Are You Ready? (Everlasting Ink #3)

Chapter 14

CHAPTER

FOURTEEN

Briar

“Guess what?” my sister asks as she comes bouncing into the living room.

“What?” I ask as my phone vibrates in my hand. I glance down, because I already know it’s Forrest. Since my tattoo two weeks ago, we’ve been texting and talking on the phone nonstop. He’s come over for dinner a few times, and I’ve taken the girls to his place to swim and for dinner as well. He’s been pushing for me, the girls, and Brogan to join them for their weekly Sunday dinners, but I’ve been holding off. That seems serious, and even though this thing between us feels serious, I don’t know if we’re there yet.

“Is that your boyfriend?” Brogan teases.

“He’s not—it’s Forrest.” Is he my boyfriend? We haven’t labeled this. Just that we’re not seeing other people and he’s letting me go at my pace.

“He is.”

“We’ve never labeled whatever it is that we’re doing,” I tell her.

“You might not have, but your boy has.” She reaches for her phone and taps the screen before handing it to me. “This was what I was going to tell you, but I’ll let you read it for yourself. ”

Taking her phone, I see it’s a text message thread with Forrest. Scrolling to the top, I read through the messages.

Forrest: Hey. How does Saturday sound for your spa day with Briar?

Brogan: Does my sister know you’re planning our spa day?

Forrest: Nope.

Brogan: Nice. We can do Saturday. I’m off work. We’ll need to find a sitter for the girls.

Forrest: I’ll keep the girls.

Brogan: Cashing in on the mom coupon book? Great idea, by the way.

Forrest: Nah, this is just me volunteering to watch my girlfriend's kids, who happen to be cool as hell, so that she can have a spa day with her sister.

Brogan: Girlfriend?

Forrest: My girl. Girlfriend. Mine. However you want to spin it.

Brogan: I wouldn’t be a good big sister if I didn’t ask what your intentions are with my sister.

Forrest: End game.

Brogan: Can’t say I was expecting you to say that.

Forrest: I have nothing to hide.

Brogan: Does Briar know? That she’s your end game?

Forrest: I hope so. If not, she will. I’m giving her time. She’s mine. The rest will come in time.

Brogan: Don’t hurt them, Forrest.

Forrest: Never.

Forrest: Saturday?

Brogan: That sounds good. I’ll tell Briar tonight. Are you sure you’re good to keep the girls ?

Forrest: Razzle and Dazzle are my buds. We’ll be just fine. I’ll be at your place at nine. You need to be at the spa at ten.

Brogan: Okay. I’m sure you’ll be hearing from my sister.

Forrest: Looking forward to it.

I’m still trying to process what I just read when I hand Brogan her phone. He called me his girlfriend. I guess that makes sense. We’ve just never said it out loud. Not that I’m upset about it. It’s just weird thinking that I have a boyfriend after all this time, after everything that’s happened.

A boyfriend that doesn’t know all the details of my past. I need to tell him soon. Before the girls and I get any more attached. I’m truly broken, and a man like Forrest, he deserves better.

“He scheduled our spa day?”

Brogan laughs. “Skipping over the ‘she’s mine’ part, are we?”

“We said that we wouldn’t see other people while we figure this out.”

“I like him.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “I do too. He doesn’t know, Brogan.”

“Maybe you should tell him. Your past doesn’t define you.”

“No, but what if he looks at me and the girls differently?”

“Then he’s not worth your time. But I don’t think that’s going to happen. He seems genuine, and we’ve spent enough time around the group that we can say that with certainty.”

“He is. They are, but this is different. I’m broken. The girls?—”

“You’re not broken, and those girls are special angels. They’re your daughters. That’s what matters. You are a package deal, and I feel like I can say with confidence that Forrest wants the entire package. He’s not a halfway kind of guy, Briar.”

“How do you know?”

“I work with his sister. We talk a lot, and just the things she says about him, and the rest of the guys. They’re a good group. They’re genuine.”

“It feels that way to me, too, but what if I’m wrong?” That’s the real problem here. I was so trusting before, and I was wrong .

“Trust yourself, little sister.” She winks.

My phone rings, and I can’t help but smile when I see Forrest’s name on the screen. “It’s him.”

“I know. Your smile tells all. I’ll go round the girls up for dinner.” Brogan walks away as I put the phone to my ear.

“Hey.”

“How was your day, baby?”

Why do I melt into a puddle when he calls me baby? I never thought I would like that, but from Forrest, it’s sweet and sexy at the same time. “Good. I just had an interesting conversation with my sister just now.”

“Really? About what?”

“Our spa day.”

“Are you excited?”

“I am. Are you sure you want to keep the girls all day? They can be a handful.”

“I’m more than sure. I’ll be there early. I’m bringing snacks. I have the entire day planned.”

“Really?” I ask, feeling the weight of worry lifting from my shoulders.

“Yep. And I don’t want you to rush home. Go shopping, grab dinner or a movie. Whatever you want to do, kid-free. Before you say anything, I know that you love your daughters, but every parent deserves a break. As for me, I’m looking forward to spending the day and evening with the girls. We’re going to be at your place, so you don’t have to worry. You can call and check on us as much as you want. I’ll send lots of pictures to ease your mind. I want this day for you. For you and Brogan. You’re both raising those girls on your own, and I just want to be a part of it. I want to be someone you can lean on.”

I don’t know what to say to that. If he were here, I’d wrap him in a hug, but over the phone, the best I could do is say, “Thank you, Forrest.”

“Anytime, baby. I need to go. I want to get the yard mowed before it gets dark. ”

“Paying someone to mow for us is the best decision I’ve ever made.” I laugh.

“Stop paying whoever it is. I’ll take care of it for you.”

“No. I can’t let you do that.”

“I can mow my girlfriend’s grass,” he grumbles.

“And I can pay the teenager down the road to do it too.”

“Fine,” he gripes. “I’ll call you later.”

“Have fun.”

His laughter is all I hear as the call ends.

It’s a big deal to let him keep my daughters for that long, and I do trust that he will take care of them. If I’m being honest, somehow over the last couple of months, I’ve come to trust him. I know I need to give him that trust and tell him about my past. That’s the only way I’ll know if he’s here to stay. I need to do it soon because my girls are already attached to him. Okay, fine, I am too. I’ve let him into our lives. He slipped between the cracks. And now, the girls and I are too far gone for him, too used to him being in our lives.

My heart didn’t even see him coming.

When there’s a knock at the door, ten minutes until eight, I smile, knowing it’s Forrest. The girls are on the couch, having just finished breakfast and watching their favorite cartoon. I smile as I make my way to the door and pull it open.

“Hey, baby.” He leans in and kisses me softly.

“Aw, Forty!” I hear a female voice.

Glancing over his shoulder, I see Emerson with her head sticking out of the passenger side window of Monroe’s Tahoe. “Did you have them drop you off?” I ask, but then I see his truck in the driveway.

“Nope. Rome heard me making the appointment for the day and told me to add another for Emerson. Then Legend found out and called back and added a spot for Monroe too. Then the girls found out and decided Maggie should be involved, so it’s a girls’ day at the spa. ”

“Really?” I ask as excitement bubbles up inside me. I was already looking forward to today, but having the rest of the ladies there makes it even better.

“Yep. I told them they had to wait in the car. I didn’t want the girls to get all worked up before you left.”

“I haven’t told them you’re watching them today. I knew I’d never hear the end of it.”

He grins. “Today’s going to be fun.”

“Come on in. We might as well tell them now, so we can head out.” He follows me into the house. “Girls.” I step up behind the couch with Forrest next to me. “You have someone here to see you,” I tell them.

That gets their attention. They tear their eyes from the cartoon.

“Forrest!” they call out his name.

He laughs, a deep throaty laugh. “Hey, girls. I thought we could spend the day together while your mom and Aunt Brogan have an adult girls’ day.”

“Yay!” they cheer.

“Best behavior.” I point at them using my most stern mom voice. Their little heads bob, giving me their agreement.

Brogan walks out, slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Ready?” she asks.

“I am.”

“Girls, I’m going to walk your mom out. Stay put, I’ll be right back.”

“Okay, Forty,” they tell him at the same time. “Bye, Mommy. Bye, Aunt Brogan,” they chorus.

I don’t have an ounce of panic at leaving him with my daughters today. It’s clear to see he adores them just as much as they do him. They’re comfortable with him, they trust him, and that means everything. I give them both a kiss on top of their heads over the couch and follow Brogan out the door, with Forrest right behind us.

“What’s going on?” Brogan asks when she sees Monroe’s Tahoe in the driveway. I quickly explain what’s going on, and she grins before heading toward our friends, leaving me alone with Forrest on the front porch.

“Thank you for this.”

His eyes soften. “Anytime, baby. Have a great day. Don’t rush back. I’ve got this.”

I have the sudden urge to kiss him, so that’s what I do. I stand on my toes and press my lips to his. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tightly. “That’s a first,” he whispers, stealing another kiss.

“What?” I have to tilt my head back to look at him.

“You kissed me first.” He grins like a schoolboy who was just told he won dodgeball captain in gym class.

“Is that okay?” I don’t know why I ask. His smile tells me exactly how okay he thought my kiss was.

“More than okay. Feel free to kiss me anytime you want. I’m yours after all.”

“Mine.” I lean in and kiss him again. My heart flutters at the contact. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of kissing him.

“Yeah, you are.” He gives me one more tight squeeze before releasing me. “You better go before I keep you in my arms all damn day.”

I don’t know how he does it, but he makes me feel wanted. Special. Treasured. Most of all, he makes me feel happy. “I’ll see you soon.”

“See you soon, baby.” He kisses my forehead and disappears back into the house.

When I reach the SUV, my sister and our friends yell out, “Get it, girl,” making us all fall into a fit of laughter.

“Stop.” My face heats, but I’m not mad. Just embarrassed. This is all new for me.

Emerson turns in her seat. “I’m happy for both of you. My brother needs a good woman in his life.”

“You can bet your ass those girls of yours will be spoiled rotten when we get back,” Monroe says from the driver’s seat.

“Oh, you know it,” Maggie says. She’s sitting in the third-row seat. Well, sitting is a stretch. She’s lying down, with her arm covering her eyes .

“Are you feeling okay?” I ask Maggie.

“I’m fine. I picked up a half shift at the hospital last night. I didn’t get home until 3:00 a.m. I’m just tired.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re coming with us, tired and all,” Brogan tells her.

“I wasn’t missing this,” Maggie tells my sister.

“Right? When Legend told me about it, I was pumped. They have a momma massage package. I’m all over that.” Monroe chuckles.

“How are you feeling?” Maggie asks her.

“Great. I’m twenty-two weeks, so over the halfway mark.”

“Wait. Do you know what you’re having?” Brogan asks her.

“We do. We found out last week.”

“Don’t even try. She won’t tell me,” Emerson grumbles.

“I told you. This week is our week to host Sunday dinner. We’re going to tell everyone together.” Monroe laughs. “It’s tomorrow. You can hold out.”

“You’ve known since last Friday, Mo. That’s over a week. Eight days of withholding important information.”

Monroe’s laughing so hard, her shoulders shake. “You’ll be fine.”

“Well, you’ll have to let us know,” Maggie says. “I need to start shopping.”

“Oh, you’re invited. All three of you are. The girls too,” Monroe says, finding my eyes in the rearview mirror quickly. “I want all my people there when we announce what we’re having.”

“Oh, we don’t want to intrude.”

Emerson turns in her seat and gives me a look that I’m sure will scare the hell out of Lilly when she’s older. “I know for a fact my brother has been inviting you the last two weeks.”

“He has,” I tell her. “But it’s a family thing.”

“You’re his girlfriend. That means something. He’s not taking this relationship lightly,” Emerson tells me. She sighs. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to get crazy.” She rolls her eyes playfully. “He really likes you, Briar. A lot. He wants you there. We all do. ”

“It’s so early.”

“It’s been months,” Maggie speaks up. “The two of you have been dancing around this for months. I’d say it’s time.”

“I happen to agree,” Brogan says. “And if you don’t want the girls to go, I’ll stay at home with them.”

“What?” Emerson says, turning around to face us as much as her seat belt will allow her to. I wasn’t expecting the shocked look on her face. “No. The girls are coming. All four of you. Five, Maggie, this is for you too. We want you all there. That’s how this works. Those girls are a part of you, Briar. They’re coming.”

The car is silent. It’s Monroe that breaks the silence. “What she said.”

Maggie cracks up laughing, and soon we’re all joining her.

“We’ll be there,” I tell Emerson. I bite down on my cheek to hide my smile. Forrest has been asking me the last two weeks to come with him. Speaking of Forrest… my phone pings with a message.

Forrest: How did I do, Momma?

It’s a picture of the girls’ hair in pigtails. “Oh my,” I say, covering my mouth with my hand.

“What?” Brogan asks.

“Look.” I turn my phone so that she can see.

“A for effort.” She chuckles.

“Let me see.” I show Maggie, and she cackles.

Monroe turns into the parking lot for the spa. “I feel left out.”

“Here.” I pass my phone to her, and she and Emerson look at the picture.

“I think those girls could talk him into anything,” Emerson says, handing me my phone just as it pings again.

I can’t hold in my laughter when I see Forrest smiling at the camera and his hair in two short pigtails on top. Brogan takes my phone from my hand, and it gets passed around again.

“He’s too much.” I shake my head as I type out a reply.

Me: I hope my spa day staff is more qualified than yours .

Forrest: Hey, my girls are rock stars.

Me: Yes, they are.

I shove my phone into my purse and climb out of the SUV, following our group inside to enjoy our spa day.