Chapter 37
JAYDEN
The cabin smells delicious. The scent of rosewater and honey roasted nuts takes me straight back to my childhood and long visits from Bibi during the summer. She’d pool me around hockey camps and training.
Nobody would mess with me when she was around because she was different from all the hockey grandmas with her darker skin and headscarf. She’d give people one hard look, and they would back off. At the same time, she could give them a smile, and they would be enamored by her.
“Mmm… What’s the smell?” Finley inhales as we toe off our boots.
“That’s Bibi’s nougat. It’s like the best fucking thing ever,” I say, grabbing her hand and hustling down the hall.
Presents are stacked high against the wall, waiting to be put under the tree, and there is a distinct sound of kids going feral in the house.
“For God’s sake,” I mutter, tripping over a minefield of shoes as I guide Finley and Eli toward the kitchen.
“Wait.” Eli pauses at the sudden eruption ahead. “Who’s actually here?”
“Bibi, my uncle, and his family.”
“Sounds like a lot of people.” Finley peeks in, then darts back into Eli and me.
“Seven of them are kids, so they’re only half-people, which means it’s more like only seven and a half more people,” I try to diffuse some of Finley’s worries.
This is why I took them to the Christmas market this morning. I was hoping that by the time we came back, the chaos would have subsided, and it wouldn’t send them running for the mountains.
“And there’s more coming tomorrow?” she asks, eyes wide, bouncing between Eli and me.
“Yeah, The Sire’s parents are coming, and his sisters with their families. They stay at an Airbnb further up the mountain with my Dad’s parents. He’s an only child like Momma, so it’s just them,” I shrug. Her eyes bug.
“What about your momma’s family?” she asks, stealing another peek as Kailey yells dibs on something. She loves winding the kids up.
“They’re dead.” And if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be here, anyway—too afraid homosexuality might be contagious.
Fuck ‘em. Wherever they’ve ended up.
“This is like a feast day,” Eli offers, taking the attention off my short reply. “Only, with people we don’t know.”
Finley nods, giving my hand a tender squeeze while she smiles up at me.
“I know we’re a big family. It can get rowdy and chaotic, but they’re fun, and I can guarantee that they already love you, even though they haven’t met you yet.” I tuck her into Eli so I can meet both of their gazes at once. “If it gets too much, give me a sign, and I’ll save you.”
Eli chuckles. “Have you met you?” He gives me a cocked grin and leans into Finley’s ear. “If we can survive hyperactive Sugar Cookie on the daily, I’m sure we’re going to be fine, sweet girl.”
Finley bursts out laughing. “So true.”
“What? Hey… you’re my family now. You’re meant to make me look like the normal one out of this crazy bunch.” I’m groaning, but it sounds suspiciously like a laugh.
“Hate to break it to you, JJ, but I don’t think we’re ever going to tick the ‘normal’ box,” Eli says, gripping my hip and tugging me into him and Finley. “Besides, you’re perfect the way you are.”
“Amen,” Finley chirps into my chest, kissing over my heart as Eli plants a quick, chaste kiss on my mouth.
“Relax, Sunshine.” His breath warms my skin.
I shiver into them. “I am relaxed.”
Motherfuck! He does it again. Pinching my hip, he has me melting into a giggle.
“No. Stop it… Stop tickling me!” What the actual hell is this?
In my entire life, I’ve never had a tickle spot. Now he’s found one and weaponized it.
“But, Baby, you’re laughing,” Eli coos, easing off only to dig in again.
He drinks my giggles with breathy laughter while Finley burrows closer, like she’s trying to climb under my skin.
As infuriating as Eli’s new giggle-weapon is, I love this—the three of us wrapped up in each other. His breath on my lips, and hers on the curve of my neck. His fingers making me squirm, and the friction of my body over hers reciprocating.
I could stay like this forever.
Unfortunately, my family has other ideas. The swarm of kids stumbles out of the kitchen with Tank, my uncle’s half-blind German shepherd, bumbling after them. He plows straight into our cluster of legs and gets wedged.
“Oh no, he’s stuck!” One of the brats—sounds like Kian, one of the twins—screeches. “Quick, Kairo, save him!”
Kairo wriggles deeper between our legs as Tank weaves around Finley’s. It’s a miracle we don’t all fall to our asses when the baby of the pack dives between Finley’s knees and nearly head-butts my balls. I grab her by the braces of her snow pants and lift her into the air.
“Kinan, it’s rude to crawl between a girl's legs,” I tell her.
I’m so flustered by the clusterfuck the swarm has created that I don’t even realize what I’ve said until she reminds me, “I am a girl, dummy.”
Fuck me.
At least Finley and Eli think it’s hilarious. Most people would duck and run. Not these two. They step back, laughing so hard that Finley snorts and Eli clings to her for balance.
“Tank, chill,” I groan, setting Kinan down.
Her twin, Kayla, is rifling my pockets for the puck I promised from our Sacramento Warriors game. Unlike the rest of us who root for my team—or Vegas—she’s pledged herself to Sacramento because the jersey has the most pink.
Isla 2.0.
“Where is it, JJ?” she growls. For a five-year-old, she’s terrifying.
“Upstairs.”
“In your room?” Her smile goes sharp.
“No. They’re in my dad’s office.” I’m not stupid. If I say my room, she’ll be in my drawers in seconds, and those are not childproof in accessibility or contents.
“Can you get it? Can we go slap it around? I’m dressed for it. Brought my stick and face shield. My helmet, too, and I’ve been practicing with Kayden. I can take him down like a sack of s—”
“Potatoes.” Speak of the devil.
“What havoc are you heathens causing now?” Kayden asks, scooping both sisters onto his shoulders. They grunt and whine while he nods to me. “What’s up, Jay?”
“All good, dude.” I bump his fist.
He’s almost as tall as me—maybe an inch shorter than Eli. Shy enough that all he manages is a wave at Finley and Eli when I introduce them.
“Bibi is waiting for you,” he says in a deep, raspy voice that goes with his broody, dark, and ridiculously handsome appearance.
He’s going to break more hearts than I ever did.
“She’s made you gaz with the cranberries you like.” He flushes. “Even added heart sprinkles. Anyway, I’m going to take these demons outside to burn some energy. Good luck.” Red-faced from the twins dangling off his neck, he gives Fin and Eli another wave. “Nice to meet you.”
The swarm follows him through the living room toward the yard.
“Wow, he looks so much like you,” Finley marvels.
“Those kids are intense,” Eli chuckles.
“Yeah. Wait until Bibi sugars them up. They literally climb walls. Little monsters.” I lace my fingers with Finley’s while Eli’s arm stays draped around her shoulders.
“Cute monsters,” she hums, and I catch myself wondering about mini Finleys.
From the stories she and Eli have told me—the good ones, where they climbed trees and tore across fields—I imagine wild, sassy little versions.
Smart, kind, curious, fearless. Maybe they’d have her eyes and smile, that bronze mane that frizzes into curls I can’t stop catching in my fingers.
And God help us if they’re as surly as Eli…
“You good?” he asks, chuckling as he smooths down my hair, still on end from the swarm.
“Yeah.” I shake off the vision of mini Finleys with Eli’s scowl. “Are you guys ready?”
They trade shrugs.
Here we go.