Fighting for Us (Bailey Brothers, #2)

by Claire Kingsley

She shifted so she was facing me and pulled her sunglasses down her nose to peer over the top of them. “Take it off. Just for tonight.”

I just don't understand why Cara would say this to Grace. It's been 7 years since Asher went to prison - and Cara has known Grace all that time. So why would she think that this is the right thing to say when there's only one more year before Asher gets released (as far as they know at this point)

“Sometimes what we need is a place to fall apart. A place where we know our pieces will be safe while we work on putting them back together.” She patted my leg. “You’re safe here, Bear.”

I wasn’t the Asher Bailey who’d kissed her outside the abandoned house. I wasn’t the man who’d given her that ring. I wasn’t even the guy who’d stood in a courtroom while a judge handed down a sentence of eight years for manslaughter. He was gone. I was the wreckage that was left.

I shrugged. “Because Cooper. You kind of have to meet him to understand.”

Because Cooper. Great line.

We hadn’t said our vows—hadn’t declared in front of family and friends that we’d be true in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad. But I’d kept those vows anyway, and I didn’t regret a single second of it. Because this was love. Messy, imperfect, painful love. And I wasn’t giving up without a fight.

For a second, I could almost believe this was before. That I was still just a kid who’d fallen in love with the girl next door. It fucking sucked that I wasn’t him anymore.

“Maybe that’s not how love works. Nobody’s keeping score. I love you because I do. Because of who you were, and who you are now. Because something deep inside me is connected to something deep inside you. And whatever that is, I think it’s worth fighting for.”

grabbed a shirt out of my lap wipe up the blood,

grabbed a shirt out of my lap TO wipe up the blood

“By the way, any of us would have done the same thing if it had been our girl. It sucks you had to get locked up for it.”

This might have been my first clue that Josiah would be the first Haven brother to get a book of his own.

Holding my arm out, I beckoned him closer. “Come here, kiddo. Baileys always hug it out.” I expected him to give me a quick side hug, but he wrapped his arms around my waist. I squeezed him and let go. He gave me one more smile, then ran off to find Jack.

If I asked you to describe a tree, what would you say?”

“A tree looks awfully different from above than it does from the ground. But even though his description might sound nothing like yours, neither of you would be wrong.”

Imagine what life would be like if your love for each other was bigger than anything else. What would you do? Because I can assure you that it is. You just have to open your eyes and see it.”

“What are you doing here?” I couldn’t believe he’d come back to this place willingly. He cast a quick glance at the watchtower, like it made him nervous. “It’s a do-over.”