He left her to it.
That didn’t mean he wasn’t hitting J&J’s later that night for a drink.
He pulled his phone out on that thought, doing it smiling.
He took the call still smiling.
“Yo, Rocky,” he greeted his sister.
“So, let me see,” she said in his ear. “Swank’s Thursday night. A freaking Bulldogs game on Friday. Frank’s four hours ago.”
He tossed his keys on the bar and started to shrug out of his jacket. “Apparently, ’burg’s buzzing.”
“‘Buzzing’ is not the word for it. They haven’t had anything this juicy since…” she trailed off, probably trying to think about when they’d had something that juicy.
But he already knew. “Since you and Tanner sorted your shit.”
“Well, really, since Dusty got shot by that kid, but that isn’t the good kind of juicy that this is,” she replied, but her voice turned hesitant when she asked, “It is, isn’t it, Merry? You and Cher, it’s the good kind of juicy, right?”
“I like her, honey,” he shared. “Like her, her kid is great. So yeah, it’s the good kind of juicy.”
She was silent a moment before she said, “I’m glad.” More hesitant when she asked, “Mia?”
“Mia’s done.”
Even though he gave her that firm, he knew she was chewing on it because she was silent again.
She broke it, saying, “I think that’s good. Cher…she’s a fighter. Mia…not so much.”
She got it.
Rocky got it better than anybody.
“Yeah,” he agreed.
“So, you bringing her over to meet your niece, say, tomorrow?”
He nearly burst out laughing. “She already knows Cecelia…and you. But I get you. Though, what I get, still gotta tell you that we had our first date two days ago, Raquel.”
She amended her question.
“So, you bringing her over to meet your niece next weekend, but you’re getting your ass over here tomorrow before CeeCee forgets what her uncle looks like?”
She wanted him to come and spend time with her daughter.
She wanted more for him to come and spend time with his sister so she could see for herself that he was edging toward happy.
He grinned. “I’ll come ’round. Catch a game. Remind that baby girl I exist.”
“That’d be good.”
“And I’ll talk to Cher. We’ve jumped in with both feet. Maybe it’d be good we take some time to get used to the waters we’re in for a while before we hit more rapids.”
“I hear that.”
And again, she got it. She and Tanner had hit so much white water, it was a wonder they weren’t crushed against the rocks.
They weren’t and Garrett was pleased as all hell they’d finally hit smooth.
“Have a feeling you’ll be meeting her and Ethan in a different way soon, though,” he told her.
“That’d make me happy.”
What would make his sister happy was knowing her brother was happy.
And he was happy. Cher putting on that dress for him. Cher giving him all she gave in the variety of ways she gave it the last two days. Seeing all she made in her son—funny like her, a smartass in a good way like her, a scrapper who doesn’t take shit just like Cherie, and loyal, so fucking loyal, it was beautiful.
Yeah.
Garrett was happy.
He just hoped he had it in him this time not to turn it to shit.
“Right, seein’ as I got plans tomorrow to spend time with my niece, I’m gonna spend some time with my girl while she’s at work,” he started. “Lettin’ you go so I can get at least fifteen minutes of some football in so I don’t start gettin’ the shakes before I get behind the wheel of a vehicle.”
“Best let you do that,” she muttered.
“Rocky?” he called.
“Yeah, Merry?”
“Love my little sister,” he said.
That got him silence again before she gave it back. “And love my big brother. See you tomorrow, Merry.”
“See you then, honey.”
They disconnected.
He’d thrown his phone on the bar and was heading toward his couch when a loud banging came at the door.
He hadn’t been home for ten minutes, but he knew from the insistent sound, not to mention the ’burg buzzing, who was standing outside on the landing.
He didn’t want to head that way, but he did because it had to happen eventually. He reckoned he might as well get that ball rolling now.
He checked the peephole and saw he was right because outside was a woman who was pissed for what Garrett considered no reason, which made him pissed, even though he knew he should keep a lock on it.
He didn’t.
He opened the door.
“What? Do you have cameras on me?” he asked, knowing that was not the way to lead, but he was angry Mia was not getting his message and he was not a big fan of her banging on his door.
He wasn’t surprised when she shoved in, taking two strides into the room before turning on him.
She threw out her hands, face full of rage. “Are you serious with this shit, Merry?”
He closed the door, using that time to pull himself together, and turned to her. “We gotta talk.”
“Yeah.” She took those two steps back to him and shoved his chest with one hand, doing it hard enough, his shoulder rocked back. “We fucking do.”
He wasn’t big on her shoving him either.
“Take a breath,” he demanded, forcing his voice to quiet just as he was forcing himself to remain calm and not lose it.