Free Left to Love (The Next Door Boys) by Jolene Perry Page B

an enormous green fabric hammock, easily big enough for two people, hanging between the front porch post and the house. “This is amazing.” I loved the one in the backyard, but the backyard had been taken over by the juvenile group of college girls who lived in the basement.
     
    “For you, for days when you feel like being outside.”
     
    “This is what all the banging was this morning?” I looked over my shoulder at him.
     
    “Yeah. There’s enough room out here for it, and I thought it would be fun .”
     
    He was nicely saying that he’d made me a place outside for the days when I felt terrible, but needed out of the house. “Thank you.” I turned, leaned into him and loved his arms sliding around me.
     
    “Brother Wright!” One of the young men interrupted us on the porch.
     
    “Hey, what are you guys up to?”
     
    I pulled my head off Brian’s chest to see all the young men and women standing in our front yard.
     
    “We’re here to help. We brought bags for the leaves and the girls are headed inside to do whatever needs to be done.”
     
    Brian looked down at me. “Why don’t we get you in your hammock so you’re not tempted to try and join in.”
     
    I opened my mouth to answer , but Brian scooped me off my feet and set me carefully in the center of the hammock.
     
    “I’ll be right down guys. Leigh’s mom scoured the already clean h ouse so you girls can make sure Leigh doesn’t move.” He chuckled at me as he stepped down the stairs.
     
    Brian and the boys cleared the whole yard of leaves and smoothed and raked the gravel driveway for the students who now used it. The girls, as promised, kept me on the porch, talking about school and what movies they couldn’t wait to see. The evening passed quickly.
     
    “How are you?” Josie asked. We got along so well and she’d been around so much that I forgot how young she was. That she was part of the teenage crowd.
     
    “Honestly?” I said. “It sucks. I went through all of this once and now I’m doing it again, but it stresses my mom out even more, and now I have to watch Brian and Nathan worry about me as well.” I couldn’t believe how easy it was to be honest with these girls.
     
    “Well, Brother Wright is pretty cool.” One of the other girls commented.
     
    “Yes.” I smiled. “He’s the best.”
     
    “How is it being married?” Josie asked.
     
    “Well, when you know you’ve married the right guy? It’s amazing. The greatest thing in the world. If I’d married the first guy who asked? Not so much.”
     
    They exchanged glances.
     
    “Yes, I was asked before Brian.” I smiled at them.
     
    Mom brought out what looked like gallons of hot chocolate and pretty soon all the young men and women were crammed onto our front porch.
     
    “Hey, Brother Wright?” One of the young men asked. “Where’s your guitar?”
     
    He hadn’t played in a while. I ’d missed it. We’d been so busy.
     
    “Just a minute.” He looked like he was being dragged from his chair on the porch. He emerged from inside a minute later, guitar in hand. “So, what do you want to hear?” he asked.
     
    “Something Leigh likes.” Josie smiled.
     
    Brian glanced up at me and then looked down at his guitar thinking. “Oh, right. This is easy.” I listened carefully, if it was something I was supposed to like, I really didn’t want to get it wrong.
     
    “Really?” I laughed. “Wonderwall? Is that really appropriate? This is sort of a church function.”
     
    He kept playing the intro, “You know the words, you tell me.” He wanted me to sing. I wasn’t sure. He watched m e with the warmest expression— love all over his face.
     
    I opened my mouth to sing the song and it hit me. He’d played this for me another time. I’d been dating Noah. Brian liked me. I sat next to him on the porch while he played and had no idea how he felt. I’d sung the whole thing while sitting next to him, and I’d had no idea. What a