Fearless (The Willowdale Village Collection #2)

14. Lena Graves

CHAPTER 14

LENA GRAVES

S omething about this Thursday felt far different than any other— and I knew why .

It was partly because I felt behind at the bakery, which was something I had never let fall by the wayside. I baked even when I didn’t need to, but recently my time had been more occupied than usual. I’d managed to bake this morning, waking up at dawn to do so, but I still hadn’t opened for the day. My brothers had asked me to meet them at the old ballet studio, so I’d open after that.

But that wasn’t the true reason today felt different. No, it was because the truth between me and my four men was out there—there was no ignoring it. Not that I would want to, especially since I’d woken up to such sweet messages from all of them.

Nervous butterflies took residence in my stomach, and as I drove to meet my brothers and Colette, I couldn’t help but look behind me at the two patrol cars that followed. I had no idea why they wanted me to drive separately, but they’d made it clear we had plans afterward.

I’d known these men for what felt like forever, but somehow they managed to make me nervous—especially about the unknown. It wasn’t a bad feeling, but it was exhilarating and a bit scary. It didn’t help that my entire body felt off, my muscles aching and my skin hot. It seemed partly due to my magic but partly due to something else, my stomach queasy.

Trying to put it aside, I pulled up to the old ballet studio and took out the key that Luca had asked me grab from his office. I had a feeling what my brothers were up to, especially considering the brand new sign in the window, but I didn’t have confirmation. Colette had been a ballet dancer most of her life and had confided that she wanted to eventually open her own studio. If I freakin’ found out that they had bought her the old studio, I was going to be thrilled.

We would be two best friends who each owned small businesses—which was absolutely badass.

As I pulled up to the curb, I hopped out and immediately went over to the patrol cars that pulled up. Offering Liam a curious look, I asked, “Where are we headed after this?”

“Want to show you something,” he said quietly.

I looked at Ari. “You have to give me more than that.”

“I’ll tell you, gorgeous,” Connery called out from the second car, and I rewarded him with a winning smile.

“No he won’t,” Liam countered. “I promise it's a good thing.”

“Has to do with us moving in together,” Ari relented. Liam shot him a look.

My eyes widened as I heard the sound of an approaching fourth car. Nodding, trying to keep my expression even, I bit down on my lip to restrain a squeal of excitement. Living together—moving in together. Taking a shaking breath, I put my hands in my pockets and grabbed Luca’s key, going to stand by the studio entrance.

I was doing my best to ignore the patrol cars as I watched my brothers and Colette get out of their vehicle, waving at my friend.

“Morning!” Colette chimed in my head. I pulled her into a hug as I tossed the key toward my brothers over her shoulder.

“Morning!” I squeezed her into a tight hug. “Hey, thank you for yesterday. I really needed someone to talk to, so thank you for being there.” Even if I had gotten kidnapped by Liam right after.

“Never a problem.” Colette pulled back and looked toward the dance studio. “Any idea what this is about?”

I shook my head with a shrug as she looked toward the studio with veiled hope and excitement. Yeah, they had totally bought it for her.

“I’m sure it's a good thing,” I promised her, urging her to follow my brothers inside. Once they’d disappeared through the door, I walked back to the patrol cars, where Connery and Macon were talking to Ari and Liam.

“Where now?” I asked curiously.

“Just follow us,” Connery said, smoothing a hand up my back. “You could drive with us, but we might have to go on patrol and we aren’t sure how long we will be at the property.”

“I’ll drive.” I leaned into him. “How far is it?”

“Near my place,” Liam said.

They all seemed excited, but I didn’t think I’d get any more information out of them. So I practically skipped to my car, wishing I’d asked one of them to ride with me. But then I probably would’ve spent the entire time asking them questions instead of looking at the scenery, which meant I would’ve missed how beautiful it was.

We drove east of the central village, the road thick with forested pines and a river that meandered alongside the road. The pavement quickly turned to dirt as we passed a familiar house.

While I’d only been on Liam’s property twice, I knew he owned a substantial amount of land and lived in a quaint, cozy farmhouse. It was what I expected out of this area of Willowdale. Which was why I was shocked to find something so much larger than that a few miles past his house.

I followed their patrol cars to a gate set into a low stone wall topped with planters, behind which sat a massive estate. The gate opened slowly, revealing a stone driveway that looped up toward the house and back down the opposite side of the sprawling lawn like a horseshoe.

The house was a true spectacle though.

Three stories tall, it had a bright blue roof and white stone walls. It had a quaint appeal, rocking chairs grouped on the wrap-around porch, but the size made it grand. A wreath of spring flowers hung from the glass paneled front door, the molding painted bright blue to match the roof, and it made me wonder who lived here. Whoever it was had impeccable taste.

I parked at the bend of the ‘U’ behind Liam and Ari, at the front of the house. When I opened my door, Connery met me and took my hand, leading me to the front door. Through the glass I could see that the interior was empty. Untouched.

“Is it for sale?” I asked, all of them watching my reaction with curiosity. I tried to keep fairly neutral but it was almost impossible, the urge to go inside and explore almost overwhelming.

“Private sale. Construction was only recently completed,” Liam explained.

“On nearly ten acres, half of it mountainous,” Connery added.

“Can we look inside? It's beautiful.”

Macon took out the key, the door opening onto a gorgeous two-story foyer. The style of the house was soft and feminine, but neutral in coloring. The molding and light fixtures reminded me of one of those french country decor magazines, and the light wood flooring practically gleamed under the chandelier.

Moving into the brightly painted kitchen, the bottom cabinets a soft yellow and tops a cream shade, I found my smile growing. There was so much light in the space, and everything seemed almost custom designed to my specific tastes. Despite its massive size, it seemed to have so much warmth to it.

“How many bedrooms?” I asked as we made our way into the back of the house where a large den sat, a two-story fireplace against the far wall. My eyes were immediately pulled to the back yard through a massive set of floor-to-ceiling windows.

“Eight,” Ari said as I took in the huge piece of land that stretched behind the house, all the way to the forest edge. Snow-covered mountain peaks rose in the distance.

“I love this place.” I turned to them with a hesitant smile on my face. “I’m sure there will be a ton of offers on it, but if you guys are serious and you really want to?—”

“Live together forever? Yes, we do.” Macon flashed a knowing smile, making me blush.

“Right.” I sighed happily. “Maybe we could at least get some of the details. I’m sure it's expensive, but?—”

“Let us handle figuring that out.” Liam wrapped an arm around me and kissed the top of my head. “If you love it, that's all that matters.”

“I love it,” I breathed out. “It's literally perfect.”

“You should check out the rest of it, just to make sure.” Connery winked.

I had no doubt that I would love it as much as I loved them.

T o say this afternoon had been perfect would be an understatement. After checking out my dream home, the boys promising to contact the seller, they had helped me in the bakery all afternoon, Macon taking the afternoon patrol shift.

We had been fairly busy, and everyone who came in seemed unsurprised to see them—but several didn’t let the chance to make teasing comments pass them by. I accepted them gladly, not bothering to be coy about it. There was no hiding the affection these men held for me.

When we were officially sold out for the day, we closed shop, Liam informing me that he was switching out with Macon, who would be here soon.

“Keep me updated,” I insisted. “I want to know what the seller says. And be careful when you’re out tonight.” Liam smiled and pulled me close, laying a kiss on my lips.

“I will,” he promised, glancing to Ari and Connery. “I’ll call you two if I need help.”

“Sounds good,” Ari said while checking the casserole we had in the oven.

“I’m so ready to just relax and watch TV,” I said as Liam left, sitting next to Connery on the couch and melting into his side. I had just showered and my hair was damp, but I was dressed in oversized comfy clothes so I had absolutely no trouble imagining just closing my eyes and knocking out.

When Macon appeared a few minutes later, right in time for dinner, he went straight to the shower after taking my mouth in a deep kiss. The scene was so entirely domestic, and I absolutely loved it. I also found myself imagining these exact types of moments every single day. Would I be so lucky as to get that? It seemed so—which was insane.

It wasn’t until after dinner when we were all watching television that the door opened to reveal Colette and Hunter. I winced, realizing that this was probably one of the first times my brother would have to come to terms with the fact that I had mates—especially since we were all laid out on the couch in front of the television together.

“Ah crap,” I mumbled, not knowing how I would explain this.

“Really?” Hunter asked as I moved to sit up. He offered me a dry look before moving his gaze to the three men, none of whom seemed bothered in the least.

I shrugged, my cheeks heating as if I’d been caught doing something bad, before I hopped off the couch. Colette nodded toward her room, and I happily followed. My brother was totally going to say something to them, and I had no intention of being part of that.

“You’re moving out?” I asked, my lip dipping as she began to pack up her things.

She stopped, nodding before reaching over to squeeze my hand. “But I won’t be that far. Plus, it sounds like you’ll have a few visitors?”

I shrugged, trying to downplay it. I wanted to tell her everything, but now wasn’t the time. “Yeah, they’re alright.”

“Baby!” Ari’s voice echoed from the other room. “You gotta give us more credit than that!”

I totally did, but I suddenly felt shy. I’d never openly talked about my potential mates or relationship to anyone before. I wasn’t ashamed in the least, but I didn’t want to say the wrong thing—or misinterpret the seriousness of our relationship. Which was ridiculous considering all the conversations we’d had, but I was still unsure on how to define what we were.

It would be easier once we moved in together…or maybe I needed to stop being such a wimp about this. I knew exactly what this was; I just was nervous to fully accept it.

Helping Colette pack up, I saw her brow furrow as she looked over everything she owned. She fixed me with a look, something seeming to occur to her. “I don’t have a lot of money left, but I have some. Do you want to go shopping tomorrow? I’m going to need something other than your brothers’ oversized stuff.”

“I like you wearing my shit!” Hunter called out. Colette scowled, making me laugh.

I loved the idea, especially since I had so much to catch her up on. “Noon?”

She nodded, putting her bag over her shoulder and grabbing her charger. When we walked back into the living room, I found my brother glaring at my men, who didn’t seem too bothered. I sighed and deflated on the couch, waving to both of them as Colette nearly pulled my brother from the house.

“So, how was it?” I teased.

“He just warned us to treat you right. It could have been worse,” Ari admitted.

“It could’ve been,” Connery agreed. “But he literally has a mate that he shares with his brothers—it's not like he can say shit.”

“Don’t worry, bunny, we have it handled.” Macon tightened his arm around me, skimming his lips over my shoulder. “Besides, your brother doesn’t scare us.”

They would absolutely be the only ones that felt that way. I loved it though. I wanted the men I was with to fight for our love, no matter what. Plus, I knew that at the heart of it, my brothers wanted me to be happy—even if they were a bit overprotective.

When Ari’s phone rang, he let out a groan. After a few quick words, he announced, “Connery, we’ve got to go—Liam needs us.”

“Sounds like it's just you and me,” Macon said, biting down on my ear. My entire body lit up under his touch.

Why did I have a feeling this was a terribly wonderful idea?