I look at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
He rolls his eyes. “You are coming to talk to us about you dating Amanda. Right? I already filled Ryan and King in. You’ll have no problems here.”
I look at my other two brothers. Ryan smiles and shrugs his shoulders. King doesn’t smile, but he does give me a nod. I look back at Griffin. “How did you know?”
He rolls his eyes. “Please, I saw the look you gave her at the bookstore. It’s the same way I look at Hailey, King looks at Nat, and Ryan looks at Mia. You just met her and you were a goner. Plus, the fact you’ve been missing around here more than usual. I pieced it together.”
I walk up to him and put my hand on his shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”
He nods, and I walk past him to look at my oldest brother. King has become a father figure to us all, and he’s the last person I want to disappoint. “And you? You’re okay with this?”
He crosses his arms over his chest. “Does she make you happy?”
I nod. “Yes.”
He shrugs. “That’s all that matters, Chance. If you’re happy, then we’ll all be happy for you.”
I still have to know. “And you all will be nice to her?”
King scowls. “When have you ever known us to be mean to a woman? Any of us?”
I shake my head. “I know. I guess what I mean is, are you going to be able to treat her like family? Eventually, she’s going to be my wife.”
King walks toward me and stops. “Whoever you choose to marry will be a part of this family, and we’ll love and protect her like she’s always been a Bryant, Chance. I promise you that.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief. “Good, okay, she’s coming to dinner tonight. I would appreciate it if you’ll all be there. I want you to meet her.”
King answers first. “We’ll all be there.” As soon as the words leave his mouth, he looks around at our brothers and gives them the look that says You’ll do this or have to muck stalls for a month. He gave it to us all the time growing up.
Ryan and Griffin both agree. “We’ll be there.”
We start to talk about the ranch, and my mind starts to drift. That went a lot smoother than I thought it would. I can’t help but think that Amanda’s family is not going to take it so well.
Chapter 8
Amanda
My hands are wrapped tightly around the steering wheel as I pass the turnoff to my family’s ranch. Just a few miles down the road, I pull onto the driveway leading to the Double B Ranch. I’ve been a mess all day nervous about tonight. Yeah, I know I’ve met Hailey and Griffin. And I’ve seen the rest of the Bryants in town before, but I don’t think I’ve talked to them.
I park next to some trucks and take a deep breath before I get out. As soon as I start to walk toward the main house, its front door opens, and Chance comes out onto the porch. He smiles at me and comes down the steps, and I stop suddenly when the front door opens again, and out comes his brothers and their wives.
Chance keeps walking toward me, and when he gets close, he reaches out and pulls me into his arms. His lips go for mine, and I pull back, nodding my head to the porch. “We have an audience.”
He shakes his head. “I don’t care.”
When his lips descend on mine, I try to keep the kiss simple, but there’s no such thing with Chance. Like every other time, the kiss goes from sweet and innocent to a burning desire that builds in my lower belly. When he does finally pull back, he has a satisfied look on his face, and he wraps an arm around my shoulder. “You ready for this?”
I peek up at the porch, and the people are all smiling, but my nerves are still a mess. “As ready as I’m going to be.”
We get to the bottom of the steps, and as we walk up, Chance starts the introductions. “Everyone, this is Amanda. Amanda, this is King and his wife, Nat.” He ruffles the hair of a boy that looks to be about twelve years old that I recognize from the bookstore. “And this is their son, Eli.” He points at his brother Ryan. “This is Ryan and Mia, and you know Griffin and Hailey.”
I nod and smile at them all. “Hello, uh, everyone.”
The oldest brother, King, steps forward, and everyone is silent as he walks toward Chance and me. Chance’s arm tightens on my shoulders, and I don’t know if it’s to protect me or if he’s afraid I’m going to bolt. King looks at Chance, and a soft smile forms on his lips before he looks down at me. “Amanda, welcome to the Double B. And the way Chance tells it, we’ll be welcoming you to the family at some point. You ever need anything, we’re all here for you, and you are always welcome at the Bryant Ranch.”