be enough after today.” She shivers in her seat. “My fancies are all riled up and the tickles need to be released.”
Laughing, I lift her hand and press it to my mouth while pushing down harder on the gas pedal, racing for home. “Then your wish is my command, baby. I’ll make sure you’re completely satisfied before the night is over.”
***
Two Weeks Later
“You know, I’m kind of getting used to the sweat dripping down my ass crack now,” Rhonan says as he transitions into downward dog right in front of me.
“That’s great, Rho. Next time, just wear a different pair of shorts so I can’t see it.”
He peers at me from between his legs. “Why are you looking at my ass crack, Elliot?”
“It’s kind of hard not to when you’re practically shoving it in my face.”
Dilynne clears her throat beside us. “You know, if you are interested in anal stuff, all you have to do is tell me, Elliot. I thought I made it clear that I’m more than happy to explore that with you.”
Henley growls from the other side of me. “Dilynne, can you fucking not right now?”
“Close your ears, big brother,” she yells over at him just as Ellis shushes us next to her dad.
But then Ellis turns to him and says, “Wait. Daddy? What does anal stuff mean?”
That’s when I lose it, crumbling to the ground in a heap of laughter as Dilynne follows suit. Henley glares at us, clearly not amused, and Rhonan follows his lead.
“Okay, that’s all for tonight, everyone!” Laney announces from her microphone at the front of the lawn, signaling the end of yoga night before glaring in our direction.
Once Dilynne and I compose ourselves, she rolls over onto my mat and rests her hand on my chest. “I’m going to go get a drink. You want something?”
“Just some water, baby.”
“Okay.” She plants a chaste kiss on my mouth and then pushes herself up from the grass. Elodie grabs Remy from her spot on the grass, and Vienna takes Ellis to follow after Dilynne to the main building of the winery.
I watch her walk away before Henley interjects. “I’ve asked several times for you both to not discuss your sex life in front of me…”
Standing from the ground, I hold my hands up. “I didn’t bring it up. Your sister did, man.”
“Then kindly remind her to keep that kind of shit out of the range of my ears.”
Rhonan comes over to us, draining the rest of his water bottle. “Dude, Laney still does that shit in front of me with Fletcher. You learn to block it out.”
“Yeah, well this hasn’t been going on long enough for me to get to that point yet.”
I push a hand through my sweat-soaked hair. “I’ll remind her later.”
“You mean…after…” Rhonan drifts off, not finishing his sentence.
I nod. “Yeah, after.” Fighting my smile, I turn back to Henley. “You know, once your sister agrees to marry me for real, you and I are going to be brothers-in-law.”
“Trust me, I’m aware,” Henley says before twisting the cap off of his water and drinking half of it.
Rhonan slaps him on the shoulder. “It’s not that bad. Fletcher and I have the same thing going on now.”
I glance between the two of them. “Did you guys ever think the four of us would ever be connected by marriage when we met?”
Rhonan and Henley shake their heads simultaneously. “No. And the pact was supposed to prevent that, remember?” Rhonan adds.
Henley turns to him. “But that wasn’t that big of a deal for Elliot or Fletcher, Rhonan, because neither of them have sisters, huh?”
Rhonan nods. “Right.”
“Look, I think no one is as surprised as I am that this worked out this way, okay?” I notice Dilynne walking back over. “But you know I love your fucking sister, man. And sooner rather than later, I am going to make her my wife.”
“And finally get that inheritance, huh?” Rhonan adds.
“Honestly, I don’t even care about the money. I just want her.”
Dilynne walks up to us, handing me a bottle of water. “What are you three boys talking about?”
“How my ears are bleeding after hearing your anal comment during yoga,” Henley replies.
Rhonan clears his throat. “Yeah, thank you for that, by the way. Ellis’s vocabulary has been expanded exponentially thanks to you and Fletcher.”
“Speaking of Fletcher,” Laney says, walking over to us holding up her cell phone so we can see our friend’s face on the screen. “Say hi, babe!”
Fletcher squints from where he’s sitting in the locker room of the stadium he’s practicing in tonight. “Aw, man. I’m so bummed I missed yoga night.”
“Don’t be. Dilynne and Elliot were talking about anal,” Henley adds, making Dilynne laugh.
Then she turns to her brother, slapping his shoulder. “Oh, God, Henley. Calm down. Maybe Elodie needs to stick a finger in your mud tunnel to make you relax.”
Rhonan spits his water from his mouth before choking. “Jesus, Dilynne.”
Dilynne smiles proudly. “You can thank Glenn for that euphemism.”