Stay(56)

“Yay!” Jessie shouted when they both slid to a stop in front of the porch at the same time.

“Tie,” Braden said.

“Yeah, but you started before me,” Wes argued, watching the white plumps of heat in the air when he spoke.

“Oh, God. Don’t tell me you’re as competitive as he is.” The woman took a step toward them.

“Who are you?” Jessie asked.

“Jess, don’t—” Wes began, but Braden’s mom cut him off. “It’s okay.”

She kneeled down, reminding him of Braden. “I’m Emmy, Braden’s mom. Let me guess...you’re Jessie? Braden said you were only four, but you’re such a big girl. Are you sure you aren’t six?”

“Hi,” Jess whispered, and then wrapped her arms around Wes’s leg and buried her face into it.

“You don’t need to be shy with my mom, Squirt. She’s pretty much just a big kid herself,” Braden laughed.

“Like you?” both Emmy and Wes said at the same time.

“Oh, I like you.” Emmy pushed to her feet. “And you must be Wes. Braden talks about you all the time.” She winked at Wes. Oh yeah. He and his mom were a lot alike.

“Don’t tell him shit like that, Ma. He has a big head. We don’t want to make it bigger.”

“You said a bad word!” Jessie told him, and Braden grabbed her.

“None of that.” He swooped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Wes couldn’t stop himself from watching him. Watching Jessie and Braden laugh. And damn, if he didn’t like what he saw. When he felt a soft hand on his arm, he turned to look at Emmy, who watched them, too. “It’s good to meet you, Wes,” she said, still watching Braden. “We’re happy to have you here.”

He nodded. “I’m happy to be here, too.”





Chapter Twenty-Two


Wes was feeling overwhelmed. It only took one look for Braden to realize that. Not that he could blame him. He knew his family could be a lot. There were not only a lot of them, but they were also all just like him. It was enough to stress anyone out, but that’s the last thing he wanted from Wes out of this trip. For once, he wanted him to just be able to let go. To relax and enjoy himself completely.

Braden watched as he sat on the couch with his dad and sister Yvonne, who were both obviously on different sides of whatever issue they were talking about, leaving Wes in the middle. His sister’s hands were flying because she couldn’t talk without using them, and his dad was shaking his head, giving that Roth-you-don’t-know-what-the-hell-you’re-talking-about look. Wes’s eyes kept darting back and forth between the two of them.

Each time Wes opened his mouth to speak, either Braden’s dad or sister would start yapping again and cut him off.

“Go save that boy, Braden.” His mom sat on the arm of his chair.

“It’s cute to watch, though. He’s totally out of his element here, but I think he’s having a good time, too.”

“His family isn’t close?” she asked.

“No.” He shook his head. “They are, but there’s never been a lot of them. His dad left when he was young, and then he lost his mom a few years later. His sister raised them, and now she’s gone, too.” The words hollowed him out a little. Yes, he’d always known they were true, but his gut ached for Wes. He wanted him to have everything.

“That’s sad. He looks like he’s going to run at any second, though. Go save him before he never wants to come back. You know how your dad and sister can get.”

Braden looked into the family room to see Jessie playing a video game with one of his nephews. “You’ll watch Jess?”

The corners of his mom’s eyes wrinkled like she was looking at him for the first time. Braden was about to ask her why when she said, “That’s a dumb question. Of course I will.”

Braden stood and kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks, Ma.” He walked over to where Wes sat. The second Wes saw him, his features relaxed. “I need to show you something real quick.”

Wes pushed to his feet. Yvonne and his dad said bye and then got right back into their argument. Wes followed Braden to the front door and stopped when Braden said, “Go outside with me, Wesley.”

“What about Jessie?”

“She’s having fun. She probably won’t even notice we’re gone. And if she does, Mom will watch her. She’ll call me if Jessie needs us—you. If she needs you.” He wanted that, he realized. Wanted them to officially be an us. Wanted to be there for Jessie, too. He wasn’t sure to what extent, but he knew it was there.