Page 72 of Along Comes Trouble

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COLTON

I can’t takemy eyes off Tessa. This radiant woman is going to be my wife. She’s stunning. She’s delicious. She’s not wearing any underwear and the slightest breeze has the potential to share that news with the hoard of people gathered here to celebrate our love. My attention is locked on her, which is probably why David scares me to death when he drops into a seat beside me .

“Shit man!” David jerks back when I jump in my chair .

Gin and tonic sloshes over the edge of my glass and dribbles into my lap. “You scared the shit out of me !”

“Out of you?” David flicks champagne off his fingers and laughs. “Dude, my heart stopped when you jumped like that. Next time I’ll make sure to announce myself .”

I dab at my lap with a cloth napkin and take one last glance toward my soon-to-be wife. “Having a good time ?”

David nods, following my gaze with a knowing smile. Underneath the ebb and flow of conversation, the gentle rush of waves catches my attention. I glance out at the moon, hanging low and full in the sky, spilling ripples of silver light on the water .

“Listen.” David clears his throat and rests his champagne flute on the table. “I wanted to talk to you about something so you have time to mull it over and talk to Tessa while you’re on your honeymoon .”

I narrow my eyes, bob my head, and lean forward. “What’s up, man ?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about how fucked up it is that I got the farm .”

I sit back. “It’s not your fault, you know? Don’t give it another thought.” This is not the conversation I want to have right now. David deserves a chance to clear his conscious, but not on the night before my wedding .

“I have an idea, Colton.” David licks his lips and stares out over the water. “The way our family works is wrong. I keep looking at Claire and Thomas and thinking about me and you and Sarah, which makes me wonder how many generations of siblings have suffered through similar rifts.” He turns his gaze to me. “It’s wrong. This whole family is set up wrong .”

“Yeah, but…” I wave the statement away. “What can you do, you know?” I shrug and take a drink .

“That’s just the thing. I have an idea. You know the land adjacent to the farm ?”

“Right behind my trailer ?”

David nods and smiles. His eyes light up. “I think we should buy it. It’s time for us to expand.” He’s talking fast. His words driven by excitement. “I’ve always wondered why the sign says Carmichael Farms when there’s only one farm. Let’s solve that problem, man. Let’s buy the land, expand the farm. Now there’s more room for every Carmichael kid to find a place, stay if they want to stay, go if they want to go. No one ever has to feel like you or Sarah again .”

I mull David’s proposition over, excitement sparking in my own stomach even as logic tries to extinguish the flame. “It’s a nice idea, but think about it. Mom and Dad had three kids. You have two. What if I have kids? Our family grows exponentially, not linearly. How will buying another plot of land solve for that ?”

David leans forward. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know. But don’t discount the idea yet. Think about it. There’s a way for this to work. And maybe it’s not perfect, but it’s the start to a solution.” He stares at me, his eyes wild with inspiration .

Despite my reservations, the seed of an idea glimmers to life. It’s too big to make sense of yet, but it runs through my mind like a streaker darting across the field on Sunday night football, gleeful and desperate for attention. David sees the look on my face and smiles. “Just think about it, Colton. Talk to Tessa. When you get home, we can all talk about it some more. Maybe even get Sarah involved .”

“Sarah’s not a farmer .”

“But she’s a Carmichael. And that means something.” David drops a hand on my shoulder, and then stands. “Think about it. It’s a good idea. Not perfect, yet, but we can make it work .”

I nod. “Yeah. There’s something there, for sure .”

My brother smiles at me and I watch as he crosses the dance floor to his wife and children and sweeps them into his arms. My gaze goes to Tessa. She’s with Liam and Bailey, cradling their newborn daughter, Michaela. As if she can feel my eyes on her, she looks up, catches me staring, and smiles .

Hope burns through me. In the past, I’ve called that traitorous emotion a cruel mistress, a stuck-up bitch, a slap to the face. Staring at the woman I love more than life, I realize I was wrong .

Hope isn’t cruel .

It’s everything .