missed for the time being.
“I got married,” Kyle blurted with genuine happiness.
Guess there’s no ignoring it now , Max thought as he pulled back to eye Kyle.
“Woo… Wow. Well, congratulations. When do we get to meet the lucky girl?” Max glanced around the room and only saw one stranger’s face, too young for his friend, so obviously she was Leona’s assistant. His focus landed on Leona, pulling a wide grin to his face. “Hey, hot mama!” He forgot about Kyle’s sudden nuptials and swooped his other friend up.
“Look at you,” Leona said on a giggle. “You don’t look wormy anymore.”
“’Course not. I’m sexy now, ain’t I?” He grinned, brown eyes dancing in tease. “Ya looking good yourself.” He took his time studying her, happy that time seem to be healing her. Gone were Leona’s long dreadlocks, replaced by an asymmetrical bob with a rich brown hue near the roots and gradually lightening into a blonde at the tips. She was the group’s designated hippie growing up, and from the flowy sundress and Birkenstocks, she still fit the bill.
“What’s all this?” she questioned, rubbing her palms over his facial hair.
“Beards are in, didn’t you know?” He winked, fully enjoying the light banter after dwelling in such darkness for the last several days. He leaned in, and whispered not quiet enough, “Please tell me Kyle didn’t knock up your assistant and then marry her.”
The room erupted into laughter, cutting some of the tension. Leona laughed along with them before reining it in so she could answer him. “No. He married me, but I’m not pregnant.”
“Wha?” He looked at her dumbfounded for a few beats before glancing over at Kyle, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Leona stepped back and wrapped her arm around her teenage daughter, a sad smile brushed along her lips as Kyle joined in wrapping his arm around Phoebe. “Kyle has really been there for us the last two years.”
The room digressed back to that confused state he shuffled in on only minutes ago.
It looked like Kyle and Leona had some explaining to do.
•♫•♫•♫ •
Jewels paced the master bedroom, the creamy whites and blues matched the rest of the beach house color pallet. She had decided it was time for a change last fall and it took until the spring to convince Leona to take the renovation on. The petite blonde shook her head, causing the long, wavy locks to tumble around her down-casted face.
Dillon stepped in front of her, halting the progression of her worrying steps, and brushed the hair away from her face. His large hands cupped her cheeks and tilted her head so that she had no choice but to allow him access to her green eyes.
“Talk to me, Pretty Girl.” The deep rumble of his voice soothed her instantly.
“I’m just… I don’t know how I feel about this.”
“At least you didn’t react how Kyle did when he first found out about us.” One of his dark brows lifted, charming her right into a low chuckle.
Kyle had handled his shock by giving Dillon a bloody lip. That was a New Year’s Eve to not be forgotten. They were only teenagers back then, but they were adults now and if Kyle and Leona were happy, then Jewels would get used to it.
“No, I’d never punch her. I just never would have guessed Kyle had been in love with her all these years.”
Her younger brother admitted how he’d loved Leona his entire life to the entire group downstairs earlier, shocking them all again. Not even Leona had known his feelings until last year. Kyle put in the transfer so that he could be there for Leona and Phoebe after Grant’s passing. He had no intentions of pursuing her romantically, just wanted to be there for her to lean on. But the more time they spent together, the more she began to reciprocate his feelings.
Dillon eased over to the foot of the California-king bed and pulled Jewels along with him until she was straddling his lap. “I think best friends make the best
“I got married,” Kyle blurted with genuine happiness.
Guess there’s no ignoring it now , Max thought as he pulled back to eye Kyle.
“Woo… Wow. Well, congratulations. When do we get to meet the lucky girl?” Max glanced around the room and only saw one stranger’s face, too young for his friend, so obviously she was Leona’s assistant. His focus landed on Leona, pulling a wide grin to his face. “Hey, hot mama!” He forgot about Kyle’s sudden nuptials and swooped his other friend up.
“Look at you,” Leona said on a giggle. “You don’t look wormy anymore.”
“’Course not. I’m sexy now, ain’t I?” He grinned, brown eyes dancing in tease. “Ya looking good yourself.” He took his time studying her, happy that time seem to be healing her. Gone were Leona’s long dreadlocks, replaced by an asymmetrical bob with a rich brown hue near the roots and gradually lightening into a blonde at the tips. She was the group’s designated hippie growing up, and from the flowy sundress and Birkenstocks, she still fit the bill.
“What’s all this?” she questioned, rubbing her palms over his facial hair.
“Beards are in, didn’t you know?” He winked, fully enjoying the light banter after dwelling in such darkness for the last several days. He leaned in, and whispered not quiet enough, “Please tell me Kyle didn’t knock up your assistant and then marry her.”
The room erupted into laughter, cutting some of the tension. Leona laughed along with them before reining it in so she could answer him. “No. He married me, but I’m not pregnant.”
“Wha?” He looked at her dumbfounded for a few beats before glancing over at Kyle, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Leona stepped back and wrapped her arm around her teenage daughter, a sad smile brushed along her lips as Kyle joined in wrapping his arm around Phoebe. “Kyle has really been there for us the last two years.”
The room digressed back to that confused state he shuffled in on only minutes ago.
It looked like Kyle and Leona had some explaining to do.
•♫•♫•♫ •
Jewels paced the master bedroom, the creamy whites and blues matched the rest of the beach house color pallet. She had decided it was time for a change last fall and it took until the spring to convince Leona to take the renovation on. The petite blonde shook her head, causing the long, wavy locks to tumble around her down-casted face.
Dillon stepped in front of her, halting the progression of her worrying steps, and brushed the hair away from her face. His large hands cupped her cheeks and tilted her head so that she had no choice but to allow him access to her green eyes.
“Talk to me, Pretty Girl.” The deep rumble of his voice soothed her instantly.
“I’m just… I don’t know how I feel about this.”
“At least you didn’t react how Kyle did when he first found out about us.” One of his dark brows lifted, charming her right into a low chuckle.
Kyle had handled his shock by giving Dillon a bloody lip. That was a New Year’s Eve to not be forgotten. They were only teenagers back then, but they were adults now and if Kyle and Leona were happy, then Jewels would get used to it.
“No, I’d never punch her. I just never would have guessed Kyle had been in love with her all these years.”
Her younger brother admitted how he’d loved Leona his entire life to the entire group downstairs earlier, shocking them all again. Not even Leona had known his feelings until last year. Kyle put in the transfer so that he could be there for Leona and Phoebe after Grant’s passing. He had no intentions of pursuing her romantically, just wanted to be there for her to lean on. But the more time they spent together, the more she began to reciprocate his feelings.
Dillon eased over to the foot of the California-king bed and pulled Jewels along with him until she was straddling his lap. “I think best friends make the best
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