by Ember Cole
21
VANCE
“Shut up,” Greyson mutters. “They’re fucking wildflowers.”
“Dead wildflowers,” Reed points out. “Did you fold them up and put them in your pocket or something?”
In front of them, Memphis balances a tray stuffed with every kind of breakfast food imaginable—waffles, eggs, bacon, pancakes, muffins, fruit, toast, coffee…fuck, I don’t even know what all it is. And Greyson’s tray is just as full. At least the twins took the job of making Amelie breakfast seriously. They’ve been up since before dawn getting it all together.
“I didn’t see anyone else out of bed helping,” Greyson grouses.
The flowers do look sad. They boys put the small bunch of flowers in old mason jars, which might have been okay, but the stems are bent and half the petals have fallen off in the plates of food we’re about to serve the woman we want to convince to stay with us forever.
Jesus.
“Someone could have dragged their ass into town and gotten some real flowers,” Memphis grumbles, “but no. Blame the chefs.”
“Anything would be better than this fucking mess,” Reed says, picking flower petals out of the oatmeal.
It doesn’t escape me how ridiculous we all must look. Seven grown men, two trays holding more food than an army could eat in one sitting, dead flowers, and a whisper-fight outside our lover’s bedroom door.
“Shut the hell up,” I say, then knock on the door to my bedroom where I tucked an exhausted Amelie last night. The boys quiet, but the tension is real. What if she says no? What if she says yes? What if she laughs at us? This is way more important than a tray of breakfast. We’re asking her to be ours…permanently.
When Amelie doesn’t answer my knock, my heart stalls. I knock again. We’re all holding out breaths now, straining to listen for any sound coming from within.
“Shit,” Memphis says. “We’ve fucked her to death.”
I open the door and peek in. “Amelie?”
The bed is empty. I open the door all the way. We all crowd in. No Amelie.
“Are you sure this is where you left her?” Greyson asks.
“Probably went back to her own room after I got up,” I say.
“You’d think you could keep track of her for one night,” Reed says, testily. I think he’s just jealous that I had her in my bed all night. But he’ll get his chance, if this works.
We all troop two doors down the hall to Amelie’s room. We all assemble again. I knock again. And when I do, we all wait to hear her voice inviting us in.
And we’re all disappointed.
“She’s not here, either,” Tanner says. “Bathroom?”
Jackson opens the door next to hers. “Empty.” He looks around the room. “Her shoes are gone.”
Fear snakes through me. Through all of us. Has she already left us? Did we scare her off?
Memphis sets his tray on Amelie’s bed and pops a piece of bacon in his mouth. When Reed shoots him a death glare, he shrugs. “Can’t let it go to waste.”
“She’s fucking gone,” Reed says. “You and Tweedledum scared her off with your stupid games and your—”
“Hey, she likes our games,” Greyson says. “At least we’re not so goddamn grouchy. She probably got tired of your shit and ran out of here.”
My other brothers start in then, six male voices blaming each other and trying to talk over everyone else. Basically, a typical day in the Maddox house.
But this is more than a disagreement over a meal or a ball game. Or even the decision to close the tourist part of the ranch. This is about Amelie. It just doesn’t make sense. She seemed so happy. Like she wanted to be here.
Fear blossoms in my chest. Surely she didn’t go back home. I didn’t hear any cars or anything pull through to indicate she’d gotten her cousin to pick her up. Could her father have somehow gotten to her? Stolen her right from under our noses while we were dicking around with flowers and breakfast food?
Desperately, I look around the room, searching for any kind of clue. I spot a slip of paper on her dresser. I pick it up and read it. My knees go a little weak with relief. And then I smile. Our Amelie is a wonder.
“Guys,” I say. They aren’t listening. In fact, Reed is losing his shit, red-faced and about to hit someone. Memphis, I think.
“Hey!” I say louder.
No effect. Greyson and Jesse have wedged themselves between Reed and Memphis.
I roll my eyes and let out a loud whistle. That gets their attention.
I hold up the paper. “She left us a note.”
Reed stalks over, frowning. He takes the letter from me and as he reads, I can see the tension melt from his features. A small smile makes the corner of his mouth twitch.
The rest of them crowd around like a litter of puppies.
“What’s it say?” Memphis asks.
“Read it,” Tanner demands.
Reed clears his throat.
Dear boys,
The last few days have been the best of my life. I’ve been thinking a lot about my future and about how I want my life to look. Everything has always been decided for me and with so many options to consider, I’ve had a lot to think about. You gave me a place to stay. You gave me time to figure it out. And now I have. I know what I want.
I want you. All of you. I want to belong to you completely and live here on the ranch with you.
I know there will be a lot of things to work out, but I know we can do it.
I think you guys feel the same way. So since some of you are so fond of games, I’ve got one for you. If you want me in the same way I want you, all you have to do is find me. I’m somewhere on the ranch. And—oops!—I seem to be naked.
The first man to find me gets whatever he wants tonight. All night.
Love,
Amelie
P.S. No cheating! I’m looking at you, Memphis and Greyson!
My brothers are silent for a second, then all hell breaks loose. Memphis and Greyson are first out the door, tearing down the hall and thundering down the steps. Tanner, Jackson, and Jesse are hot on their heels.
“She said man, singular,” Jackson bellows after them. “This isn’t a twofer!”
I take the paper from Reed, fold it up, and put it in my shirt pocket. I have a feeling I’ll be taking it out to read every once in a while.
“She’s something,” Reed says, shaking his head.
I nod. “Full of surprises.”
“I’m glad she knocked on our door,” Reed says, touching the hairbrush and bracelet Amelie has left on her dresser. “I think she’ll be the glue that keeps this family together. We were all ready to go our separate ways.” He swallows hard. “And now—”
“And now we’re not,” I finish for him.
I clap him on the back.
“Come on. Let’s go find our woman and bring her home.”
EPILOGUE
SIX MONTHS LATER...
AMELIE
My stomach roils as I drive through the tall iron gate that sits at the entrance of Broken Creek ranch, the house that has become my home. It’s hard to believe it’s been six months since the first time I made this trip. I was nervous as hell back then, not at all sure what the Maddox brothers’ reaction would be to a strange girl knocking on their door in the middle of the night, asking one of them to take her virginity. I was a wreck, feeling like life was careening out of control, not sure what my future was going to look like and how it was all going to work out.
That’s exactly how I feel now.
I force down the sense of panic that tightens my throat and makes me even more nauseated.
It’s okay, Amelie. Everything’s going to be fine.
I hope.
The trees lining the long, winding driveway have turned from leafy green to rich reds and golds seemingly overnight. But then, I’ve been too busy to notice very much. Between online classes and courses at the local community college, I’ve been working double time to earn my college degree. T
he guys have been so supportive, helping me study, encouraging me, and making me believe I can accomplish anything I want to. It might be an unconventional arrangement, but it’s the loving, supportive family I’ve always wanted.
The sun is setting behind the old ranch house in a blaze of orange and pink, signaling that it’s almost dinnertime. The jumble of trucks and cars parked outside makes it look a little like a used car lot. Everybody is home and that’s a good thing, because we have a lot to discuss.
I pull in next to Reed’s black pickup and turn off the car. Lord, but I’m not ready for this. I sit for a moment in the driver’s seat, practicing one last time what I’m going to say to them. I don’t know how they’ll react. Will they be angry? Will there be fighting? Jealousy? Will the fragile relationship the eight of us have formed through massive amounts of communication and patience be completely wrecked?
I don’t want to go inside.
But then I see Vance, sitting in his favorite rocker on the shadowy front porch. He’s waiting for me, like he does every evening I come home late from classes.
I can’t stop the smile that blooms on my face—or in my heart—and find myself frantically grabbing my school bag and my purse, eager to kiss him and be in his arms.
He always does this to me. They all do, but with Vance, it always feels a bit more…urgent. Kind of like the night I arrived and realized I needed him, above any of the other brothers, to agree to my plan. His brothers would have taken me in regardless of whether he pulled his head out of his ass (their words, not mine), but it wouldn’t have been the same.
I dash up the steps to the porch and drop my things when he stands to welcome me home. I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his shirt.
“Hey,” he says, stroking my hair and holding me tight. “What’s wrong?”
I don’t answer, just squeeze tighter, needing to borrow some of his quiet strength.
He pulls away to look down at me, his hands firm on my shoulders. Concern creases his features, making the slight crinkles around his eyes deeper. “It’s not your father again, is it? I can call our attorney if he came anywhere near you. I’m itching to slap him with a restraining order.”
I shake my head. I know he is. They all are. Things…did not go well when Daddy found out I had no intention of coming home, let alone marrying the man he’d chosen for me. And when he found out who, exactly, I’d chosen to live with, he’d lost his mind, cutting me off financially and threatening to rip the ranch out from under the brothers’ feet.
Reed, Greyson, and Memphis had been ready to settle it with fists, but Jesse’s cooler head had prevailed, and we’d gone the legal route instead. He’d secured a lawyer the older brothers had known in high school, and Jackson and Tanner took it upon themselves to make sure the ranch’s books were air-tight. Daddy didn’t have a foot to stand on.
I’m the only one who knows Vance still drove to my childhood home and threatened my father to within an inch of his life if he dared set foot on the ranch or harassed me in any way ever again. It was personal, he told me after, and I knew it had as much to do with me as the brothers’ parents. Needless to say, Daddy and I haven’t spoken since.
“If it’s not your father, then what? School? Did you get your calculus test back?”
“No, I did fine. Got an eighty-nine.”
Vance tips my chin up so I have to meet his eyes. I see concern in their blue depths. And love. Always love. He kisses my lips gently, then pulls back. “I’m proud of you, but whatever else is going on, we’ll solve it together. All of us. Okay?”
I nod. Feeling better now. Ready to share with my guys. “Okay.”
We head into the house, Vance’s arm around me. I smell something delicious wafting from the kitchen and hear the chatter of the brothers as they prepare our meal.
“Family meeting!” Vance calls, and all the guys head into the living room. Before they can mob me like normal, I sit on the couch. Vance sits next to me, holding my hand.
Reed immediately crouches in front of me. “What happened?” he asks. He’s always been able to read my emotions—probably because of his own fluctuating emotions. “It’s not that damn calculus test, is it?”
Memphis throws the dishrag he’s holding on the floor. “Dammit! We studied for that!”
Who knew Memphis would turn out to be a math whiz, but he’s been a great tutor, a natural at higher math, just like Jackson and Vance. In fact, he’s going to start college next semester, too. The nights I spend in his bed, his cock buried deep inside me, he likes to whisper all the naughty things he plans to do to me when we finally get to sit next to each other in class.
I can’t wait.
“I told you to go over root-finding algorithms with her again,” Greyson groused. “That shit is a bitch.”
“We went over Newton’s method, like, five hundred times,” Memphis says, rolling his eyes. “She has that down.”
“Maybe I should help her study,” Jackson offers. “You get sidetracked too easily.”
“I do not! And you’re just jealous. It’s not my fault I’m better at math than you, Mr. Investment Banker.”
I can’t help but smile. They’re all so invested in my success, I have no idea who will be more excited when I graduate—me or them. “Guys, the test went fine. I got an eighty-nine.”
“See?” Memphis exclaims. “She’s got this.”
“Okay, okay,” Jackson grumbles, and drops onto the couch next to me. He takes my hand and rubs his thumb across my palm. “So why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost, then?”
I take a deep breath, reminding myself that I’ve overcome a lot. I can handle this, too, with my men at my side.
I’m holding Vance’s and Jackson’s hands, and Reed has his hands on my knees. Memphis, Greyson, Tanner, and Jesse are all still standing, looking worried. I shove down my panic and start talking.
“Well, I haven’t been feeling well lately,” I say. Reed’s grip tightens. “I thought maybe I was coming down with something. I’ve just been so tired all the time.”
“I told you we were putting too much pressure on her,” Reed says, glaring at Vance. “Eighteen credit hours is too much in one semester.”
“No, it’s fine, really,” I say, willing Reed to calm down. “School is going great, and I love my classes.”
“Then it’s your father,” he insists, getting to his feet. “I should go over there right now and—”
“Calm the hell down, Reed,” Jesse breaks in. “How about we let her finish a sentence?”
“It’s not school and it’s not Daddy,” I say. “It turns out I’m fine. Perfectly fine.”
Reed lets out a breath. I can see he is struggling for control, and if what I have to say weren’t so important, I’d help him let off some steam. A good hard fuck against the wall in the barn always makes him relax. He says it’s making up for what he so desperately wanted but couldn’t do our first time together.
I shake away the lust starting to fog my brain. “I went to the health center on campus today and talked to one of the doctors. She did a test.” I bite my lip. “I’m not sick. I’m just…pregnant.”
The final word leaves my mouth on a sob, and I immediately burst into tears. I don’t know why. All the stress and worry and pregnancy hormones, I guess.
Vance’s arm goes around me, and he gathers me to his chest.
“Oh, honey,” he says, rubbing his hand up and down my back. “Don’t cry.”
The rest of the room is silent except for my watery, hiccuping blubbering.
Finally, I pull away and look at the guys. They seem to be in shock, staring with wide eyes at my face, then at my belly, and then back at my face again.
“Did you hear me?” I ask, my voice shaky. “You’re all going to be daddies.”
Reed drops back to his knees in front of me, but Memphis is the first to break the tense silence. “Hell yes we are!” he whoops, and grabs me off of Vance’s lap, swinging me around. “I can’
t fucking wait! Think he’ll look like us or you?”
I smile through my tears at his exuberance. I can always count on Memphis to be on board with absolutely anything I want to do.
Reed shoots to his feet. “Be careful with her!” When Memphis sets me down, Reed drags me into his arms and hugs me tight. “How do you feel about this?” he asks seriously. “Are you okay with it?”
“Are you?” I return, my voice trembling. Reed is who I’d been most worried about, but now I’m terrified none of them are going to be happy. What if Memphis is the only one who thinks this is good news? I mean, I guess I could raise the baby with just him, but—
A rare grin breaks over Reed’s features, making his blue eyes sparkle. “Me? I’m thrilled,” he says. “I can’t imagine anything better than being a father to your child.” He lowers his head and kisses me tenderly, also rare for him, and I feel like I’m seeing into his heart with the way he loves my mouth.
Seeing how happy he genuinely is gives me hope. Two brothers down, five to go. I turn to the others. All of them are smiling now.
“We’re going to be fathers,” Jackson says with something like wonder.
“There’s going to be a little Amelie running around,” Tanner says with a huge smile.
“Or one of us,” Jesse points out. “God help us all.”
“We’ll keep him in line,” Greyson says, barely able to keep a straight face. Sure enough, all of the guys laugh.
Well, all of them except Vance.
I’m passed from one to the next, the guys covering me with kisses and wrapping me up in their strong, warm arms. It’s like I just told them they’ve won the lottery.
“Don’t you worry about anything,” Jesse says. “We’ll make a schedule and all take turns at diaper duty and getting up for those two a.m. feedings so you can get enough sleep for school.”
“Absolutely,” says Jackson. “You need to finish your degree.”
“I’ll paint the nursery,” Tanner offers.
“And I’ll put together the crib and toys and shit,” Memphis says.
“Babies need a lot of shit,” Greyson agrees. “I’ll help.”
The oven beeper goes off in the kitchen. “Oh, fuck. My roast!” Memphis yelps. “Get your asses back in there and help me finish dinner. We have two things to celebrate tonight!”
