Chapter Thirty-Three
Clay
“Another flight without a crash,” Seth jokes as we head off the tarmac toward the parking lot. “That makes two for two.”
Pepper’s eyes widen. “You’ve only flown that thing twice ?” She looks at me, appalled, and too fucking pretty in her peacoat and the green and gold scarf I gave her.
“He’s kidding .” I shift our bag to my other hand and put my arm around her. “I’d never put you in danger.”
“That’s a lie,” Seth says. “You’re about to feed her to a lion.” He nods to Noah talking with our grandparents by a shiny black Navigator. Victory is pacing a few feet away, talking on her phone.
Noah looks over, flashing that boyish smile that melts women’s hearts, and their panties. “There they are!” He swaggers toward us in jeans and a puffy black jacket, his eyes gleaming with their usual mischief. His sandy hair is short on the sides, longer on top, and as windswept as Seth’s. “Clay, nice of you to bring me a gorgeous date.”
Seth laughs. “Told you.”
I shake my head, and my grandfather chuckles. Victory ends her call and struts purposefully over to join us, her dark hair spilling over the shoulders of her sleek brown coat.
“Hi,” Pepper says. “You must be Noah.”
“And you must be mine for the night ,” Noah says as he draws her into an embrace.
“Dude, have a little respect,” I say.
“Did I just hear the pot calling the kettle black?” Victory asks.
“I think you did,” Seth says.
I put a hand on Pepper’s back. “Don’t listen to them. They’re just causing trouble.”
“I have a feeling there’s going to be a lot of that going around this weekend,” my witty, plump grandmother says, her eyes full of love. “Pepper, honey, I’m Lara, Clay’s grandmother, and this is my husband, Bradshaw.” She touches my grandfather’s arm. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you.”
She goes in for a hug, and Pepper smiles over her shoulder. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about all of you.”
“Don’t believe a word he says,” Victory chimes in, before my grandfather can greet her. “I’m Victory, and I’m so happy you’re here.” She hugs Pepper. “I need someone to help balance the testosterone around here.”
“All right, that’s enough female bonding,” my grandfather says. He hasn’t changed much over the years. His voice is still as gritty as gravel and as warm as a summer’s day. He’s still thick chested, with collar-length hair that’s more snow than sand and a trim beard. “You women are smarter than we are, which makes you dangerous when you team up. Pepper, after months of listening to this guy complain about how you wouldn’t give him the time of day, I finally see why. You’re twice as pretty as he is.”
“That’s saying a lot. Thank you,” she says as he embraces her.
I hug my brother and grandparents and put our bag in the back of the Navigator. “Okay, guys. We need to make a plan before we get there. Huddle up.” I hold my arms out and wait for them to come into the huddle. “We don’t have many chances to surprise Flynn and Sutton, so let’s do this right,” I say in a hushed voice.
“We need to catch them off guard,” Victory says.
“Why are you talking so quietly?” my grandfather asks.
“Why are we in a huddle ?” Seth asks.
“I don’t know, but I’m liking it.” Noah’s arm is around Pepper, and he flashes that damn smile at her again. “Stick with me, Pep. We’ll do some surprising of our own.”
“Like hell you will.” I grab the back of Noah’s coat and haul him away from her, making everyone laugh.
Victory sidles up to Pepper and says, “I’d say they’re not usually like this, because Clay never brings women home to meet us, but they’re like this all the time about everything. I wouldn’t blame you if you want to get on a plane.”
“We just came from an event where my big, mischievous family had everyone in the entire town from kids to grandparents wearing sweatshirts with the hashtag teamplay on them. P for Pepper and lay for Clay.”
Seth opens his coat, showing them his sweatshirt, and everyone laughs.
“They had balloons and cookies, too,” Pepper says. “It was wild.”
“Sounds like you’re used to this kind of thing,” Victory says.
“Yes, but that’s not why I’m staying.” Pepper sets a loving gaze on me that gets me all twisted up inside and says, “If I go back alone, they’ll have to change all those sweatshirts to say team lay , and that’s not appropriate for kids.”
Laughter rings out again.
“Guess she’s stuck with you, Clay,” my grandfather says. “How about we get this show on the road so we don’t miss dinner?”
As the others climb into the vehicle, I draw Pepper into my arms and kiss her. “You’re only staying because of the sweatshirts, huh?”
“Well, that and your cute brothers,” she teases, and slides into the vehicle beside Noah, who immediately puts his arm around her.
“You’re killing me, Reckless.”
I breathe in the salty sea air as we climb out of the vehicle and look up at my parents’ sprawling two-story home overlooking the picturesque coastline. I’m met with warm memories of running around with friends, wrestling in the yard with my brothers, and telling stories around late-night bonfires with my family.
“This is gorgeous,” Pepper says. “Is this where you lived when you stopped traveling?”
“Yeah.”
She gazes thoughtfully up at the house. “It must be beautiful inside.”
“It’s all open. There are two staircases and a massive kitchen with an island that seats six and overlooks the great room, which spans the back of the house. You’ll love it. There are huge picture windows looking out at the ocean, and there’s a big deck out back with a fire pit.”
“I might never leave. No wonder you rented such a fancy house.”
“I thought you loved the rental.”
“I do, but it’s still fancy.”
“This house looks fancy from the outside, but trust me, the furniture is comfortably worn and bears the proof of our rambunctious teen years.”
“I like that they haven’t replaced it.”
“And I like you.” I kiss her.
As we head up to the house, Noah says, “Let’s see where they are so we can surprise them.” He crouches beneath the front windows and waves for us to follow him.
As we make our way around to the side of the house, Victory says, “I feel like a burglar.”
“Do you guys do this a lot?” Pepper asks.
“We’re kids at heart,” I say.
“Shh!” Noah puts a finger over his lips, standing beside the windows to the great room, and motions for us to get back.
We press our backs against the side of the house. My grandparents hold hands, watching us from a few feet away.
Noah points two fingers to his eyes and shifts them toward the window. He peeks into the great room, then quickly presses his back against the wall again, speaking quietly. “We’ve got two in the kitchen and two in the great room.”
“And two going through the front door,” my grandfather grumbles, and he and my grandmother head around front.
“Stop him!” Noah whisper-shouts, and we all hurry after them.
My grandfather is already plowing through the door, hollering, “Where are ya, boy?”
We barrel in after him, and there’s a flurry of shock and surprise followed by hugs and warm greetings as I introduce Pepper to my parents, Flynn, and Sutton. We all help set the table, and dinner is full of lively banter, interesting conversation, and lots of heckling. I love how my family embraces Pepper, asking her about her work and her family. She talks to Seth and Victory about the trials and tribulations of owning a business, and I’m thrilled when she tells them she never thought she’d have time for a relationship, but she’s glad she made it, and her business hasn’t suffered in the wake of not working weekends and evenings.
After we all clear the table and clean up, everyone takes their drinks into the great room. I slide my arm around Pepper’s waist as we follow the others. “How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. Your family is wonderful.” She looks around the room.
Sutton and Victory are chatting with my grandmother by the couches, Flynn and Seth are heading over to my parents by the fireplace, and my grandfather and Noah are gazing out at the ocean, talking. Pepper’s attention shifts back to my parents, lingering on my mother. My mother rarely wears makeup, and tonight she’s makeup-free. She’s tall and slim but not willowy. She’s strong inside and out, with a mix of blond and gray hair she wears loose and untamed to the middle of her back. I’ve always found her naturally beautiful, and tonight she looks comfortable in jeans and a cream shirt with a forest-green cardigan, but I wonder what Pepper sees.
I hug Pepper against my side and kiss her cheek. “What are you thinking right now?”
“Just how much your family reminds me of mine. Your mom has such an easy smile, and she seems unflappable. I think moms of big families have to be that way, and your dad is a little serious like mine. Victory reminds me of Sable and Grace combined. She’s so strong. Not just to have survived losing her husband but to run the business she does. Noah reminds me of Axsel and Brindle when she was single. Seth reminds me of Grace, serious but fun, and your grandparents remind me of what mine were like before they passed away.”
“So no more freaking out?”
She shakes her head. “No. It feels good to be here.”
“Good.”
As I lean in to kiss her, Noah says, “Hey, Flynn. Have you broken the news to Seth and Clay about me being your best man yet?”
“He’s your best man?” Seth asks with disbelief.
“Everyone knows he’s choosing me,” I say.
“Nope,” Noah says. “Tell ’em, Flynn.”
“Nice try, Noah,” Flynn says. “I can’t choose, so we’re going to have a Wilderness Warrior type of competition. We’re dropping you three off in some remote location, and whoever makes it back first can be the best man.”
“I’m in,” I exclaim.
“Dude, you’re afraid to get your hands dirty,” Noah says.
“That’s Seth, not me.”
Seth’s brows lift. “Says the guy who won’t go rock-climbing with me.”
“That’s because you take too long,” I remind him. “I’m halfway up the cliff before you’re even ready to start. And, Noah, you can’t do shit on land. You’re only good in the water.”
“That’s what she said,” Flynn chimes in, and we all laugh.
“You all are nuts if you think he’s not picking me. Right, boy?” my grandfather says.
“No way, old man,” I chime in. “He wants to stand next to this face in his wedding pictures.” I point to my face.
“ Clay ,” Pepper chides.
“It’s okay, Pepper,” my grandfather says. “Let the boy dream.”
As we jokingly argue about being Flynn’s best man, my mother and Victory saunter over. “Honey,” my mom says. “Can we borrow Pepper for a minute?”
Before I can respond, Victory says, “We’re saving her from the nonsense. Come on, Pep.” She drags Pepper away.
“Don’t believe a word they tell you,” I call after them.
Pepper glances over her shoulder and smiles.
I watch them sit on the sofa with Pepper in the middle. My grandmother and Sutton join them, sitting on the love seat. They talk animatedly, and Pepper laughs at something they say. I expected my family to love her as much as I do, but to actually see it unfolding before my eyes? That’s pretty fucking incredible.
My father sidles up to me. “She’s something special, son.”
“Yeah. She is. I’m a lucky guy.”
“How’s that glove you mentioned working out? Is it helping?”
“We pick it up this week. I guess we’ll see.”
“And your shoulder? Think it’ll hold up for another season or two?”
I scoff. “Of course. But I don’t want to talk about football tonight.”
He glances at Pepper with the others and says, “No, I don’t suppose you do.”
We watch as my mother touches Pepper’s shoulder, her hand lingering there for a moment. Pepper’s smiling, nodding. She looks down at her lap in that slightly bashful way she has, and then Victory says something that makes them all burst out laughing. Pepper looks over, happiness radiating from her, and our eyes connect with the same zing of electricity that grows stronger every day. But it’s the thrum of love beating a path between us that has me wanting to go over and take her in my arms.
“I haven’t seen that look in your eyes since you were five years old, when you saw your first football game on television in the airport.”
My father’s words mirror what I’ve been feeling all along, drawing me from my thoughts. “You think?”
“There’s no thinking necessary, son. Happy, mad, guarded, or elated, you’ve always been an open book. But you’ve been living life with blinders on, laser focused on football for so many years, I wondered if you’d ever give your heart a shot at anything else.” He claps a hand on my shoulder the way he’s done my whole life, only this time the way he’s looking at me makes it feel different, bigger , like he’s initiating me into some kind of exclusive club as he says, “Love looks good on you, son,”
I glance across the room at Pepper again, sitting with the people I love most, and my chest expands as understanding hits me. Being in love is different and bigger. Until you’re knee-deep and willing to drown in it, you can’t have any idea what it really is.
I meet my father’s steady gaze. “It feels good, too, Dad.”
“It’s time for Heart Stories ,” Flynn exclaims.
“Everyone down to the media room,” my father says, sparking a gust of activity and commotion as we all head for the stairs.
And I head for the only woman I want to write my heart story with.