Page 9 of Cade

Mayson had better end up with some amazing girl, or they’ll never measure up to my brother-in-law.Focus girl.

I quickly get packed and have everything in two bags, including my laptop so I can work when Cade has to go to his workouts. I’m supportive and know it’s literally his job to work out, but my body wasn’t built to spend hours in the gym. I’m happy doing my workout video at home a few times a week, and that’s that. A gym rat I will never be.

I take my bags and head toward the front room so I’m ready to go as soon as Cade gets here. Shut it. You’d be this excited if you were me, and you know it. I mean he’s smart, sweet, funny, tall as a tree, with that dark brown hair that isn’t super long, but past the point that it looks like he just needs a haircut and to where it’s just long enough to grab onto easily and is sexy as all get out.

As I’m setting my bags down by the door, I hear my mom’s voice. “You gettin’ ready to leave, Hanna?” I push my glasses up and head into the kitchen where I heard her call out from. She’s sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in front of her and a pad of paper, no doubt about to make a grocery list for the next few days.

She looks up at me as I sit down across from her. “So you’re going to spend a few days with your new guy?” I nod, knowing she’s not done speaking. Mom nods and continues. “Seems like you two have been spending a lot of time getting to know each other. I know not in person, but you’ve had your face glued to your phone more than I’ve ever seen before.” I nod because if you saw Mom’s face, you would know she only paused. There wasn’t a period at the end of that sentence.

“Your brothers both seemed to be somewhat impressed by him, which is high praise.” She takes a sip of coffee before she asks me what she really wants to know. “It’s just you and me. Does this Cade guy feel like he’s something special, something real to you?”

I sigh and take a moment to find the right words. “He is. I know we’ve technically only been on two dates, but we’ve talked for hours and hours and…he’s funny, smart, kind, and he sees me, not just my future limitations. He’s close to his parents and sister, so he gets how I feel. I just…I don’t know…he makes mefeel like I’m all he sees when we’re talking.” Mom leans forward and squeezes my hand.

Anna

Oh, my girl. I know she appears confident and independent, and she is both in a lot of ways, however, I know she’s also always been more uncertain when it comes to relationships, especially with guys. She hasn’t voiced it, but I know she’s worried about someone seeing her eventual blindness as too much and her not being worth the effort, but a mother knows. I know she’s a smart, beautiful, caring woman with a good head on her shoulders, who, for the right man, will be the perfect partner. Now, I have not met this boy face-to-face yet, other than seeing him at the family dinner at the clubhouse, but between what Zane and my boys have said about him and the look my girl gets when she’s texting or talking to him, I have a feeling he might be the one for her.

“I think he’s someone special to you, and you wonder if it’s too fast to feel that way. Am I right?” Hanna nods and confesses what I’ve been suspecting to be true.

“Mom, it’s just…it’s like we can talk for hours about everything and nothing. I just like spending time with him. It doesn’t matter what we’re talking about or doing. It definitely doesn’t hurt thathe’s the best kisser I’ve ever… and he’s so sexy. But honestly, it’s more than that. It’s—” I stop her with a squeeze of my hand.

“It’s like he touches a part of your soul that no one else has ever come close to?” I watch her eyes go big for a moment in realization before she nods in acknowledgment. I continue talking, feeling a bit of déjà vu as I had a similar talk with Asher when he was wrestling with his feelings for Logan a few years ago. My kids are all smart, but sometimes they just need to get out of their heads. I blame their dad for that.

“Sweetheart, I learned some truths a long time ago about love and relationships. The first is don’t compare the timeline of your relationship to anyone else’s. Everyone has a different story and different pace. If your dad and pops had gotten their way, we would’ve gotten married on our second date. We still moved fast for a lot of people. Your brother and Logan had their own journey on their own time. You go at your own pace, whatever that is. Second, if this feels like something special, be open to exploring it. Yes, it opens you up to a chance at being hurt, but you won’t find genuine love if you don’t give it a chance. We only live once, and love is the most important thing. Love of family, friends… just all love is important.” I take a sip of coffee and tell her exactly what I told my boy, Asher, when he was struggling to accept that Logan was meant to be the one for him. “You know your grandma was a smart woman. She was also a woman wholoved with every inch of her being. I know I haven’t been as successful as she was in that, but I believe I’ve gotten as close as I can.” I shake my head to get myself back on track.

“Anyway, your grandma said something when I was wrestling with accepting spending the rest of my life with your pops and dad. Remember, this was the eighties, and things weren’t as accepted back then as they are now. She sat me down at her table, just like we are now. She looked at me and surprised me with what she said. She told me that if you’re lucky enough to find the love of your life, the one you want to stand next to during the good and the bad, the one who makes your heart beat faster when they cross your mind, if you’re lucky enough to find that, the rest doesn’t matter. Family, friends, acquaintances—if they really care about you—only want to see you happy. Many people in this world never find that kind of love. If you’re one of the few who’s lucky enough to, don’t let fear of being different stand in your way. Love is love. I know your relationship isn’t different in the obvious sense, like mine with your dads or Asher’s with Logan, but it has its own challenges. There may be people who tell him you’re going to be more work than it’s worth in the future or that he’s going to wander while he’s on the road. If this is real between you two, be the calm in the storm for each other. Hold on to that love, and everything else will fall into place.”

I can see I’m getting through to my girl as her eyes glass over. She starts to say something, but we both hear a truck pull up, and her phone dings with an incoming message. I wave her off. “Go spend time with your guy. Maybe next time introduce him to me properly.” She hurries over and gives me a quick hug.

“Thank you, Momma. Love you!” She scurries off, and I can’t help the words that come out.

“Remember protection! I’m not quite ready for another grandbaby!” I hear her laughter as she closes the door.

She thinks I’m joking, but my little Daisy is a handful and a half on a good day. She’s way too much like her dad, hell, like all my kids. Not one of them has ever been considered easy, but I wouldn’t have them any other way. I raised strong kids, and they’re all strong adults now, though sometimes they need a little reassurance. Nice to know I’m still needed sometimes.

I hear the back door open, and a moment later I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around me. Jackson kisses my cheek and snuggles into my neck, like he likes to do. “Did I just see that boy come and pick up our girl, and did she have bags with her?” I feel the smile come over my face. This man isn’t going to adjust that well to his little princess being in love.

“You did. She’s going down to spend a couple of days with him and watch his next game. Asher and Logan are going to it andwill bring her home afterward.” Jackson moves and plops down in the chair next to me as he glowers at me.

“You think this guy might be her one, don’t you?” I nod before I answer him.

“Yeah, I think he could be. She’s not just head over heels for him. She’s really getting to know him, and he listens. He also bought new lamps for his place and replaced all his energy-saving light bulbs with brighter ones.” Wyatt surprises me by commenting from the doorway. “Did he brag to her that he did that, because—” I wave my hand to stop his rant before it can really begin.

“Nope. Asher and Mayson told me. Said he had Zane help him the other day. She doesn’t even know about the lightbulbs. According to Zane, when he asked him if he was doing it just to earn points or get in her pants—” Growls from both my men stop my exclamation. Neither of them has a problem with their boys getting some or having a sex life, but their princess? That’s another story. I won’t break their hearts and tell them she’s not a virgin. They might actually have a heart attack with that little tidbit of information.

Wyatt gives me a kiss and sits on my other side as I continue what I was saying before the alpha grunting interrupted me. “Apparently,that question from Zane had Cade almost losing it, and your prospect found himself up against a wall with a hand around his neck. Asher said Zane commented that in the timehe’s known Cade, he’s never seen him that serious. I guess he told him not to talk about his woman that way, and if he ever did again, that they would have a serious problem because Cade would knock him into next week. I guess after Cade calmed down, he answered Zane’s original question. He told him he wasn’t doing it to earn points or anything. In fact, he didn’t plan on telling Hanna he did it all. He said he did it so she would be comfortable in a new place and be able to see whatever she needed to. He said it wasn’t a big deal, but seeing as he wants her to visit whenever she wants to, he wanted to make it a place she would be comfortable in.” I watch my men lean back in their chairs. I could swear they both almost pout at the same time.

Wyatt huffs and grumbles out, “We’re gonna have to like this one, aren’t we?” I nod and reach out a hand to each of my men.

“She’s older than I was when we got together. We’ve raised her to be strong, smart, and to know that we’ll always be here for her. But yeah, I think this could be the real thing between them. Like it or not, your little princess isn’t little anymore.”

Jackson squeezes my hand and quietly says what's going through his mind. “She might not be little, but she’ll always be our princess. She’s always going to be the girl who used to wrap her whole hand around our fingers and swing between us. She’s always going to have us. Even if this guy istheone, we’re the ones who loved her first.” Oh boy, these two. They’re gonna haveto adjust to not being the most important men in Hanna’s life. Send caffeine. Fuck that, send me whiskey, I’m gonna need it.

Cade

I deserve a fucking medal. First, the kiss Hanna greeted me with was enough to make me wish I’d worn anything but jeans today. Holy hell, she can kiss. Then she’s killing me with what she’s wearing. It’s nothing overtly sexy, just jeans, a tank top, and a flannel over that. During the drive, she took off the flannel, and the amount of cleavage it showed…well, let’s just say as a man who’s dying to explore her curves, it’s just a tease to glance over during the drive and see her bouncing around. Of course, I let her control the music. My girl’s a closeted Swifty, so the music selection was mostly that, though she surprised me with some country and rock from the eighties and nineties. I’m pretty sure I’ve been hard for almost the whole two-hour drive. The drive that’s supposed to be two and a half, closer to three, but I’ve made it in barely two. I ain’t that much of a saint, and I’m dying to have Hanna in my arms when we’re not in public and can see where things go.

I take the exit off the interstate toward my place and know it’s only a few more minutes ‘til we pull into my place. I live in a fourplex, with two of the other units occupied by teammates and the fourth by the elderly widow who owns the complex. She’s asweetheart and is always bringing us cookies and such. Carter, I’m pretty sure, is half in love with her. Dustin is right next to me, but he is by far one of the quietest on the team. He’s a great teammate, but I know fuck about him, and he’s my neighbor.