Bodhi picks some shrimp off the pasta before following behind his brother.
“Landry, how could you?” Linda’s venomous tone cuts through the silence.
Landry sits up straighter. “I had to, Mom. It was for your own good. They were threatening prison.”
“You are no daughter of mine. My flesh and blood wouldn’t sell me out.”
“No, Mom, flesh and blood wouldn’t put each other in this position. Settle this, and we will go.”
Landry stands, and I rise behind her, pulling her to me. I level a glare at Linda, who looks like she’s about to start spitting more angry words at her daughter, and she wisely shuts up.
“Good-bye. Chester, it was nice to meet you. I’m sorry it had to be like this though.” Landry grabs my hand, and we walk out, leaving the unhappy couple with a table full of uneaten food.
28
Landry
I wait until we are outside of the restaurant before the first sob sneaks out. The one that opens the floodgates, tears streaming down my face. My vision is blurry, but I sink gratefully against Corbin’s chest as he wraps his arms around me, his hands landing on my lower back and pressing my body completely against his. It’s a touch of comfort, letting me know that he’s here for me. He turns me and walks us around the side of the building, and I melt back against him as he stops.
After a moment, I can feel him move a little, so I pull my head back. He’s staring at Brock and Bodhi while they stand by the car, so I grab his hand and walk to them.
“Hey, lil sis,” Bodhi says, his ever-present grin lighting up his face.
I don’t bother to greet him back before saying, “I want your word that this won’t go any further. You won’t take action against her on a legal level.”
“From our standpoint, as long as she complies with what our lawyer draws up, she’s as good as forgotten,” Brock says, and Bodhi nods.
“I’m sure your dad will have something to say about it though,” I say.
Brock cocks his head to the side. “Maybe. I’ll talk to him.”
Corbin caresses me from behind, drawing me back into his chest.
“Thank you,” I say, breathing a sigh of relief.
“You did good,” Brock says gruffly.
My eyes widen. “A compliment from Brock Montgomery? Is the world ending?”
“Can I borrow the car?” Corbin cuts in before Brock can retort.
“Nah, I got somewhere I need to be. Take Bodhi’s,” he says.
Bodhi tosses Corbin the keys. He jostles me as he catches them and then pulls me back in tightly.
“Yeah, I’ll catch a ride with Dad,” Bodhi says.
“What are you doing?” Corbin asks, but Brock licks his lips before looking away.
“I’ll tell you soon,” he says finally, and Bodhi raises his eyebrows.
“Is this something to do with your PI, like when you found Andrea?” Corbin asks.
Brock reaches up to run his hand through his hair, looking visibly distressed. “No. This is … something else,” he says, shuffling his weight.
I’ve never seen him this uncomfortable.
“What? Quit keeping secrets,” Bodhi says, squaring off in front of him.
“Look, I have something I have to take care of.”
“I’m coming with you,” Bodhi says, but Brock shakes his head.
“No,” he says, backing away.
I watch the guys have some sort of unspoken conversation.
“Fine,” Bodhi says curtly before turning suddenly and walking back into the restaurant.
Brock glances at us before getting in his SUV and cranking it. I watch him grip the steering wheel for a moment, staring at nothing before Corbin ushers me to the passenger seat of the car parked next to Brock’s SUV.
“Want to get out of here?” he asks, a smile on his face.
I nod, biting my lip.
“Don’t do that,” he says, leaning in and capturing my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Don’t bite these perfect lips. They are mine now to bite.” He dips his head, pressing his lips against mine, tracing the seam of my mouth with his tongue before lightly nipping my full bottom lip with his teeth. “Fuckin’ perfect.” He quickly draws back, almost as if he wouldn’t be able to stop. After rounding the car, he jumps in and pulls sunglasses from the holder in the ceiling.
Fuck, he’s gorgeous.
I reach to take his hand, but he’s already grabbing mine, laying our clasped hands on the console between us, and I put the scene at the restaurant out of my mind. I won’t let it ruin this moment.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
Corbin looks over, flashing me a grin. “I promised Abe last time we were together that he would get to meet you soon.”
“You are taking me to meet your brother?” I smile back. I can’t imagine anywhere else I would rather be right now.
“I’m taking you to meet the coolest kid I know.”
Corbin was right. He is right. Abe is precocious and funny, a bright light in the middle of our day as he tells us stories from school and his friends. I watch Corbin as he interacts with his brother, the way his face lights up as Abe talks and the look of love in his eyes, and it melts my heart.
We’re at The Burger Shack, which Corbin told me is Abe’s favorite and the only place he ever wants to go eat.
“So, are you his girlfriend?” Abe asks, pointing a French fry at me as he wrinkles his tiny, freckled nose.
I glance at Corbin, a panicked look on my face, and he chuckles.
“Yeah, little bro, she is.” He leans over and ruffles his hair.
Oh my God, my ovaries.
“I am?” I ask, a smile on my face as I take a bite of my burger.
We haven’t had the talk. You know, the one where he’s all, Wanna be the peanut butter to my jelly? And then I am all, Sure. Okay, maybe that’s not how it goes, but we have quietly tiptoed around the topic.
“Yep.”
“You’ve never asked,” I say, dipping a fry in my ketchup-and-ranch mixture, which both guys told me was disgusting.
Corbin pushes back from the table and stands, and my eyes follow his form as he stalks around to my side of the picnic table we are sitting on outside. He straddles the bench and grabs my hands, pulling me closer to him.
“Landry Paradise, will you do me the honor of becoming my girlfriend, to have and to”—he drops his voice down low in a whisper only I can hear—“fuck”—then he raises it again—“I mean, hold, from this moment at The Burger Shack on and with Abe Henson as our witness?” He punctuates the end with a wink, and I laugh.
“Yes,” I say.
Abe groans from across the table. “Are you guys gonna kiss?” he asks, covering his eyes.
“You betcha,” Corbin says, leaning in and laying a loud smack against my mouth.
“Gross,” Abe exclaims uncovering his eyes and then leaning in to take another bite of his burger.
“You won’t always think it’s gross,” Corbin says, and I reach up, trailing my finger along the shell of his ear, smiling as he shivers slightly. “I’d better get back to my side of the table,” he says, throwing a lazy grin my way as he settles back in next to Abe.