First comes love.
Then comes marriage.
Then comes a-
Unfortunately, life is not a checklist, and there's no white picket fences and baby carriages. After a failed long and stable relationship, Arryn Rivera tries her hand at online dating and gets mo...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Rhys stood another log upright on the stump and swung the splitting maul with as much force as possible. The possibility of leaving Atlanta had weighed on him for weeks. L.A. He could take up surfing. He gritted his teeth and took another swing. Chicago. The bitter winters would be a change, but last April's business trip proved the hustle and bustle of the city was exhilarating. He brought the blade down again. With everything going on at Rolland Media and the merger, coupled with the sexual frustration he felt, he needed an outlet. Chopping wood, even though it was summer, relieved some of that. It'd been weeks since he'd broken off with Laken, and while he didn't miss her, he missed the idea of someone.
There was a lot to be said for communing with nature. No distractions other than the loud buzzing of cicadas, and the snoring of the laziest Staffordshire Terrier in Georgia. "Great life out here, huh, girl?" The dog rolled her eyes up but didn't make a move. "Guinevere, you're worthless. Why do I keep you around? Oh yeah. Good listener. Low maintenance."
It was all those things that made it hard for him to consider California or Illinois. Still, he had to keep an open mind because it might be the only way to keep his job if the company's takeover went through, and he lost his job.
By the time he finished his shower, he had heard the TV come on, and the volume blast until the walls echoed with the sound. Probably his buddies. One of them was likely already raiding his fridge and pantry for snacks. That was fine. On game day, he had an open-door policy. After pulling on a clean set of clothes, he slid his feet into a pair of sandals and headed into the living room.
Brandon relaxed on the leather sofa palming a beer in one hand and eating cashews from a can with the other. Two empty bottles sat on the coffee table in front of him.
Rhys strolled into the kitchen. "Third already? We'll be out of beer before the end of the first quarter if you keep it up."
He waved Rhys off. "I put more in your fridge. I plan to get so drunk, someone will have to drive me home."
Rhys knit his brows together. "Why? You argue with Christa?"
"We had an argument earlier. She's pregnant again."
"Congratulations."
"Don't congratulate me." He started to say something else, but the door swung open, and two other guests piled inside the living room.
Jethro eyed Brandon. "How long have you been here?"
"He's drowning his sorrows," Rhys said.
"Over what?" Devon asked.
"He's going to be a daddy again."
"Christa's pregnant? Again?"
Brandon glared at Devon. "Who else?"
"What's the problem?"
"Raleigh's barely four months. I won't get another good night's sleep for years. Christa's too damn tired for sex now. With three kids and two of them so close together, I'll be lucky to get lucky once a month. You know what she said the other night?" He held up air quotes, "Go ahead and have your way with me. Just clean me up when you're done."
