LANE –

I was nervous as hell. Jace met us at the airport and was now taking us all over to his house so we could pick up my car, which meant I was finally going to introduce my daughter to Audrey. It wasn’t just my daughter though, but also the woman my daughter believes to be her mom and the boy she believes to be her brother. It was like she was about to meet my… family.

Nervous as fucking hell.

I looked in the back at their anxious, smiling faces. Braden and Kate were sitting in little booster-type seats. I hadn’t even thought about that.

“Good call on those kids’ seats. I didn’t know they needed that shit,” I said to Jace as he flipped his blinker on.

“Don’t thank me, I thought they would be too old. Audrey insisted they needed them though,” he replied, eyes on the road.

Every now and then I noticed Jace glanced at the rearview mirror, and I assumed it wasn’t to see out his back window. The trip from the airport to where we all lived was about an hour with traffic. Halfway there, Jace flipped down a little TV from the ceiling and played a movie for the kids. When they began laughing hysterically, Raegan put on a set of headphones too.

“She’s a knockout, dude,” Jace said lightly. I didn’t think that Rae could hear us up here with her headphones, but he still tried to speak only to me.

“Kate? She’s beautiful, huh? A little spitfire, too. I can’t believe how much life and energy she has thrumming through that little body.”

“I’m happy for you, man.”

I nodded my head but kept quiet. For some reason, I felt my hackles rise, and I had a feeling it was because Jace was gearing up to talk about something I wasn’t going to like.

“So…” Here we go, I thought. “I heard you call Raegan ‘babe.’ Is that like how you call Audrey ‘doll’ or is it… something more?”

“Something more,” I muttered to the window.

With a deep sigh, he continued, “You really think that’s smart? With the kids and all?”

“No.” It was the truth, but there was also the fact that I physically wouldn’t be able to stop what we had going.

“Just make sure you’re smart, man. Take care of your daughter first,” Jace whispered.

“What the hell? What do you think I’ve been doing for four damn years, Jace?” My voice began to rise and I caught Raegan’s movement behind me. I turned and saw her pulling her headphones off, her eyes growing wide. I turned, lay back against the headrest, and closed my eyes, trying to calm myself down. Jace didn’t respond and thank God he kept his mouth shut the entire rest of the drive.

We drove down their long, gravel drive, passing Jace and Jaxon’s mom’s beautiful house with its quintessential wrap-around porch. Audrey loved that porch so much that it was the only thing she asked for when she and Jace built their house further down the road.

Jace and Jaxon had been given all of their father’s land after he passed away. They each built houses out here, along with their best friend, Cole, and his wife, Quinn. This has become my family. Even Jace’s mom has taken me in as her own. I loved it out here. I loved the pond behind Jaxon and Emerson’s house. I loved the quiet and the tranquility of the country.

But right now I was feeling anything but tranquil—I was pissed. And I hated being mad at the people I loved. I was pissed at Jace for thinking that I would put anyone before Kate. He acted like I was a fifteen-year-old who was only thinking with my dick. I clenched my fists and tried to force myself to release the anger. I hated to argue with my family and tried to avoid it at all costs.

So when Jace pulled the SUV to a stop, my hand was already on the door handle. I pushed out before he had the gear in park and leaned up against my closed door. Raegan rounded the back of the car with determination and put her hands gently against my stomach.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t seem like nothing to me.” She pressed her body against mine and I looked away. “Okay…” She must have deciphered my cold mood because she pushed back, but still kept her hands on me. “I’ll let this slide right now because I think that beautiful girl barreling down the stairs is for you.”

Her last words struck me because she sounded almost uncomfortable. And when I saw Audrey sprint around the car and crash her body squarely into mine, I swore a grimace rocked Raegan’s face. But she hid it well, because in the blink of an eye, she turned and began to help Kate and Braden out of the backseat.

“You’re here!” Audrey cried into my chest. She was significantly taller than Raegan, so I didn’t have to bend over to pick her up into a bear hug.

“Hey, doll,” I said. “Missed ya.”

“I’m still so mad at you, but I missed you like crazy!” I had a feeling she would never let me live down that I hadn’t told her about Kate. We told each other everything; at least, that’s what she thought.

“I’m sorry, but we’re here now,” I consoled.

Rae shut the door and held each of the kids’ hands. I looked over Audrey’s shoulder to see that Rae had her head fully turned away from Audrey in my arms. Kate and Braden, on the other hand, were staring at us with questions in their eyes.

“Hey, guys,” I said, releasing Audrey. “This is my best friend. She’s like my sister.” I tried to over-enunciate the last word for Raegan’s sake.

“I have a sister.” Braden surprised me by being the first to speak up.

“I know! I also hear you’re an amazing brother.” Audrey took his comment in stride and I smiled. “Braden, right?” He nodded his head and smiled wide.

“And you!” Audrey gasped dramatically at Kate. “You are about the prettiest little girl I have ever seen in my life.”

Kate jumped up and down, while still clutching Raegan’s hand. “I am? Thank you!” she exclaimed loudly.

“Most definitely. You look just like your daddy.”

Kate smiled proudly up at Audrey and then turned to look at me. I opened my arms wide so she bounded forward and leapt into my hold. Audrey quickly wiped at her eyes and smiled adoringly at the both of us.

“Oh, I just love this!” she cried. Then she turned her attention to Raegan. “You must be Raegan that I’ve been hearing oh-so-much about.” I was going to kill her.

“Really?” Raegan smiled shyly.

“Oh yes! He gushes about you. I’ve been so excited to meet you,” she said, walking forward to pull Raegan in for a hug.

Raegan hesitated at first, but then I watched as she finally let the hug happen. She’d better get used to this touchy-feely bunch. “I guess I could say the same about you,” Rae replied.

“Okay!” I decided to interrupt this uncomfortable conversation. “We’ve all met now. Let’s just get the keys so we can head back to my place.”

“He’s embarrassed now,” Audrey laughed, giving Rae a wink. I groaned and attempted to pull Rae toward the car. “Oh no you don’t,” Audrey continued. “You’ve been gone for weeks, I finally get to meet your daughter and you think you’re just going to run off again?”

“I’m hardly running anywhere. I live five minutes away, doll,” I chuckled.

She gave me the look, the one that told me I wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. I sighed in defeat and pulled Raegan into my chest, because if I was going to endure an Audrey interrogation, I should at least be allowed to hold Rae in the process.



- FIFTEEN -

RAEGAN -

So Audrey was beautiful. Not like your everyday beautiful—if there was such a thing—but like she should be on the cover of some high-fashion magazine beautiful. Her legs were about as long as my entire body, so I instantly felt squatty standing next to her. I shouldn’t have worn flats today. And didn’t she just have a baby? Where was the post- pregnancy belly I thought we were all blessed with?

I still didn’t understand how she and Lane hadn’t ended up together. I had a hard time believing that they lived together for years and yet nothing had happened. How is that possible? They were both gorgeous. Gorgeous people migrated to other gorgeous people.

But speaking of gorgeous… Audrey’s husband, Jace, was out of this world. He was tall—like crazy tall. He had at least three inches on Lane, but he wasn’t built the same. I don’t think anyone was built like Lane.

I was beginning to feel inferior in comparison to all of these tall, attractive people around me. I hated that feeling and I used to roll my eyes at girls like that. I needed to straighten my spine and get over it.

Jace moved around the front of the car and grabbed Audrey around the middle. I didn’t know if it was intentional, but he moved her away from Lane by a good two feet. Audrey melted into his touch, and the smile she gave him over her shoulder should have removed all doubts about her and Lane from my head. Jace whispered into her ear and she nodded in return, smirking at him.

Just then, a large truck came flying down the dirt road and we all turned to see it approaching the house. I felt Lane pull me in tighter.

“You know I’m not upset with you, right?” I felt his words whispered against my ear.

“I didn’t do anything so you better not be mad at me,” I replied.

I smiled when I felt him chuckle behind me. “I just want to get us back to the house soon,” he continued to whisper.

“Me too.”

“You nervous about meeting my friends?” he asked.

“No,” I replied quickly. Then I backtracked. “Yes.”

The truck that pulled up near Jace’s SUV was drenched in mud. Not just little splashes here and there, but full-on covered in filth. I couldn’t say what color it actually was if I tried. The windshield was only clean where the wipers had smeared the mud away.