Even laughing, I asked, “You want this?”
“I can give up everything else in my life, but never you. Married or not, you belong with me.”
I exhaled uneasily then smiled. “Yes, I will marry you.”
Dylan pulled me into an embrace while Mom and Dad clapped. I heard Harlow and Jace clapping too, but they were less enthusiastic. Like me, my siblings were wary of change.
Even wanting to glue myself to Dylan and never leave his side, I joined Harlow on the back porch. We sat on the bench and I watched a squirrel race across the yard and disappear in a tree. Next to me, Harlow shivered under a blanket and stared at nothing.
“Why did you say don’t?” I asked finally.
“I think it’s too soon.”
“We’re living together. Marriage makes sense.”
“I know, but it’s too soon.”
Fighting tears, I needed Harlow to be happy for me. “I love him. He makes me feel better than I have before and I crave that feeling.”
“We didn’t make you happy?”
Her jaw clenching, Harlow refused to look at me even as I rested my head on her shoulder.
“I didn’t grow up with a sister like you did. When you came to live here, I was jealous for a day or two. I worried you’d get all the attention and be a better daughter. You were so beautiful too and I imagined people would ignore me when they could be close to you instead.”
“Idiot,” Harlow said, smirking. “You took care of me.”
“I wanted you to like me. Beckett ignored me because I was twitchy around him. I wanted you to be my friend, so I sucked up to you.”
Harlow laughed. “That’s not how it happened.”
“Yes, it was. I was so desperate for you to like me. I nearly peed myself when you looked at other girls and I thought you might like them more.”
Turning to me, Harlow wrapped the blanket around us both. “You’re a good sister.”
“It’s why you don’t want me to leave.”
Harlow’s smile faded. “What happens when I have bad dreams? You have Dylan to cuddle with, but I’m alone.”
“There’s always Jace.”
Harlow rolled her eyes. “Can you imagine me crawling into his bed at night? He’d think he was under attack and punch me.”
“Yeah, he’s pretty grumpy about people in his bed.”
Harlow exhaled hard. “It’s bullshit. I got you and Dylan together, but I’m the one suffering because you’re together. What the fuck?”
“You’re selfless. A martyr really.”
Harlow’s smile returned. “I’m scared about what I’ll do without you nearby.”
“I’m scared too. I love Dylan, but my family kept me sane all these years. I miss you even though I see you every day.”
“I don’t blame you. I am pretty addictive.”
“Crazy addictive.”
Sharing a smile, we returned to an uneasy silence. Life with Dylan was a dream, but the reality of it still scared me.
“I’m not buying a bike. I decided to use the fighting money to take martial arts classes and get stronger. Dad said I can ride Beckett’s Harley until he’s out of prison.”
“You’re such a badass,” I whispered, giving her a soft smile. “We’re so different, but you’ll always be my best friend.”
“No man will change that.”
When we stood up to join the others for lunch, I took Harlow’s hand. “If you’re ever feeling bad and think it’ll be a tough night, we’ll have extra rooms at the house. You’re always welcome to stay.”
Harlow pulled me into a tight hug and I returned her affection. Life was changing quickly and we could only struggle to keep up. Understanding Harlow’s fears about me and Dylan, I knew our relationship appeared on fast forward. Despite everyone’s concerns, God blessed me with a chance at love. Dylan and I belonged together and nothing rational mattered.
Chapter Thirty Four ~ Dylan
Thanksgiving was a big day in the Todds’s household. They started the day with a large breakfast at the church. After a service, they served dinner to those less fortunate in town. Finally, the family shared a dinner at home. Toni put us in charge of this last part.
In my family, we normally went out to dinner for Thanksgiving. My mom didn’t like cooking. None of my stepmoms wanted to cook either. Dad wasn’t the kind of man to treat holidays as a special occasion, so this Thanksgiving was like my first.
Walking through the grocery store, I pushed one cart while Harlow pushed a second. Winnie held a list of necessary supplies to make the turkey dinner with all the fixings. Jace stayed close to Harlow as we filed the carts.
“Are you going to grow out your hair?” Winnie asked, shifting closer as we passed a crowd of college kids fighting over what beer brand to buy.
“I don’t know. What do you think I should do?”
Winnie smiled at me, but she was in a quiet mood from the noise around us. Harlow was happy to pick up the slack.