Schuyler“He’s officially asleep,” I sigh, flopping on the sofa near Dallas.“How many books did you end up reading?” she asks.“Three, but we had a brief discussion in between each one. He asked me questions about dating.” I smile at my friend. “He asked about Garret and you, along with Calvin and me.”“Like what?” “We talked about love, where we go on dates, kissing, whether Garret and you kiss, if you love Garret, who Tyler loves, and so on.” I love Dallas looks as uncomfortable about the topics as I was when he asked me the questions.“Did you answer all of his questions?” Dallas’s worried face causes me to smirk.“Yes. I think it’s important to be open and honest with him,” I explain. “I didn’t go into detail, and I asked him what he thought a few times. He’s a perceptive little guy. He likes to see the adults in his life smile and laugh. And he’s glad you make his Uncle Garret smile a lot.”“Wow. I’m definitely glad I don’t work with kids. There’s no way I could handle all the q
CalvinAs if they bugged the house, one by one, Schuyler’s three brothers all somehow happen to drop by. I don’t plan to share my news with them. I’d rather they learn of our engagement at the graduation party. Theo tries her best, but she can’t hide that she’s excited about something.“Mom, what’s up? You look like the cat that ate the canary.” Levi looks from his mother to his father, then at me with suspicion.Theo turns to me, zips her lips, and tosses the key over her left shoulder. Ya, like that won’t make them ask more questions. I feel I’m in front of a firing squad with all three brothers glaring in my direction.“You know, we can beat it out of you,” Levi threatens.“Levi Dawes,” Theo chides. “Where are your manners? That is no way to treat a guest in our house.”“Spill the beans,” Dan orders, pointing to his mom.Theo’s much too excited to keep it secret any longer. She buckles, an excited grin growing on her face. “Calvin’s going to ask Schuyler to marry him!” Six angry, b
SchuylerLevi waits for us on the front porch of Calvin’s house. I leap from my parents’ vehicle, eager to see him and celebrate my special day.“Hanging in there?” Levi asks, wrapping me in a bear hug.“Too... many... muscles...” I groan as I struggle to breathe. He often forgets the power he packs in his oversized arms. I take a minute to regain my breath. “What do you mean ‘hanging in there’? Graduation’s over. It’s party time!” I announce.Levi sports a shit-eating grin. He’s up to something. When any of my brothers are up to something, it’s usually a terrible day for me. I’m sure they plan to embarrass me. I grab my father by the arm, pulling him to the side before we enter the house.“Levi’s up to something,” I inform him. “I’m meeting Calvin’s parents for the first time today; I don’t need him to mess that up. Can you intervene on my behalf?” I bat my eyes, hoping to persuade Dad.“Your brothers will be on their best behavior,” he promises. “They have nothing planned to embarras
SchuylerI open my mouth; I can’t form the words. I try a second time with no luck, so I nod. I nod and nod and nod. I wrap my arms around the two guys in front of me. “Yes!” I squeak in their ears. “Yes!”Our gathered family and friends cheer and applaud around us. Dallas pulls me from Calvin’s arms to hug me. She’s as excited as me. Holding my hands between us, she speaks of venue, date, color scheme, and so on.“Excuse me, Dallas,” Calvin interrupts, pulling my hands from my best friend’s. “She said yes. I need to slide this ring onto my fiancé’s finger.”Fiancé.I’m a fiancé.I’m engaged to the sweetest man in the world, with an adorable little boy. I’m getting married.How is this my life?Amid all the congratulations, servers pour champagne and pass it to the adults while they give Tyler a glass of sparkling cider. Calvin’s father toasts. We clink glasses and drink. Unaware of how it happened, I find myself at a long table surrounded by women while the men gather on the other sid
Calvin“Tyler’s down,” I announce as I walk into my bedroom. “I didn’t even get to read him a book. We talked for a minute, I rubbed his back, he closed his eyes, and that was it.”“It was a long and very exciting day,” Sky reminds me. “I’m not sure how long I’ll be awake once my head hits the pillow.”Nope! She isn’t falling asleep yet. She can’t sleep until we privately celebrate our engagement.I watch as she removes her makeup, applies lotion, and brushes her teeth. Amazingly, she doesn’t seem upset about Levi’s baby announcement this afternoon. I’m not letting my guard down; she may have a delayed reaction to the news when the excitement of our engagement wears off.“Dallas told me she turned down the internship in Kansas City,” Sky shares as she places her toothbrush in her cosmetic bag. “She’s going to stay with her parents until she gets her own place, and she accepted the job offer in Des Moines.”“Garret will flip when she tells him. He’s been fretting about it for a couple w
SchuylerWeeks later, I flop myself down on a barstool at the kitchen island, laying my head in my hands. I’m grateful Calvin’s parents gifted us this house, but it’s much too big for the three of us. The ground floor is all we need large enough with two bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a large open living room, dining area, and kitchen. I’m exhausted, and I haven’t cleaned the bedrooms or bathrooms upstairs nor the family room, game room, and bathroom in the basement.Despite both our mothers’ and Dallas’s forced shopping trips, we still haven’t furnished every room, so one would think it would be easy to keep clean. It’s not. More space equals more places for Tyler to string his books and toys out while dust seems to be a constant battle. I don’t know how my mom made it so many years cleaning three bathrooms with four guys in the house. I live with two, and I cringe at the mess. I’m ready to claim one bathroom as girls only.I deserve a tidy bathroom in between cleanings.Lifting
SchuylerI look at the clock on the microwave. “Mom will drop Tyler off soon. If you stay, you can tell her all about this, and let her tell you it’s not doable.”I open my cell phone to text my man. He’s going to flip out when he hears what Dallas did. Me: Dallas strikes againMe: need to chat get home ASAPMe: not emergencyIf he’s in the middle of something important, I don’t want him to rush. Although I need him here to back me up, I realize starting his business is much more important than convincing Dallas she’s crazy.As expected, Mom arrives right at four like we planned. I greet her at the door and listen to Tyler tell me everything they did today while I place a snack in front of him on the table.“You were supposed to relax today,” my mother reminds me. “You look worse now than you did this morning. What’s wrong?”I swing my arm wide to Dallas, prompting her to explain. She tells Mom about the letter and the contest I won before showing her the website. She explains everyth
CalvinThe morning flies by. I met with the contractor and am pleased we are running two weeks ahead of our original construction schedule, and he doesn’t see any delays in our future. It’s the second week of June, and we have nine weeks until the grand opening. Next, I sit down with Garret to plan our first staff meeting, their training, and the soft opening. We update our list of remaining tasks and the dates we need to place final orders by to allow time for delivery before we open.While I wait for Sky to arrive for lunch and share a wedding update, I email our talent scout for an updated schedule. Then, I email our accountant to see where we stand compared to our targeted budget.“Hi, babe,” Schuyler greets, sliding into the chair opposite me.I take in her sexy summer dress that compliments her rockin’ body. The sight of my girl always revs my engine. Her smile lights up her entire face, so I assume everything is smooth on the wedding front.“Before I forget,” she starts, while p