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We lift on three, each of us groaning at the weight. “Why the fuck did you make this so heavy?” Thomas grunts as we shuffle out the doorway of the shop.
“Cause, I wanted it to last,” I grit out through my clenched jaw.
“Pretty sure this thing will outlive us all with how much this weighs,” Jason says.
“That’s the point,” I groan.
We make it to the truck, lifting it in with lots of grunts and groans, but thankfully no problems. The boys are acting like they’ve never helped me move any of my commissions before. I’ve had projects way heavier, and more cumbersome than this one, but I get the feeling they are just being dramatic.
With the workstation loaded, we all pile in. I take shotgun next to Jason, and Beau and Thomas bicker about who has to sit in the middle, since Lennie’s car seat takes up one of the window spots.
“God, you two are worse than toddlers, just fucking pick a spot and sit in it,” Jason barks.
“Hey now,” Thomas tries to defend himself with no luck. Beau shoves him in the truck, claiming the window seat for himself. As soon as the door closes, Jason is backing out of the driveway.
The closer we get to Josie’s house, the more anxiety claws up my throat. What if she hates it? What if she thinks it’s stupid, or too fast? We’ve only been together a handful of months. Am I assuming things about our relationship?
“Wait,” I say. “Is this too much?”
Jason stops at a stop sign. He heaves a sigh, clearly irritated. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” I ask. Because I’m going to need more than one word to stop the panic in my mind.
“Don’t second guess this, man,” Beau calls from the back. “You’ve been head over heels for this girl since day one. Not sure why this is making you panic, but stop it. Anyone can see that she’s just as in love with you as you are with her.”
His words calm me slightly.
Jason chimes in again. “You’ve spent the last month working on this beautiful thing for her. Don’t negate your feelings, or downplay your relationship with her now. This is a stepping stone, and you can either jump to the next rock, or turn around and move backwards.”
I pause for a moment, letting his words simmer. He’s right, I know he is, I just need to get over this momentary panic, and move forward. I’m ready for my future with Josie, I just hope she is too.
“Damn, when did you get all insightful?” Thomas asks. “That was so poetic, I think you gave me a little chub.”
“Jesus,” I groan, rubbing my hand down my face. “You just had to say that, didn’t you Thomas?”
“Hey, it's not my fault I’m a hopeless romantic!” he yells.
“Fucking hell, Thomas,” Jason groans. He looks over at me. “You good?”
I nod. “Yeah. I’m good. Thanks.”
He nods back, leaving the stop sign behind us. “How did you keep her out of the workshop the whole time anyway?”
I shake my head. “It was tough. I was able to hide it the first week or two, then I think she started getting suspicious, especially when Gramps asked about the project I was working on. I told her I was making a puzzle table, and that helped for a bit, then she kept asking to see it. Eventually I had to sketch something up to show her, and now I actually want to make this puzzle table too,” I say with a resigned huff.
“A puzzle table?” Beau quirks his brows.
“Yeah it’s a thing.”
“Good thing you led her astray,” Thomas adds.
We’re pulling into the driveway when Jason’s phone rings. Mom’s caller ID pops up on the navigation screen on his dashboard, and he clicks the button on his steering wheel to answer the call.
“Hey, Mom,” he says. “How’s Lennie?”
“Jason, where are you?” Her voice is tight, shaky, and immediately puts me on edge. Something is wrong. One glance at my brothers, and I know they feel the same. Thomas leans forward in his seat, and Beau stares at the screen.
“I’m in my truck. Beau, Andrew and Thomas are with me,” he answers. “We just got to Josie’s house to unload her work station.”
