More Than Enough (More Than Series, Book 5) (51 page)

Dave:
Sure.

Riley:
I do! I like going to the store and finding stuff to send your family. I had to send two boxes this time. I got Ricky this Minions doll but it was too big so he gets his own box.

Dave:
He’d love that, Ry. Seriously. It’s not often that kid gets something of his own. He’s always had hand me downs.

Riley:
That makes me so happy.

Dave:
Swear, you just got me smiling so big.

Riley:
Why not say it’s from you then?

Dave:
Because it’s not from me. It’s from…?

Riley:
I signed the family one as Rosie and Ricky’s one as Vanessa.

Dave:
Nice!

Riley:
I’m running out of different handwriting though. Hopefully they don’t keep the letters.

Dave:
Nah. Ma would keep them all.

Riley:
I still don’t get it, Dave. Why the different names and why from girls?

Dave:
Keeps the dream alive.

Riley:
How so?

Dave:
My ma—she always worries about me. Not so much out here but more when I get home.

Riley:
?

Dave:
I guess she worries about how I’ll be when I get back, you know? I mean mentally. She’s always going on about how I should find a girl to take care of me. And since the perfect one is taken, I have to make them up.

Riley:
She worries about that?

Dave:
Don’t you? About Dylan. Not me.

Riley:
I try not to.

Dave:
That’s good, Ry. You keep the dream alive too. Besides, he has you to take care of him when he gets back.

Riley:
I hope I’m enough.

Dave:
Seriously, Ry?

Riley:
What?

Dave:
When I mentioned the perfect girl was taken, I was talking about you.

Riley:
Shut up.

Dave:
You take care of him, okay? Promise me.

Riley:
You goof. I promise.

Dave:
Sleep well, Ry. It’s been real nice talking to you.

Riley:
Until next time?

I scroll down, my fingers as frantic as my heart while I look for the next image. There isn’t one. I go back to the last and look for the date they spoke.

My breath catches.

My heart stops.

He planned it all.

He fucking knew.

He knew he was going to die that night.

And he knew what losing him would do to me.

Dylan

“D
ude, you need
me to drive?” Cam asks from the front passenger seat on the way home. “Why do you keep rubbing your eye?”

Jake pulls over on the side of the road. “It’s fucking itchy as fuck.” Then it dawns on him. “You fucking assholes! I have a reporter coming to the house tomorrow!”

He goes to punch Cam but Logan stops him. “No violence!”

Chuckling, I look out the window while Cam and Jake swap seats, wondering why it is there hasn’t been any retaliation yet. Especially on me.

Fuck. I’m never going to sleep.

“Yo, Amanda just messaged me. She said to pick the girls up from your house, D,” Logan says.

“Well, yeah. They stayed there last night didn’t they?”

“No, I mean at
your
house.”

“What are they doing there?” I ask.

Cam chuckles as he turns to me. “Mayhem, motherfucker.”

Shit.

There’s no sign
of glitter from outside the house, which I guess is a good thing. And there’s no loud
High School Musical
soundtrack blasting, either. Without the help of the boys, the girls aren’t that creative. But then again, I did fuck the boys over. Individually, too. And that causes three times the panic that’s currently flowing through me.

I stop a few feet away from the garage door leading to the yard, hoping that one of them will go through first. They don’t. In fact, they stand behind me, arms crossed, legs spread, all scowling. “It’s bad isn’t it?” I ask.

Jake rubs his eye. “Fuck yeah, it is.”

I huff out a breath, reach for the bike helmet hanging on the wall and put it on.

“That’s not going to help you in this situation,” Cameron says.

“How fucking bad is it?”

“Remember that time you tried to staple my nostrils shut? Think that. Only a thousand times worse.”

“You sweating, Banks?” Logan asks.

I puff out my chest “No.” Then I wipe the sweat off my brow.

“He’s sweating, all right,” Jake mumbles.

After a few deep breaths, I gain the courage I need to turn the knob and slowly push open the door. I walk out quickly; in case something falls from the roof. Nothing does. In fact, nothing happens at all. Or, maybe it’s because my eyes are closed.

I ball my fists and open one eye first, then the other.

There’s a sea of red, white and blue and a bunch of faceless other people who I’m sure I know but right now all I see, all I feel, is Riley standing in front of me. She’s wearing red shorts, a plane white shirt under one of my blue flannel ones. She looks just like the picture I’d carried with me everywhere when I was deployed—the one I’d pull out when I needed a reminder of the reason I was there. Her hands are clasped together in front of her and she’s smiling. “Happy homecoming, baby.”

I take the stupid helmet off and cover the distance between us. “What?”

She lets me take both her hands before shrugging. “We never got a chance to celebrate you coming home… so…” She steps to the side, revealing everyone else.

My family, hers, the girls and all their parents.

“We didn’t have much time to plan…” Riley tells me.

I switch my gaze back to her. “When did you—”

“This morning.”

I reach up, my hands on her neck and my thumb stroking her cheek. “I love you, you know that?”

She smiles. “You better, Banks.”

And then I kiss her, maybe a little too inappropriate considering Holly groans, “Gross,” and Lachlan, Lucy’s little brother shouts, “That’s yuck!” but I don’t care.

A half hour
later, I’ve greeted everyone here. Bryce, Heidi’s boyfriend, Jake’s mom, Cam’s parents, Lucy’s dad and a couple of her brothers and Logan’s dad… who can’t seem to take his eyes off Riley’s mom.

I take a seat on the lawn chair next to him. “Dr. Matthews.”

“Dylan.” He nods, his eyes still on Holly. “It’s good to have you home, Son.”

“Thank you, Sir.” I pause a beat, watching his reaction. “You see something you like?”

His eyes snap to mine. “Excuse me?”

Logan walks up, interrupting us. “He causing you any problems, Pops?” he asks, taking a seat on the other side of him.

“You want me to introduce you?” I ask, ignoring Logan.

Dr. Matthews eyes go wide and he sits up higher. “No!”

I smile.

“Introduce who?” Logan says, looking around.

“Riley’s mom.”

Logan nudges him. “Dad, you crushing on Ms. Hudson?” he says loud enough for Holly to hear. She faces us, ignoring the conversation she’s currently having with Jake’s mom. With narrowed eyes, she mouths, “Me?”

I nod and wave her over.

“Oh my God, why is she coming here?” Dr. Matthews mumbles, wiping his palms on his pants.

“Are you nervous?” Logan asks, eyeing his dad with amusement. “Holy shit, I’ve never seen you like this!”

We all stand when Holly closes the distance. “Did you say my name?” she asks me.

“Hey Holly, have you met Dr. Alan Matthews?”

She smiles and throws her hand out between them. “Doctor?”

I pat Alan’s shoulder. “Have fun, kids.”

“No!” he shouts.

Logan cackles. “Go easy on him, Ms. Hudson,” he says, and we both walk away.

Logan runs to Amanda, no doubt to spy, and I walk over to Mr. Preston, Lucy’s dad, sitting around one of the tables with a couple of his sons, Cam and Lucy. I’d planned to go see him since I got out of the cast, but never had the time. He stands when I get to him. “Good to see you, Dylan!” he says, his handshake strong and his pat on my arm even stronger.

“Thank you, Sir. You too. Thanks for coming out.”

“Ah, Lucy called this morning, told me what it was about—mentioned free food—so here I am.”

I chuckle under my breath. “So I’d been meaning to come by and have a chat with you but…”

He tilts his head. “What’s up?”

“You got any jobs going?”

His eyebrows shoot up. “You want to work construction?”

“I’ll work anywhere, Sir. My leg’s good. My shoulder’s good. I don’t have any real experience in construction but I’m good with my hands—”

“So hot,” Lucy cuts in.

“I’m right here!” Cam yells.

Lucy laughs and takes his hand, kissing it gently. “I love you the mostest, baby.”

“Shut up.”

“Anyway…” I say while Mr. Preston shakes his head at them. “I’m back now and—” I point to Riley, “—I got a girl to take care of, you know? I understand if you don’t have anything going at the moment but I’d appreciate it if you kept me in mind if anything does come up—”

“You come see me on site Monday. 7 a.m. Cameron will give you the location.”

My eyes widen. “Really?”

“Of course!”

I shake his hand again. “Thank you, Sir. This means so much.” I look over at Riley again, sitting with Dad and laughing at whatever he’s telling her.

“Did your old man play football back in the day?” Mr. Preston asks.

I nod. “High school. Wide receiver for West High.”

“I thought he looked familiar. I probably tackled him a few times.”

“Oh yeah?” I smile, looking back at him. “He probably remembers it too, Sir. He’s not the forgiving type.”

“Watch the boys,” Mr. Preston says over his shoulder. “Malvin Banks,” he says, the name rolling off his tongue. “He was a hero back in the day.”

“He’s still my hero today, Sir.”

Five minutes later, they’re recalling their high school game days like it happened yesterday.

Riley takes my hand and walks us over to Eric while Sydney unfolds a napkin and hangs it off his collar.

“What’s wrong with you?” I ask him.

He stuffs half a burger in his mouth. Sydney lifts the napkin revealing a streak of ketchup on his shirt.

Riley laughs.

“He’s such a kid,” Sydney says.

“Who’s that talking to Dad?” Eric asks, his mouth full.

“Lucy’s Dad. Apparently they played football against each other.”

Eric swallows. “Naw. Our old man’s making friends. They grow up so fast!”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Mandy—Jake’s mom—says, stopping in front of us. “I have to pick up Julie from her date—”

“I’ll pick ’em up,” Jake says, one arm around his mom’s shoulders.

“No you won’t, Jacob,” Mandy snaps. “She told me you threatened her boyfriend’s kneecaps with a baseball bat.”

Jake lifts his chin. “Did not.”
He totally did.

Mandy rolls her eyes. “Dylan, I’m sorry to bother you with this but my car’s making this noise…”

I stand. “What kind of noise?”

“This um…” Her face scrunches. “
Cluck cluck cluck.
”

Jake stifles his laugh. “How’s that go again, Ma?”

“
Cluck cluck cluck
.”

I suppress my smile. “One more time?”

“
Cluck cluck cluck
.”

I nod slowly and rock on my heels. “Well, that’s your problem, Ma’am. Your car’s a chicken.”

Mandy’s car is
an easy fix. I tell her I’ll order the parts and drop by to replace it. By the time I get back in the yard, furniture has been rearranged and there’s a cake on a table and a single chair behind it. “It’s not my birthday,” I tell Riley, coming up behind her.

She spins to me, her palms flat on my chest when she says, “There’s no celebration without a cake.”

She guides me to sit in front of what could possibly be known as the ugliest cake in the entire world. “This is um… nice,” I tell her.

She giggles. “Lucy made it. Isn’t it lovely?”

I look at Lucy and nod. “Thanks, Luce.” Then I eye Cameron.
I get it now
. His eyes widen as he returns my nod.
I fucking told you
. Lucy’s little brothers look at me, their eyes bigger than Cam’s.
Don’t fucking do it
.

“Where are the candles?” Riley asks.

“For what?”

She smiles. “Don’t you want to make a wish?”

I shrug. “I guess.”

“It’s under the tray,” Lucy tells her.

Riley lifts the tray and the next thing I know my eyes, nose and mouth are filled with cake and my ears filled with the cackling of everyone around me. I try not to curse because I know Lucy’s brothers are watching. Next to me, Riley’s laughing the loudest, and it’s probably the only reason the rage dies down as fast as it does. “I’m sorry,” she says through a giggle, wiping the cake from my eyes. I grunt, then grab her waist and pull her in for a sloppy kiss which isn’t really a kiss but just an excuse to wipe my face all over hers. She squeals. People laugh harder. And I fall deeper.

“Okay,” Amanda sings. “Here’s the real one
I
made.”

“Mine was better,” Lucy laughs.

Riley reaches into the pocket of her shirt and pulls out a bunch of candles. I don’t know how many are there but the heat they emit is enough to start making me sweat. After Riley wipes her face, and then mine, she motions to the cake. “Make your wish.”

I pull her down to my lap. “You make the wish,” I tell her, looking at everyone around me, finishing on Dad. “I got everything I need right here. I got my family.”

Riley’s eyes narrow at first, as if she’s clicked that I’ve read her letters.