Wild Harts: Rockstar Shifters Box Set

by Lily Cahill

  Grace pressed her hand to her mouth to hide her shock.

  “Do you like it? It took me and Mac forever to find the right property, and it needs some work, but ….”

  Grace jumped out of the truck and through the overgrown drive. The paint was peeling, and the windows were coated in dust, but it was perfect. She could already picture sitting on the wraparound porch with coffee in the morning and wine in the evening, listening to Bret play guitar.

  Grace whirled to Bret and rushed into his waiting arms. “I love it, Bret. I love it so much.”

  Bret wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Good, because I had to pay through the nose to get the final surprise in place.”

  The front steps creaked something awful as they ascended to the front door, and that door protested being opened. But inside, the place was empty and still.

  Empty except for one object sitting in front of the living room window. Grace gasped.

  “Is that …?”

  Grace felt like she was floating as she got closer to the piano. She lovingly ran her fingers over the keys and tentatively touched one. The note rang clear and full and rich—it echoed what was in her heart.

  “I went to Texas to oversee its shipment. I thought … you can’t go back, but I can do my damnedest to bring a little bit of Texas to Montana.”

  Grace perched at the bench and rested her hands against the familiar keys. She closed her eyes, but felt Bret come to stand beside her.

  “Sing with me, Bret.”

  He did. And in that song, Grace saw a glimpse of their future.

  A month had passed since Grace had discovered the gift from Bret. Just a month, but already the farmhouse felt like home.

  Though, perhaps not right now. The property was teeming with people and food and flowers. Emily had overseen everything for the wedding, and it showed. There were vases of dusty pink flowers on every surface between the house and the barn, and waiters in crisp suits circulated with trays of food.

  White lights were strung along the porch and led out to the barn, where Emily had really outdone herself creating a rustic wonderland to serve as their church.

  Grace stood at the top of another set of stairs. Nervous again, with Mateo once again at her side. She smoothed her hands down the front of her cream dress, checking to make sure every seam was in place. At least she’d worn her cowboy boots so she felt a bit more like herself. Grace clutched a hand-tied bouquet of ranunculus in one hand and clutched at Mateo with the other.

  “Ready?” he asked. He stood up straight in his dark gray suit and looked straight ahead.

  Grace could only smile and nod. Then she and Mateo started down the stairs and toward Bret, who waited down the long walk to the barn.

  Bret’s eyes were shining, his face cracked open wide with the sort of smile that made Grace’s knees weak. With Mateo at her side, Grace walked up the aisle toward her mate. At the makeshift altar, Mac, acting as officiant, nodded toward Mateo.

  “Who gives this woman to this man?”

  Mateo cleared his throat. “I do, her brother.”

  Then seamlessly, Mateo transferred Grace’s hand to Bret’s. Grace stared into Bret’s eyes for one wonderful second, then whirled away and seized Mateo in a hug so tight she was sure they’d both break from it. Mateo laughed and made a show of extricating himself, but when he looked at his big sister, tears were welling in his eyes.

  The crowd laughed, then grew silent as Grace and Bret faced each other. Grace felt every word of her vow, every intention and hope. She delivered her sacred vows to Bret with a heart full of dreams for their future together, and he did the same.

  It all happened so quickly, yet she was able to savor every moment. Suddenly, Mac was pronouncing them husband and wife, and Bret made a flourish of dipping Grace low for their first kiss. They righted, and Grace wrapped her arms around Bret, her husband. She kissed him deeply, lingered in the promise of forever with this man.

  “I love you, Bret Hart.”

  “I love you, Grace Hart.”

  Chpater Twenty-Two

  Bret

  BRET WAS ODDLY NERVOUS.

  HE paced backstage, not being able to stop himself from peeking out toward the crowd.

  “They’re still there?” Chase asked, twirling drumsticks between his hands.

  Bret glared. “So far.”

  Drew and Jax were talking quietly in the corner, and by their body language it seemed pretty clear Jax was giving Drew advice on being a new dad. Jax clapped Drew on the shoulder, and the two men joined Chase and Bret.

  It was almost like second nature as the four brothers formed a tight circle. The deep, rumbling chant built into a roar, something primal and raw and powerful. Bret beat his chest once then stared at his family.

  “I love you, brothers,” he said, then strode onto the stage.

  The crowd erupted, a force of screams and claps and stomps that nearly blew Bret over. He slipped his guitar over his head and grinned at the crowd. They went wild.

  The applause and cheers didn’t stop for nearly a minute as Drew, Jax, and Chase strode onto the stage and took their places. Then with a swift count by Chase, they dove into their first song. The band played like this was their last night on earth, they played with all their heart.

  Bret let the music pulse through him, awaken every cell in his body in a way that only one other thing on this earth could—Grace. He glanced into the wings and found her watching him, her smile stretched wide.

  God, he’d missed this. He was meant to be on a stage, Grace too.

  But this was the end of Wild Harts, at least for now. This reunion show—or shows, Emily had talked them into adding this second night when the first sold out in mere minutes online—was the final time all four Hart brothers would be united on stage.

  After tonight, they would stop being bandmates and go back to being simply brothers. Already, they’d moved on to new things.

  Jax was writing music for other artists and had already sold two songs to major labels while Tiff was putting the finishing touches on a gallery show of her nature photography. Drew had turned his focus to leading the Western Clans and Nina was working on a follow-up novel to her debut. Chase and Emily, well, they had gone into business together. They were creating their own imprint at Epoch Records cheekily titled Ursa Major and had already signed two artists.

  Bret stood back from the mic, wiping sweat from his brow. Energy fizzed and snapped through him and seemed to connect him to every single person in the sold-out venue. Bret caught his brothers’ eyes one by one and waited for their nods. Then he leaned back in to the mic.

  “Tonight, we’re celebrating the end of Wild Harts. But we’re also starting the beginning of something new. Something that we want to share with you tonight.”

  Bret threw his arm out toward the darkened wings and almost burst with pride to see Grace stride out onto the stage and stand beside him. She winked at Bret then approached the mic.

  “Hey, y’all. I’m Grace Hart, and we’re Two Harts.”

  Then she sat down at the piano a roadie had wheeled out, and she and Bret launched into what they hoped would be their debut single. At least, that’s what their new managers Chase and Emily thought.

  By the end, the crowd was clapping and cheering, and Grace stayed on stage to lend her talent on the piano and vocals to the finals songs of the evening. The crowd roared for an encore, demanded it in their stomping feet and chanting.

  Backstage, Bret grabbed Grace and hauled her into a searing kiss.

  “I think they liked you,” he said against her lips.

  Grace smiled. “They love you. They’re willing to give me a chance. And you better believe I’m going to try my hardest.”

  Bret pulled back, then pinched Grace’s lush ass. “You were amazing out there.”

  Grace blushed prettily. “It was such a rush.”

  “Isn’t it? Besides at home with you, on stage is my favorite place to be.”

>   Chase slugged back his bottle of water, then eyed them. “If you two lovebirds are about done? I think we have an encore to get to.”

  Bret mock-saluted. “Yes, sir.”

  Chase grinned. “That’s right, I’m your superior now.”

  Bret laughed and shook his head, then followed his brothers back onto the stage, his hand wrapped around Grace’s.

  The crowd went wild. Bret and Grace stood at the front of the stage for a moment, clasping their hands together. Then they gave the crowd what it wanted—they played.

  At the end of it all, Bret, Jax, Drew, and Chase, with Grace beside them, all met at the lip of the stage and looked out over the enormous crowd. They held hands, lifted them up overhead, then bowed low.

  It was the end of Wild Harts, but it the beginning of everything else. Bret couldn’t wait.

  Thanks for reading Kings of the Fire. Continue on for exclusive bonus content only available here in the box set. Additional bonus stories for each of the novels can be found at www.lilycahill.com.

  BOX SET - EXCLUSIVE BONUS STORY

  Nina

  NINA WAS FAIRLY CERTAIN SHE had peanut butter in her hair.

  She had her cheek pressed to her shoulder to hold her cell phone while simultaneously trying to spread peanut butter onto crackers for Aurelie’s snack.

  In her ear, her editor Susan was chatting about Nina’s third novel, the draft of which had just landed in Susan’s inbox. But Nina—as excited as she was to get the manuscript to Susan—was barely listening.

  Aurelie was tugging on her pant leg asking for milk, and by the sound if it, the twins were tearing down the playroom walls with their dirty little two-year-old hands.

  Nina glanced at the clock over the stove and internally shrieked with panic. Everyone would be here in two hours, and she still had to prepare most of the food, clean up whatever unholy mess was happening in the other room, and maybe—fingers crossed—shower. Tiff usually handled a lot of the cooking, but she wasn’t here yet. And Drew was out back chopping wood for the bonfire.

  Susan went quiet, and Nina realized she’d missed a question.

  “Sorry, what?”

  “I said, I want milk, mama. Please,” Aurelie added with a hopeful smile.

  “I know, sweetie,” Nina whispered, smearing more peanut butter from her fingers onto her cheek as she shoved the phone away from her mouth. “I was talking to Miss Susan.”

  “Nina, my dear, we can talk another time. Nothing is urgent.”

  “No!” Nina closed her eyes. She’d been so excited to talk to Susan about her new novel. “No, I can—”

  There was a terrible boom … then silence.

  Nina sucked in a breath, cringing.

  Then one of the boys started screaming.

  “Gotta go, Susan,” Nina barked into the phone, then hung up and tossed it onto the table.

  Nina dashed around the kitchen table and into the playroom. It was a disaster, and in the middle of it sat Jeremiah, his mouth screwed to one side. But he wasn’t who was crying. Nina frowned, where was …?

  “Oh, Oli,” Nina said, falling to her knees at the sight of a little face staring up at her from under a pile of books. He’d apparently pulled an entire shelf of board books directly on top of him.

  His eyes were streaming with tears as he wailed, and Nina dug him out from under the books. God, the room was an absolute mess. How could two toddlers do so much damage in such a short amount of time? Part of Nina wanted to snap at them, and another part of her definitely wanted to swear in frustration. But then Aurelie—ever her gentle daughter—patted Oliver’s fuzzy dark hair and cooed at him. With tiny hands, Aurelie checked Oliver for bruises and bumps and gave him a big, wet kiss on the cheek.

  Nina sat back, still cradling Oliver in her arms, and could only watch. Her heart filled with awe as she watched Jeremiah start putting books back and Aurelie pretend to put a bandage on Oliver’s arm. Nina snuggled Oliver close and pressed a kiss to his hair. These children could melt her heart in an instant.

  But then Nina’s heart kicked over with sudden panic. Something thick and smoky wriggled into her nose. Something … burning.

  The cookies! Nina sat Oliver down and raced into the kitchen to find smoke billowing out of the stove.

  Nina groaned and leaned her hands against the counter in defeat. “Son of a b—”

  She heard the wide-planked wooden floors groan behind her, then Drew’s large, steady arms wrapped around her waist from behind, and he kissed her neck. Nina closed her eyes. He smelled of the forest, earthy and pine-tinged. It calmed Nina. It always did.

  Drew placed his hands against her stomach, where the first signs of the new baby were swelling. Nina had sworn she was done after the twins, but she and Drew made such adorable kids. And then she started missing the warm, soft cuddliness of a newborn and, well ….

  Van said she was nuts when Nina called her with the news, but Nina just smiled. Van and Amy were in the middle of in vitro to try for a second. Nina threatened to pray to the pregnancy gods they’d get pregnant with triplets if Van didn’t congratulate her immediately. The next week, a dozen cookies and a pair of earrings from Van’s new rose gold line showed up at the door.

  “What can I do to help?” Drew asked, his voice low and pressed to Nina’s ear.

  “You can toss these cookies and order pizza,” Nina said, eyeing the still-smoking oven. She laughed ruefully. Five years now in the Montana mountains, and she still missed being able to order takeout any time of the day or night. Besides Van, it was the only thing she missed about LA.

  Drew sent her upstairs with a promise to take care of everything and insisted she take her time. Nina’s mouth twisted with guilt for a second, then she pressed a quick kiss to Drew’s mouth and dashed upstairs.

  She took Drew up on his offer, enjoying a leisurely shower and slathering lotion over her entire body—a luxury these days. Outside their bedroom window, the verdant green forests marched over rolling hills and up the sides of steep mountains. There were wide open valleys down below, and rivers that shone silver in the sunlight. Nina sighed. She loved their home, the life they’d made here.

  Most of all, she loved this special week. Once a year, no matter where they were or what they were doing, the Hart brothers and their families came back for a week. Nina’s stomach jumped with anticipation—or maybe that was just the baby.

  Down in the valley, dust from an approaching car plumed up the long, gravel drive.

  Nina’s face broke into a huge smile. The Harts were coming home.

  BOX SET - EXCLUSIVE BONUS STORY

  Emily

  EMILY LEANED FORWARD BETWEEN THE front seats and grasped Chase’s forearm.

  “It’s good to be back,” she said, smiling as Drew and Nina’s lovely wood cabin perched on the hillside came into view.

  “Home,” Chase said, his voice deep. He sighed, and Emily could see the edge of his lips curve upward into smile.

  Emily squeezed his arm then sat back and lightly tickled Winnie’s chubby foot. Their daughter was just eight months old, and this was her first time coming to Montana.

  “Uncle Drew and Aunt Nina live in a house in the forest. Bigger than the trees in Central Park, Winnie,” Nina said as they drove up. “They came to meet you at Christmas, though you were just a tiny little cub then.”

  Emily smiled at her daughter. She’d always loved these weeks in Montana, but now that she and Chase had Winifred, it was more important than ever. This was her family, her blood, her clan.

  She and Chase owned property attached to the expansive Hart ranch, but they made their home in Brooklyn. Only Drew and Nina lived in Montana full time, though Bret and Grace kept their little farmhouse nearby. Last Emily had heard, though, only Mateo was living there. They’d been too busy touring and recording new albums. And Jax and Tiff, well, they never stayed anywhere too long.

  “There’s a river over there where Uncle Bret likes to fish,” Emily continued, pointing out the wind
ow. “And Aunt Tiff likes to hike in the woods with her camera.”

  Chase flicked his eyes up to Emily in the rearview mirror. “And over here in this meadow is where Uncle Jax streaked naked when he lost a bet a couple years ago, Winnie.”

  Emily giggled. “Dada’s being silly.”

  Chase eased the rental car up the gravel drive and pulled up to park right behind Grace and Bret. They were just getting out of their car, and Bret raised a hand in hello as Chase turned off the car.

  Grace came around car to where Winnie’s car seat was strapped in and made faces at the infant. She started giggling madly, and Grace pulled the door open and started unlatching her seat.

  “My wiggly Winnie!” Grace scooped Winnie up and cuddled her. “I’ve missed you!”

  “Nice to see you too, Grace,” Chase called from the trunk, where he was pulling out bags.

  Grace met Emily’s smile and rolled her eyes. “Sorry, boss.”

  Emily hopped out of the car and shouldered Winnie’s diaper bag. “Did the entertainment writer from Reverb in Seattle ask good questions?”

  Grace lifted her chin from where she’d been snuggling Winnie and nodded. “Yeah, he wasn’t nearly as big of a …,” she glanced at Winnie then mouthed the word “dick.”

  Emily laughed and nodded. Grace and Bret were one of their best-selling artists in the Ursa Major stable, so she and Chase saw them a lot. But they hadn’t been face to face with them in about two months since the duo started the western leg of their North American tour.

  “Good. I was nervous about setting an interview with Maddie. She’s a lot more nervous about that stuff than you two. But—”

  Chase popped around the trunk and grabbed Emily. “Hey,” he growled, pulling her close. He pressed a kiss to her mouth. “No business, remember.”

  “Sorry,” Emily squealed, her lips still pushed against Chase’s.

  Behind her, Grace laughed. “That’s fine. More time to snuggle my little wiggle worm,” she said, holding Winnie close.