Rock Bottom (Dawson Family 6)

“Oh, well, duh,” Scarlet laughs. “Though now that I’m happily married with a couple of kids, I’m considering letting myself go.”

“Please.” Danielle gives Scarlet an endearing look. “You couldn’t let yourself go if you tried.”

“That is true,” Weston tells her, setting his glass down and taking her in his arms. “You’ve been hitting the Oreos pretty hard and you haven’t gained a single pound.”

“True,” Scarlet laughs, and then rounds on me. “So you like Rory? Like really like her?”

I hold up my hands. “We’re taking things slow, but yeah. I do. She’s…she’s everything,” I say, unable to control the words coming out of my mouth.

“And we like her,” Weston adds. “I know what it’s like to be married to a…a…”

“Cunt?” Danielle supplies. “I was there the day she tried to kidnap Jackson, remember?”

“I’m forever grateful you acted as fast as you did,” Weston tells her, brows pushing together. My older brother has been a no-nonsense kind of guy since the day he was born. He’s always serious, doesn’t get excited easily, and is the first to bring down your buzz.

But he has no shame in showing his emotions when it comes to the ones he loves. If anyone in my family understands what it’s like to have your world crumble around your feet, it’s Wes.

The stakes were higher with him. His wife left when they had a newborn. Daisy leaving hurt Jackson as well as Weston, and here he is, happily married with another kid.

Could I have that too?

Fuck, I want it. And if anyone can be my happily ever after, it’s Rory Harris.

The garage door opens again, and Charlie comes in, followed by Owen with Olivia in his arms. She starts crying when the dogs rush her, and Owen rolls his eyes.

“She’s still scared of the dogs?” Logan asks, jumping up to pull them back.

“What happened with the dogs?” I ask.

“They knocked her over,” Charlie says, bending down to pet Rufus, the biggest of the bunch. “So now she thinks all dogs are out to eat her.”

“But not Dex,” Logan interjects. “She loves him.”

“She thinks he’s a big stuffed animal,” Charlie says with a smile, taking off her coat. “I’m not positive she’s aware he’s an actual dog.”

“He’s a good dog,” Logan agrees, talking about his German Shepherd. “Some creep came to the door yesterday when Dani was home alone with the kids. Dex scared him off.”

“Why didn’t you call me?” Wes asks, going into sheriff mode.

Danielle waves her hand in the air. “It was just some guy going door-to-door selling things.”

“You live in the middle of nowhere,” Archer counters. “More so than we do. Though as long as he wasn’t selling cats, I’d be okay with it.”

Everyone laughs and I look through the kitchen into the living room at Rory. She’s sitting next to Quinn, phone in her hand. Owen comes up next to me and follows my gaze.

“That’s your new flavor of the week?”

“She’s more than—” I cut off, looking at the name tag on his shirt, which reads Hello! My name is: Owen, the good-looking one. “Seriously?”

“I told you to take that off!” Charlie tries to pull the name tag off Owen, but he moves Olivia, using their daughter like a shield.

“I’m trying to make things easy for the newbie.”

“She’s not going to have any trouble separating you two.” Charlie rolls her eyes, trying hard not to smile. “Though I will apologize on his behalf,” she tells me.

“She has three older brothers. I think she can handle us.” I can feel everyone’s expectant gazes on me. “We’re taking things slow,” I remind them. “Go easy on her, okay?”

“Okay,” they say collectively. The timer on the oven goes off, and Danielle goes around us to check on the food. A few seconds later, Mom comes rushing up the basement stairs.

“You’re all here!” she says, giving me a hug. “Did you bring Rory?”

“Yeah,” I tell her. “She in the living room with Quinn.”

Mom’s eyes brighten, and I know she’s thinking about how Kara never put in the effort to befriend Quinn even though my sister tried. “Bring her in here! I want to meet the woman who’s captured your heart.”

“Mom,” I press. “It’s not like that, okay? We’re just dating. It’s not serious.” The words feel like a lie the second they leave my lips, but I have to keep it at this.

Nothing serious.

We’re taking things slow, and I like the direction they’re heading.

“I’ll get her.”

Mom waves her hand in the air. “Wait until dinner. I need to warm up the breadsticks. Why don’t you go downstairs and help your father with the grandkids?”

“Sure,” I say and go to the finished basement, spending the next ten minutes getting the kids to go potty and wash their hands. Finally, we get them all upstairs and seated at the kid table, and Rory holds Henry for Danielle as she fills her plate.