Here With Us (The Archer Brothers)

“Hey, bud,” Evan says as he sits up, while I choose to whine that it’s too early when in fact, I’m not sure what time it is.

“Papa and Grandma are here. They’re trying to be quiet and said not to wake you, but—”

“But where’s the fun in that, right, bud?” Evan says.

“Of course!” EJ lifts his hands up as if waking us is a no-brainer.

“Fine, we’re getting up, but only if you make me some coffee,” I tell my son, who readily nods and calls Deefur to follow him. Deefur will do anything EJ asks him to do. I love their relationship but have often thought about adding another dog into the mix. Deefur is getting up there in age and often can’t keep up with EJ’s fast-paced way of life.

Evan pulls our covers to the side, leaving me no choice but to get up. Of course, with my father being here, Evan will want to visit with him. He and my dad have a special bond, one that cemented solidly after Archie died. My dad was there for Evan and Nate, by their side, as they buried their father. Men like Jensen Clarke are hard to come by, and I thank him every day for being an example to the men in my life.

Evan is up, out of bed, and dressed before I can even begin to swing my legs over the side. Lately, sudden movements have caused my stomach to spin and my head to become lightheaded. My mom says it’s the heat, and I’m not accustomed to it yet, but I’m not so sure. Sometimes I feel off and slightly paranoid, although I don’t have a reason to be. I’ve yet to say anything to Evan out of fear he’ll think someone is watching us. I don’t necessarily think that’s the case, but one can never be too sure. I’ll never forgive myself for moving us back here if someone is.

The cold hardwood floors feel good against my bare feet. Maybe my mom is correct in her thinking. It’s so much hotter here than Washington. I don’t remember the heat being so unbearable before.

I point the shower dial more toward the blue rather than red. My body shivers as I step under the spray. The cold is a welcomed relief. I tell myself I’m going to call the doctor, but the reality is, I won’t. I’m sure that whatever I feel right now is paranoia or anxiety.

By the time I’m out of the shower, dressed, and my hair and make-up are done, my house has come alive with varied voices and music. When I get downstairs, decorations in my wedding colors of purple and cream adorn every possible free space in my family room, and my mother is barking out orders to the guys. Evan walks with his hands full of white folding chairs and kisses me softly. He lingers there, waiting for my reaction. All I can do is smile at him and thread my fingers through his hair.

“Finally,” I mumble.

“Finally,” he replies.

My father and Tucker march into the room without a second glance toward me. They lift my couch seamlessly and maneuver it out of the room. If I had known my sister-in-law and best friend were planning to have my bridal shower here, I would’ve insisted this room stay sparsely decorated to avoid what’s happening now.

“Ryley,” my mother’s voice grabs my attention. She walks toward me with just a slight limp. We hug much longer than need be, considering I saw her last night, but I’ll never be over the fact that she almost lost her life because of the situation we were all put in. I’ve come to realize I’ll never have the answers I want or need for closure either.

“Mom, you didn’t have to do all of this.” I look over her shoulder just in time to see Evan lift his recliner. He heaves it over his head, causing his shirt to ride up a bit on his stomach, showing off a small sliver of his abs.

“Ryley!”

“Huh?”

My mom shakes her head, but she’s smiling. “You know I used to look at your dad like that. Sometimes I still do.”

“Ew, Mom. Just… no.” She’s laughing while I’m mentally bleaching my brain. I do not need to hear about my parents, ever.

She rolls her eyes and brushes me off. I can talk about men with my girlfriends, but not my mother. “Listen, Olivia and Lois will be here soon. Are you sure you want to stay? I could send you the store to go shopping.”

Shaking my head, I watch as Evan and Tucker come back into the room. They were close before they deployed, but they’re more like brothers since everything went down. More than Evan is with Nate. Evan’s lack of trust in Nate bothers me, but it’s not like I can sit him down and demand he forgives his brother. I see both sides of the argument and choose to stay neutral. I love Nate because he’s my best friend and was there for me when I needed someone the most. I’m madly in love with Evan but fear he doesn’t always see things this way. “No, I’m fine,” I tell my mother. “I’ll help or do whatever.”