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Two years later
“Faith! Faith!” Bates called out before I heard the heavy sound of the thudding of feet on the stairs. “Yeah, buddy?” I answered, glancing away from homework to find him huffing at my bedroom door. I took in his scrawny legs, covered with Band-Aids from his recent attempt to skateboard off a ramp, and his blinding smile. He looked happy.
He hurried over to my side, grabbing my hand. “Mom and Dad said we can go to Denny’s Pond today! Tyler and Kayden are already there, but Lincoln's here! Can I please ride in the car with you and Lincoln? I promise to buckle up,” he pleaded, his eyes anxious.
I got up and let myself be pulled out of my bedroom as curiosity won out. Tyler and Kayden had said nothing about going to Uncle Denny’s.
“Come on! It’s going to be fun! Dad is in charge of the hot dogs and Grandma Betty is bringing cake...” Bates lost me on the cake. I was totally confused over what was going on.
I stopped walking down the stairs, staying put and not moving. Bates halted and turned when he realized I wasn’t moving. “What?”
I could hear movement all around the house, but Bates currently held my attention. I raised a brow. “Cake? By any chance is this a... party?”
Bates's eyes got wide. “Uh, can I ride with you?”
My eyes narrowed. “Bates?”
He panicked, dropping my hand before sprinting the rest of the way down the stairs, yelling, “I’m the keeper of secrets! You won't break me!”
I ran after him. “Bates!”
He shot out the front door, still calling out, “Ahhh! She’s after me! She’s after me!” He ran across the street and right into the McGuire’s house. I followed, only to be stopped by Lincoln. The secret keeper had escaped.
“Hey!” His arms came around me, caging me in. His crystal eyes twinkled. “You’re going nowhere fast.”
“What?!” I huffed.
“Thanks, Lincoln!” Bates called from somewhere in their house.
I smacked Linc’s shoulder. “What is this I hear about cake?”
“Don’t freak out but... it’s a party,” Lincoln said with mock terror.
I snorted. “I knew that. For who? And why didn’t I know about it?”
“Not for you if that’s what you’re asking. We’re going out to eat.”
My brows rose. “We are?”
He gave me a quick peck. “Yes, Sweetcheeks, we are.” Then he shooed me out of his house. “Put on that dress we bought you,” he commanded.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t wear dresses, Linc. You know that.”
“Please," he added.
I huffed. “That just means I have to shave my legs.”
He laughed then leaned in and whispered, “I know damn well you don’t have any hair on your legs or anywhere else for that matter.”
I blushed, remembering the night before. “Yeah, well...”
“Go put on the dress, Faith. You know you’ll like it.” Then he shut his front door, leaving me outside pouting.
“What on earth are they up to?” I murmured, heading back to my house to look in my closet for the only dress I owned.
We were going to a restaurant, not Uncle Denny’s farm. It didn’t take me long to get changed, and before too long, we were at the restaurant. A fancy restaurant.
I glanced across the room toward Brady. His eyes shone brightly. I then looked to Sarah, who gave me a loving smile. Lastly, I looked at Bates and Sonya. They had become my whole world since I’d fought to keep them. Grandma Betty, who would do just about anything for me, was also there, along with Tucker. He appeared to be physically ill as he looked glanced over at my boys. My gaze moved across to those McGuire brothers who had won my heart. Finally I looked at Hotshot. He had been the first to win my love after so much sorrow and pain.
Standing there in that restaurant, wearing a dress in public for the first time, I realized that they were my family. They were my home. Home wasn’t a place for me to discover. It’s was where my heart was. And mine was right there with them.
The three McGuire brothers knelt. “We’ve asked you this question once before,” Tyler started, his eyes shining.
“But you asked us to wait, telling us that the next time we asked, the answer we wanted would be given,” Kayden stated grinning like a cocky bastard.
“So we ask you again to take pity on our hearts, and let us guard yours. We love you Faith Iris Daniels. Will you marry us?” He opened a small velvet box containing a stunning ring. I gasped.
“It’s Manto, you assholes!” Tucker yelled from the crowed with a grin.
The years had brought some peace between our families, but I still struggled to refrain my boys from moving menacingly towards Tucker.
“They adopted me,” I reminded them, trying to calm them down. When I knew there was no longer a chance of bloodshed, I yelled out, “YES! YES, I’ll marry you!”
People clapped and cheered as I was suddenly twirled up into Kayden’s arms and thoroughly kissed before I was passed around to the other two. Tyler was last, and in between kisses he said, “I love you. Our roots were planted right.”
I smiled. They were. From the very beginning. I leaned over to the table and raised my glass. I spoke, my voice trembling, “To new beginnings. To taking it one day at a time. All for love.”
“Here, here,” voices echoed.
I looked over lovingly at my guys when Kayden toasted, “To changing her last name!”
People laughed.
Tyler let me go and grabbed a glass as I stood next to Lincoln, “To growing roots, and a life with the Tyler Mishaps!”
I laughed.
Lincoln whispered in my ear, “To love,” then swept me away into a dance, and all I could think about was how lucky I was to have all of them.
The world was no longer my playground. I was going to be a wife, a mother someday, and grow a family. Now the world was going to be my children's playground as long as their imaginations let them. Let innocence remain and the beauty of life fill my soul.
I was finally at peace. My canvas was complete. And it was now time to start a new one.