“I’m fine, really, you don’t need to keep tucking me in on the couch.”
I looked up at Ford, who had a scowl on his face.
“You know there’s no stopping him right now, right?” I said.
Ford sighed. “I guess if I’m going to be pampered, it might as well be by you two.”
“You two can pamper each other after I feed you. Just relax.”
I raised a brow at Ford, who just sighed before I spoke. “You should sit with us and cuddle. We want to cuddle.”
“As soon as I get this quiche out of the oven.” He sounded so disgruntled that both Ford and I burst out laughing.
“You know damn well that I didn’t cook this. My mom did. I hope that it doesn’t have eggshells in it.” Noah paused. “And if you tell my mother I said that, I will spank both your asses.”
“That’s really not a deterrent,” I said, laughter still evident in my voice.
Ford grinned from beside me. “You know, we could see how much trouble we can get into on the couch.”
“I swear to God if you guys start giving each other orgasms on that couch when I’m trying to make sure you are resting, I will spank your asses but not let either one of you come.”
I shut my mouth then, eyes wide, and Ford just shook his head. “We really can’t take him anywhere.”
“Okay, I think we need to let it cool for a second, and then I’ll serve it.” Noah kept mumbling to himself, and I couldn’t help but sigh as I looked at his back. He was trying so hard, and I knew he’d been damn scared. We all had.
But Noah was now becoming Mr. Domestic, something he was not very good at but at least was being cute about.
“I’m willing to bet that it is probably burned on the outside and cold on the inside,” Ford mumbled, and I put my hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh.
“We’re still going to eat it though, right?” I whispered, even though Noah was coming forward, and I knew he could hear us.
“Of course we are. Our man is cooking for us.”
“You guys are ridiculous. There are enough casseroles and other things to heat up in that fridge and freezer to last us a lifetime. If you don’t like the quiche, you can suck on it.”
“You’re really just asking for it, aren’t you?” I asked, as Ford burst out laughing.
Noah pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m still not okay with the whole being held at knife point and car accident thing. All because we didn’t realize that Matt was a psychopath.”
The humor immediately drained out of me, and I set my feet on the floor, ready to get up. But when Noah growled at me, I reached out and gripped his hand.
“It was not your fault. Nothing about this was your fault. You’re not supposed to do background checks and psychological tests on every single person you meet. That is not your job.”
“And yet some psychopath decided that if he couldn’t have you, no one could. How are we supposed to deal with that?”
“By using a punching bag, by being with each other, knowing that Matt will never have her? How about forgiving yourself even though there’s nothing to forgive.”
With my free hand I reached out and gripped Ford’s, my love for him overpowering everything except for my love for Noah. I didn’t know how I got this lucky, to find this passion and this happiness with not one but two men.
I had never asked for this, had never thought it a possibility.
In fact, I distinctly remembered the day that I had been standing at my counter and watched the two of them walk by, smiles on their faces only for each other.
And in that instant, I had told myself I would never have them, so I walked away and tried to find happiness elsewhere.
That had been a mistake of epic proportions, but now I knew better. Now I had them.
“Matt doesn’t matter. I don’t know what else he will be charged with other than arson and attempted murder, and we’ll deal with it, but he’s going to be out of the picture. And now it’s the three of us, and we’re going to figure out this whole domesticity thing.”
“Just like that, you’re not even going to think about him?” Noah asked, confusion etched on his face.
I leaned forward and cupped his cheek. “Yes. Because he’s not worth it. The fact that I hadn’t even really thought of him since we broke up tells you that. There’s something wrong with Matt, but that’s on him. Not on us. And now that the insurance and my former landlords are getting what they want, I can move on.”
“You’re not moving out, are you?” Ford blurted.
I shook my head, holding back a laugh. “I really wasn’t expecting to live with the two men that I love right away, but we did things backwards. And that’s fine. We’re going to have to have some ground rules and communication, but no, I’m not planning on moving out.”
“I would say we’re not going to let you move out, but that borders on the whole growly possessive thing.”
“It’s hot when you two do it because I realize that even though you are growly and possessive, you’ll also not force me to do anything I don’t want to do. It’s a weird dynamic where trust is involved. Imagine that.”
Ford shook his head. “So, are you going to keep your own room? Or are we going to make it a guest room again?”
I bit my lip and drew circles with my fingers on the blanket. “I like the fact that we all have separate rooms right now.” Horatio jumped on my lap, following my finger, and I slid my fingers through his fur, amazed that he was letting me pet him. Of course, as soon as I thought that, he jumped onto Ford’s lap. Ford gave me an apologetic look.
Well, at least I had the love of two men, I suppose I’d have to work on Horatio. He might love me, but he was still a little too skittish.
“I like being able to have our space, but also being able to sleep in each other’s rooms. Maybe that’ll change one day, maybe we’ll find something different. But I like being able to wake up every morning next to you two, but also know that if you two need to wake up together, or if it’s our turn for date night, we have that option.”
“You say that, but you know you’re just going to be sleeping between us most nights,” Ford said slyly.
I laughed, I couldn’t help it. “True. But the meager possessions I own are in that room, and I like having my own space since Matt took it from me.”
Noah nodded tightly, gripping my hand. “Okay, so we keep our separate spaces, but I’m never going to not want you next to me. I love you, Greer.”
I blushed, still in awe that these men loved me.
“I love you both. And yes, I’m excited about what’s to come, and I know there’s a thousand things we need to do, to plan, just to live at this point, but I am not going anywhere.”
“That’s all I really needed you to say.” Ford winced as his phone buzzed, and then he looked up at me.
“Okay, I should just warn you, we’ve held them back as long as we could.”
I looked between my men, and then down at Horatio. “What’s happening?”
“The families have arrived. They gave us three days. There’s no stopping them.”
The doorbell rang and Noah went to open it, and Montgomerys, Cages, and even Cassidys walked through the door.
My eyes filled as my brothers came forward, and plucked me off the couch to hold me tight.
Noah tried to warn them off me, saying I was too sore from the accident, but I waved him away.
“That’s it, we’re wrapping you in bubble wrap,” Heath growled.
“Oh, we can do that. We have tons of bubble wrap,” Noah’s mom replied.
Ford’s eldest brother was looking down at his arm, scowling. “And you’re sure it’s fine? You don’t need to change the bandage or anything?”
“I’m fine. I’m following doctor’s orders. I swear. Though I can’t believe you all arranged to be here at once.”
“There may be a group chat involved,” Aston said primly.
I met my brothers’ gazes, and they looked just as overwhelmed as I did.
I wasn’t used to family, not with the way my parents had raised us, but I was getting a chance now. With my brothers, and with my two men and their families.
“I guess small holidays and family dinners are a thing of the past aren’t they?” I asked, completely overwhelmed as the Montgomerys took my brothers in.
“Oh honey, you have no idea,” Noah’s mom said as she kissed my temple.
I found myself on the couch again, settled between my men as everybody moved around and helped themselves to food, ignoring the eggshells in the quiche.
I had fallen for best friends, had been tempted into the most scorching of dreams.
But as Horatio jumped into my lap again, and began to purr, I breathed a sigh of relief.
We were going to make this work. Jobs and families and decisions and homes. We would find a way to live in a future where I would never be alone again.
I had my brothers, big families, and the loves of my life.
I didn’t need anything else.
Just them.