by Rye Hart
I walked her down the stairs and out into the snow-covered grass, walking with her all the way out to the edge of the mountain just before the steel fence stopped us.
The side of the mountain we were on looked over the expanse of the entire city. I heard Kyra gasp while tears streamed down her face and her arm slipped around my waist. I draped my arm over her shoulders and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head while she took in the view.
“The sun sets over the city this way,” she said.
“That it does.”
This meant that every night, she could slip out here and watch her favorite time of day. Kyra had always been fascinated with sunsets. All the time while we were growing up, she always talked about living somewhere where she would watch the sun set over the city she lived in. She talked about how she could live in California and watch it set over the ocean or live in some big city and watch it set over the blinking lights of the busy world.
But what she didn’t expect was to find that same beautiful moment draped over the town she grew up in.
“I could watch it every night,” she said.
“And we’ll all be here, watching it with you,” Rowan said.
We turned around at the sound of his voice and Kyra held out her other arm for him. I felt my brothers gather behind us while we stood and watched the sun set over our small town. Just outside of Castle Rock, on top of a mountain that overlooked our home, we gathered around one another on Christmas night, waiting to see how the woman we loved would react to what we’d just shown her.
“We chose this house because it was perfect for all of us,” I said. “It has garage space for Ethan to work on his bikes. It’s got plenty of office space in the bedrooms for me and the rest of us to work. It’s got a furnished suite for your father and the living room is already set up for football season.”
Kyra giggled at my statement and I allowed the sound to drape over my body, along with the colors of the setting sun.
“How in the world could you guys afford all this?” she asked.
“We’ve all been successful in our own right,” I said. “Buying the house together made it wonderfully affordable.”
“Wonderfully, huh?” she asked, grinning.
“Yep,” I said. “The house is paid for in full and is ready to fill with people who love one another.”
She looked up at me with her big doe eyes and I just knew I was going to melt into the ground.
“There’s one more surprise, though,” I said.
“Seriously? What the hell could top something like this?”
Her eyes grazed over the last of the sunset but all I could do was smile.
“I promise you, it’s worth it.”
I took her hand and led her back inside with my brothers hot on my heels. Out of all the things we’d added to the house at the last minute, this was the one we were all excited about showing her. I led her through the kitchen and into the dining room, spilling into a little sitting area at the front of the house. There was a door in the corner and she looked up at me with a curious glance as I smiled.
“Go on,” I said. “Open it.”
She let go of my hand and threw the door open and I heard her gasp. She turned on the light and walked into the middle of the alcove, her hands on her cheeks while her eyes tried to take in everything she was seeing. This small room had been filled with dusty bullshit when I’d first walked through it, but the moment I saw the room, I knew it was perfect for her recording studio. I’d had Rowan hit up an electronics store in town and he’d gathered everything Kyra would need in order to start her YouTube channel.
There was a digital camera and lighting equipment. There was a drape in the back with interchanging backdrops she could use, green screen included. There was a shiny new desk with a big desktop monitor that would process high-definition videos in an instant. There was the necessary software already installed on the unit, as well as microphone equipment and a soundboard to manipulate how she sounded on video.
There was even a bright new laptop sitting off to the side that she could configure any way she wanted so she could take her YouTube channel on the road.
Kyra was visibly shaking in the middle of the room and I couldn’t help but walk over toward her and wrap her in my arms.
“What is this?” she asked.
“It’s your studio,” I said simply. “So you can start up your online channel.”
“It’s about time the world heard your voice,” Blake said.
“And you’ll be able to do it while taking care of your father,” Owen said.
Kyra jumped and threaded her arms around my neck, locking her legs around me. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, smiling and giggling as I held her close to my body.
We did it.
We actually pulled this shit off.
“How in the world am I going to thank you guys?” she asked.
“Say yes,” I said as I set her down. “Say you’ll move in with us.”
“How did all of this happen?” she asked.
“Honestly? I’d been thinking about this after that first night we all shared together. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone in this house if you were forced to choose between us. So, instead of choosing, you can have all of us. If you want.”
She let go of me and walked out of the room, venturing toward the rest of my brothers. Their eyes were glued to her, watching while she smiled at them all. I wanted to know what was running through her head. I wanted to know what she was going to say. I wanted to know if we all had a future with her or if we were going to have to live our lives without her.
“Are you all on board with this?” she asked.
I looked up at my brothers and watched all of them nod. My smile hurt my cheeks and one by one, she started throwing her arms around all of them. Never in my life had my heart been so full of joy and, soon, she came running back to me and gave me one last hug.
“So, I do have a question,” she said.
“Shoot.”
“With all of us, plus my father, there’s eight of us,” she said.
“Yeah,” I said, grinning.
“So, there’s enough rooms for all of us to sleep in?”
“Yes, you can sleep anywhere you want,” I said. “We figured you might want the room on the main floor with your father, but wherever you want to sleep is your choice. Then, if you want your own space, you have it. And if you want to sleep with one of us, you have it.”
She looked up at me and shook her head in disbelief.
“The important thing is, we’ll all be together,” Ethan said.
“You don’t need to worry about going back to the city or returning to your job,” Rowan said.
“You can stay here and take care of your father while focusin’ on what you really want to do,” Blake said.
“We’ll move you and Mark in without either of you lifting a finger,” Chance said.
“All you have to do is agree to stay,” Owen said.
We all had our eyes locked on her while Kyra took deep breaths. There were so many emotions fluttering over her face and some weren’t quite what we were expecting. Her skin was flushing and her hands were trembling and the smile fell from her face.
But before I could do anything, Blake leapt into action.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - BLAKE
I could see that Kyra was struggling. As we all gathered around her and watched her reactions, I could see how she was breaking down. I immediately stepped forward and pulled her into my arms while trying to shoo my other brothers off. This was all a bit too much for her, I could tell, and I didn’t want the overwhelming emotions she was experiencing to turn her off to the entire idea.
“What’s goin’ on, beautiful?” I asked. “Talk to me.”
“This gesture is so… it’s just so much,” she said.
I held her tighter to me, trying to relieve her of all the stress she was currently experiencing. It’s been a whirlwind of a holiday for her. Sh
e came home broken up and she had a wonderful encounter with all of us. Then her ex came flooding back into town and wanted to try and win her back for his own selfish reasons. Then we were all upset with one another and then her father had his stroke and now she was standing in a home with all of us asking her to move in.
I could easily see how she was overwhelmed with everything.
She shook in my arms and I tried to get her to settle down. I rubbed her back and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. I pressed kiss after kiss into the top of her head while I swayed her body side to side. The sun had set below the trees of the mountain, illuminating the darkness that was now surrounding the house. I felt her smile fall further and further from her face and I knew before she said the words that we were headed for a world of hurt.
“I have no idea how something like this could work,” she said.
The worried smiles on my brother’s faces dropped to stoic looks. I closed my eyes and tucked her head underneath my chin while I tried to gather my thoughts. We were stepping into very shaky territory and we were losing the battle. This Christmas gift we wanted to bestow upon the woman we loved was quickly becoming a point of contention and I was desperate to try and make it right.
“Why do you believe that?” I asked.
“Someone’s bound to get jealous,” she said as she pushed away from me. “Someone’s bound to end up in a fight.”
“I made you that promise,” Ethan said.
“And so did I,” Chance said.
“But it doesn’t matter,” she said. “You’re gonna fight anyway. You’re guys. Guys fight. They get jealous and protective of what’s theirs. It’s just what you guys are programmed to do. I’m going to end up ruining your family. I’m going to end up being the reason you guys are torn apart.”
“Kyra, none of that is goin’ to happen,” I said. “If anything, you’re what brings this family together.”
“What?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Owen said. “This is the first time we’ve ever removed ourselves from tradition. You know, since everything happened.”
The conversation got somber and I could’ve sworn I saw tears sparkling in Kyra’s eyes.
“We all need fresh starts,” Rowan said. “Every single one of us. Your father needs you to take care of him and we need you in our lives.”
“You’ve always been the glue that brought us together,” I said. “You’re our Tinkerbell and there’s a reason for that. It’s because you’re the one common thing between all of us that we can always agree on. You are the one thing that strums at our heartstrings. You are the one person we’ve been in love with for years.”
I could see Kyra shaking and I quickly drew her back into my arms.
“While we might not have admitted it to each other, each of us have loved you for years,” I said. “We didn’t just cram ourselves into our parents’ old house to be reminded of them and feel closer to them. We crammed ourselves in there to be closer to you.”
I felt her shoulders shaking with her silent tears and that was when I held her out and crooked her gaze up to meet mine.
“Kyra, when you got engaged, we were all devastated,” I said. “We fuckin’ talked about that shit for months.”
“We really did,” Owen said.
“I had to admit, I was pretty pissed,” Ethan said.
“And I couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to get a chance to be with you,” Harper said.
“We were happy for you because you were happy, but not because we were happy about your decision,” I said. “And all I’ve done since you came into town was thank my stars that we were all given another chance with you. The chance to explore this newfound territory with you.”
“We’re not wasting this opportunity,” Chance said. “Not by a longshot.”
Kyra was looking around the room at all of us, slowly trying to process the words that were pouring from my lips. My glasses were sliding down my face, but I didn’t care. I didn’t want to break my hold on Kyra’s body. I didn’t want to move from this spot until I knew she felt safe in her vulnerability again. I held onto her hand tightly while she looked around the room, her eyes closing and her chest intentionally breathing deep in an attempt to quell her shaking form.
When she turned back toward me and opened her eyes, I lowered my lips to hers for a kiss.
The moment felt like it was going to last forever. My hand slowly rose to cup her cheek while she placed my other hand on her hip. Her hands slid up my arms, puckering my skin while her lips slowly moved against mine. Her tongue teased my lips causing me to smile and I pulled her closer to me just before our tongues intertwined.
Then, I set her back down onto her feet and she panned her view across the room.
All of my brothers were standing there, smiling at her with their eyes shining bright. I could tell she was searching for any kind of jealousy. Anything that was going to signal to her that this would become a problem. She looked heavily upon Ethan and Chance before she snickered. Then she shook her head and turned back toward me.
“I’m in love with you, Kyra,” I said. “And I want you to move in with me.”
Her lip began to tremble while the sentiment echoed itself around the room.
“I’ve loved you for years, Kyra, and it would be an honor for you to move in with me,” Chance said.
“You’re the only woman for me,” Rowan said. “Let me wake up to you.”
“I’ve always loved you, even before I understood what that meant,” Harper said. “Please move in with me.”
“I’ve loved you ever since our first bike ride,” Ethan said. “And if you move in with me, you’ll never regret it.”
“I love you with everything I have,” Owen said. “Move in with me. Move in with us.”
She brought her hands to her face to stifle her giggles and I knew we’d turned it around. Whatever fears and hesitations had still been rattling around in her head, they were no longer there. Her beautiful brown eyes crinkled as her body began to bounce with joy and her luscious blonde hair cascaded around her shoulders while she danced.
“I love you all,” she said. “Oh my gosh. I love my Lost Boys so much.”
“And we love our Tinkerbell,” I said.
“I can’t believe this is happening,” she said. “I can’t believe my dream is about to come true.”
“And what dream is that?” Chance asked.
She paused and turned her body toward him, their eyes locking before she ran for his body. She sprang into his arms and I watched my brother hold her and not one spark of jealousy erupted from my gut.
Yep. This was the moment we had all been waiting for our entire lives.
It just took one night of vulnerability for all of us to see it.
“I get my happily ever after,” she said breathlessly.
Chance hugged her close before he set her back down onto her feet. She laughed and giggled and we couldn’t help but chuckle alongside her. She was filled with a joy I’d never seen in anyone else before and, soon, she was laughing so hard, tears were glistening at the corners of her eyes.
“What in the world is she laughing at?” Harper asked.
“I’m just now realizing why my father was looking at me the way he was,” she said.
“The hell does that mean?” Ethan asked.
“He was looking at me with this mixture of… of…” She was laughing so hard she couldn’t even get it out.
“Does she need some water or something?” Rowan asked.
“No, no, no. Hold on. Oh my gosh. My stomach. Oh, it hurts.”
I took her arm, led her to a chair, and helped her to sit down. She was finally able to regain her breath while she wiped the tears from her eyes and, soon, she was settling into the furniture that filled our new home. We all sat around her, waiting for her to talk with us, but instead, she simply sighed and closed her eyes.
“This was what you guys meant by ‘Christmas miracle,’” she said.
“Yep
,” Owen said.
“If you can’t already tell, I couldn’t be happier,” she said.
“Well, we questioned it there for a second,” I said.
“Could you blame me?” she asked as she eyed Ethan and Chance.
“No one can blame you one bit,” Ethan said. “But I’m glad we were able to convince you differently.”
“Things aren’t gonna be easy, Kyra,” I said. “Couples fight and get into disagreements and it’s gonna happen here. It won’t be perfect and there’ll surely be days where we wondered why the hell we’re doing this in the first place.”
“Aren’t we trying to convince her to stay?” Rowan asked, grinning.
“All I’m saying is, we’re all committed to make this work. Every single one of us. We’ll find our way, just like everyone else does. All you have to do is say yes.”
We all looked up at her while her eyes danced around us. I felt like a little boy sitting around a story time circle, anxiously waiting for the ending of the book to come. I locked my eyes onto her as a silence settled all around the house, but the moment that trademark smile of hers rolled across her face, I knew it was finally happening.
I knew our Christmas miracle was about to come to fruition.
“Yes,” she said. “I would love to move in with you guys.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR - KYRA
I simply couldn’t believe my luck. I was sitting in this chair with six beautifully rugged men sitting around me and all I could think about was the decision I’d just made. It was honestly everything I’d ever wanted. From that first night I spent with them, all the way up until now, I’d been fighting this feeling deep inside me. This fear that I was asking for way too much. I sighed and closed my eyes, allowing the gravity of what I had just decided to flutter over my body.
The pieces from my day were slowly sinking into place.
That was why the boys wanted me to go get the coffee. They’d asked my father for his permission. That was why his eyes had been sparkling at me all day. Because he knew what they were about to show me. That meant my father approved of the step I was taking with my life and I simply couldn’t believe it.