by Piper Malone
“I’m going to be honest.” Kat focuses only on Reagan. “A life form growing in you totally freaks me out. That strangeness aside, I’m so happy for you.”
“It’s all still very new. I don’t have a doctor’s appointment for a few weeks. We aren’t telling anyone else.” Reagan points her finger at everyone in the room. “Mum’s the word.”
*
We patchwork an awkward rehash of the accident before Nick gives everyone a quick tour of the house. Nick’s leads the guys outside to the garage and barn. Kat, Reagan, and I take command of the living room, toasting by the fire.
“Who is running Reign while you guys are here?” Everyone who has a hand in daily operations is here.
“Caleb has crews coming in to update the building next week. Chloe is there to oversee the workers,” Reagan offers. “We’ve always been family first, so we needed to be here.”
“Has he been okay to you?” Kat asks as she looks over the back of the couch, out the large window. The guys have congregated in a cluster in the backyard. Her gaze moves between them, assessing. “He was nuts at the club.”
I nod, the guilt of that moment bubbling up. Nick and Blake seem good. I still need to account for Kat. Nick didn’t deserve to be in that position, and neither did Kat. Embarrassment paints my cheeks. I put both of them in a terrible situation. I asked Blake to keep our meeting secret, partially because I knew he wouldn’t let me down. No one should have ever seen Nick that out of control. I shouldn’t have put Nick in that situation in the first place. Kat’s trust in Blake could have been destroyed. Blake was destroyed. “He’s okay. We have started to talk about it. I wanted—”
“Talk talked or fights? Or between-the-sheets conversations?” Kat presses. When Reagan slaps her leg, Kat shrugs and gives me an expectant look.
“All of the above.” There is no point in hiding. We’ve been here for long enough. If we had not fallen into bed by now, I would be upset. “I wanted to apologize for everything. I didn’t know you and Blake were together.”
Kat focuses her full attention on me, assessing my words. I swear I can see the information filtering through her brain. “I appreciate the gesture, but it’s not necessary. Blake knows what his role was in that moment. I was more worried about you.” She sits back, her arms folding across her chest. “Did he get aggressive with you?”
The idea of Nick putting a hand on me in anger is almost laughable, but her question irritates me. He might be able to gut anything that moves with lightning speed, but he would never hurt me. “No.”
“Forgive her bluntness, Skyler,” Reagan interjects. “Kat is a one-woman wrecking ball when it comes to defending her gender. She’s asking out of protectiveness.”
“That’s true,” Kat chimes in. “And I would kick his ass if he hurt you. You’d hold my pretty ring while I pummeled him to the ground, right?” she says to Reagan.
“You know I would,” Reagan says before patting her lap and turning to me. “Now, let’s get to more important topics. What’s the deal? Are you two together or not?”
“He said he would try.” I look in the same direction Kat did a few minutes ago. “It’s just . . .” I nibble on my lip. “He’s so different here.”
“What do you mean by different?” Reagan asks, her entire posture leaning closer.
“I saw him smile and laugh.” The girls issue a collective gasp. “And I didn’t have a clue about the woodworking. You should see his barn. It’s like a mall for makers.”
The sound of my own voice fills the living room as I tell them about Nick’s woodworking, the events at Huffaker’s, Ronnie, and the park dedication. They ask questions, and I’m able to answer all of them. It feels good, easy. Amanda was a wonderful support, but I never felt as accepted as I do right now.
“I think Caleb was right. You officially know more about Nick than all of us. He’s been friends with Caleb for years, and there was never a whisper about his life here.” Disagreeing with Reagan would be ridiculous. I know that I’ve been granted a special privilege by staying here.
In the warmth and comfort of the living room, with Reagan and Kat, I feel myself confessing my quietest fear. “His brother is adamant about Nick staying in Rockland permanently.”
“What?” they ask in almost-perfect unison.
“His brother told me that Nick belongs here. With the—”
The front door pushes open, a gust of cold air fanning over us. “Hello?” Wyatt calls into the house just as Evan scoots past him and into the living room.
“Hey, Sky.” Evan’s warm smile intensifies as he looks over each of us, snuggled in our respective places on the couch. “Hello, ladies. I’m Evan, and this is Wyatt.”
Oh my gosh, Evan is a smooth operator.
“Holy shit! Are they running a clone factory up here?” Kat’s mouth hangs open as her gaze bounces between Evan and Wyatt.
“You think we’re bad,” Evan snickers, “you should see Adam. If it weren’t for Adam’s gray hair, he and Nico could be twins.” Evan sobers ever so slightly. “Don’t tell him I called out his gray hair. That fucker will kill me.”
“Nick’s out back with our friends, guys.” I cannot agree about Adam and Nick’s similarities. To me they are completely different men.
Wyatt points toward the backyard to Nick and the guys. “Are we having a party?” Before I can answer, he pushes on. “Great! I have lobster and salmon to grill.” He swats a hand at Evan’s chest. “I’ll see Nico and ask him what else he needs. You put a log on the fire and meet us out there.”
Evan talks more to the fireplace than us, which is fine. It’s also nice to see my friends are not immune to the sight of a rugged man tending to a fire. Kat does not disguise her appreciation of Evan’s body bending and curving against the activity.
“They seem really nice,” Reagan snickers after Evan leaves, her cheeks flushed pink.
“They are, with the exception of Adam,” I state as Reagan and Kat look at me with expectant stares. “He’s the one who wants Nick to stay. Plus he hates me.”
“Is he the asshole brother?” Kat asks without any reservation. “I have one of those. Fuck ’em all.”
“He’s not happy that I’m here. Nick has had to intervene because Adam was out of line.” I hesitate, unsure of how much I should say. “The last time he was here, Adam threw Nick’s ex in my face.”
“I can’t imagine Nick taking that well,” Reagan offers. “What did he do?”
“He threatened him with a gun that he said is hidden somewhere . . . in here.” It was weird when Nick said it. It’s worse now. The three of us share a speculative look before glancing around the living room. The fire cracks with wild abandon while we survey the space for a live firearm. “The other times, Nick wasn’t around. It was just us.”
“And you told him to pound sand?” Kat asks before passing a glance at Reagan, who clears her throat the instant Kat finishes. Kat flashes a look of disgust before schooling her face. “Politely, I’m sure. You told him to kiss your ass with all the dignity and daintiness of a virginal Southern belle, right?”
“Kat.” Reagan can’t stifle her giggle enough to make the admonishment sound sincere.
“What?” Kat raises her hands. “What should she have done? Allow a man who has no say in her life to determine her relationship?” Kat turns to me. “Do not let him mess with your head, Skyler. You worry about you and Nick and whatever it is you have going on here. Adam will figure out his damage in his own time.”
Kat flops back after her speech and announces her need for a drink. She takes our orders—tea for Reagan and a nice glass of wine for me—and immediately makes herself at home in the kitchen. For a woman who saw me naked and midscene with her now-fiancé a month ago, Kat seems to be firmly rooted in Team Skyler.
“She’s right, you know,” Reagan says softly. “Kat’s delivery is often action-packed, but she’s right.”
“About Nick or Adam? She kind of went off on everything. Is she always
that . . . passionate?”
Reagan laughs. “It’s kind of her charm. The thing you need to know about Kat is that she has a warrior’s heart. Regardless of what happened with Blake, which is not an issue, she will support you.”
“I might have told Adam he should call Nick’s ex to work out his issues.”
“She would have high-fived you,” Reagan assures me. “I would have too.”
The fireplace snaps and cracks as the flames devour the logs. The house feels warm, homey, chatter and laughter inside blending with the clinking of glasses from the kitchen. From my cozy spot on the couch, I can direct Kat to mugs, tea bags, wine, and snacks. She takes three trips back and forth, each time presenting more delicious goodies. Tucked into the living room, we delve into conversation that takes us away from the reasons all of them traveled north, away from stress and worry. For the first time in years, I experience the natural comfort of friendship.
The boundaries of our worlds—here and there—shimmer at the edges and bleed together. With every silly story, every heartfelt laugh, comes the idea that Kat and Reagan belong here. We listen to the muffled conversations filtering in from outside, the guys yelling and laughing in the backyard. Everything seems to melt together in the warm heat of the fireplace.
It feels so good, so pure. It’s easy to believe these feelings could expand beyond right now. This, sitting with girlfriends, chattering about nothing and everything. Our husbands sharing manly moments around an open fire pit after a daylong picnic.
Warmth surges into my cheeks at the quickness of the thought: our husbands. My husband, Nicholas William Harris. Deep in my chest, a glimmer of wild energy pulses, happy and free. The feeling ripples outward with fantasies of a backyard wedding and a life free from hoping that we can be, because we will be. We are.
I’ll try.
I have to try. I have to push away the worry about my body, the fears that every winter I will have to choose between losing Nick or my life in Boston. In reality, it should be an easy choice. This feels too good to let go. This is the life I have dreamed of. Nick and friends and a home that is more than a single room. If he decides to call Rockland home, I need to find a way to make it work. Caleb would give me time away from the club.
“Skyler?” Reagan’s cool voice douses the beginnings of my frantic thoughts. “Are you okay?”
“I think so. I didn’t eat much today, and the wine must have hit me.”
Reagan has a gift for subtle looks. Her eyes shift slightly, and I know she sees the lie. “You can tell us.”
Kat turns to face me. “Yeah, lay it out. What’s on your mind?”
The words form on my tongue and scorch my mind. I’m worried he only agreed to be with me because he’s faced with me and our friends from Boston. It’s clear he is connected to his brothers. I can’t live in this world of no work and living room campfires forever, but I’ve never seen him happier. I’ve never felt more secure, despite knowing that this place borders on a fantasy.
I can’t allow that worry to upset our new path. He agreed to try, and I have to believe him. I need to allow myself the freedom to love and be loved by Nicholas William Harris.
“It’s really nice having everyone here. It feels good to be surrounded by family again.”
Reagan’s smile doesn’t reach her eyes, but she doesn’t push. “To family,” she says as she raises her teacup, clinking glasses with Kat and me, “and to new beginnings.”
Chapter 28
Nick
Ax doesn’t hide his grimace as he watches Caleb haul himself up onto my tractor, keys in hand.
“Dunn, if you kill yourself, Kat is going to come after all of us.”
“Keep your lips zipped and we won’t have any problem with anything,” Caleb volleys as he slides the key into the ignition, bringing the machine to life. “I haven’t had the chance to drive anything this big since before I retired. Give a veteran the chance to drive a tank again.”
Even without the plow attached, it’s a massive relic that offers a bone-jarring ride. The gearshift is temperamental and it guzzles gas, but I have clear memories of my father and grandfather tending to the grounds with this beast, so I limp it along.
The plow lurches forward when Caleb shifts it into gear, carving a line in the snow to expose the frozen ground. I direct him around the in-ground features in the yard, then send him on a path to follow the tree line. Skyler hasn’t been outside alone since her encounter with the bear. A track around the property will give her a mile of running space.
Once the heaviest snow is removed, Blake and Ax take to the task of uncovering the in-ground fire pit. I watch them brush off the pavers, then work to remove the heavy tarp protecting the stones from the winter elements. A pang of guilt hits me when I watch them talking and laughing around the work. Sky slipped me an ibuprofen before I came out, but everything still hurts.
At the grill, Evan and Wyatt are engrossed in a conversation as they stack charcoal. Satisfied that Blake and Ax can uncover the seating around the pit, I make my way to my brothers. The first steps are tight, pained. They stop their discussion and watch me limp toward them.
“You okay, Nico?” Evan calls. “I’ve never pegged you as a supervisor.”
“Everything is screaming,” I reply. “I couldn’t get out of my own way if I tried.”
“Do you need to go in? We can help get everything ready,” Wyatt says, more to the charcoal than me. He loves an open cooking space more than I do. “It seems there’s a nurse inside who would tend to your every . . . ache.” At the final word, Evan snickers.
“Agreed,” Evan adds. “You should take some time with your friends. Skyler’s girlfriends seem nice. Introduce us to these guys”—he gestures to Blake, Ax, and Caleb—“and we’ll get everything ready. You can go inside, where it’s warmer and prettier.”
In a family that prioritizes hard work, settling in with Skyler while everyone else cleans up my house seems wrong. “I can’t do that. You guys know that.”
“Nico.” Wyatt lifts his head from his work. “You can. You have company, and we give you permission to take a rest before we call all our friends and turn your house into an epic rager.”
“It will not be a rager.” Memories of carpet replacement and Sheetrock patching pop into my mind. I had just turned twenty-one and was told it would be a “quiet get-together with friends.” The bash nearly destroyed our childhood home. Adam was an asshole for weeks after that one. “I need to help set up for a dinner with my guests, guys.”
“Well, we saw the out-of-town plates and realized people were here, so we called a few friends for a true reunion,” Evan says.
“How many is a few?”
Wyatt and Evan exchange a look that, to an untrained eye, seems innocent. Actually, it’s one full of jackass pranks and stupidity.
“Just a few people,” Wyatt begins.
“The folks who helped you in the snow. It’s only right to thank them,” Wyatt adds.
“And a couple friends from town . . .”
“The Harris family is friends with a large majority of the town,” I bite. Evan’s eyes light up as if he knew this would be my reaction.
“I can’t help that people want to see you, Nico. You are usually home a month earlier. Everyone is excited about the park, and there is only so much we can tell them. Your brothers want some time with you too.” Evan pauses for a moment. “Plus you had a nasty accident, and people just want to lay eyes on you.”
I shift my body. The muscles clenched around my ribs and spine howl in protest. “I need you guys to manage people coming here. I’m in no shape to host.”
“We know,” Wyatt says. “If you need to exit and take time, do it. There’s no shame in that.”
“Yeah, we got this, Nico.” Evan puts a heavy hand on my shoulder. “We’ve got you.”
My brothers caring so openly for me is strange. I miss their brotherly affection, but this seems different, amplified. Knowing our friends are coming here a
nd want to see me, when I’ve longed to reconnect with all of them, fills me with a rush of anticipation. I want to see them, but my worlds are about to collide.
The homegrown hunting, fishing, natural world of my childhood is about to be exposed to my private world of power exchanges and open play. Reign has soothed my appetite for kink because I haven’t found a space at home. While the distance is significant, Reign is safe from prying eyes and the gossip mill. I need my privacy, and my family doesn’t need any negative press concerning my desires. Heat creeps up my gut, my chest rattling with a heavy tempo. I need to talk to Caleb, warn him. He can help me spread the word to Blake and Ax. With the park dedication in a few weeks, I can’t risk my personal preferences being exposed because people in this town aren’t progressive.
The tractor’s engine cuts, the air oddly silent after buzzing with noise for so long. I excuse myself from my brothers, telling them I need to make sure the tractor is in one piece. I move too quickly, and a bolt of pain strikes against my spine, buckling my knees. The expletive careening from my mouth dies on my lips when my lungs seize. Catching the edge of the grill prevents me from hitting the ground.
“You need to take something, Nico,” Wyatt offers. Both of my brothers take a side. “Let’s go in and get you settled.”
Pressing against them to regain my footing, I breathe through the pulse of blood against damaged muscles. “It’s okay. Just give me a minute.” They stand beside me, propping me up like a mangled puppet. When the throbbing lessens, I set my stance. Blake and Ax are moving around the pit, exposing the wood seating. Caleb is moving from the barn to the fire pit. “I’ll see how they are doing.”
“Sure,” Evan says as he and Wyatt share a look. “Hey, Nico . . .” Evan’s tone pulls me away from my thoughts. “Look, we want to, you know . . .” He passes a glance to Wyatt, who gives him a tight nod. “We like Skyler. And we understand why you shared your time between here and there.”
The comment is an icy snowball against my face. My brothers have never commented on anyone I have dated in my entire history of relationships. I don’t know what to say.
