24. Aubree
TWENTY-FOUR
“You’re even more beautiful in person!” Brody’s stepmom, Savy, coos, pulling me into a motherly hug. “And you’re right, Brody. She does smell like cupcakes.”
“Savy,” Brody groans, making everyone laugh. “First time I bring a woman home and you guys are determined to embarrass me.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” his father says, leaning in and kissing my cheek. “And Hayden…” He clasps his hand, doing that half shake, half hug guys do. “What’s this I hear about you finally coming to work for Fields?”
His question has me freezing in place, my gaze going straight to Hayden. We obviously haven’t spoken yet, and we kept the conversation about my trip to visit my kids on the drive here, so I have no idea what they’re talking about.
“Yeah,” Hayden says, sounding a bit nervous as his eyes flicker over to mine. “I filled out the paperwork with HR today.” He shrugs, looking sheepish.
“I know how much you wanted to prove yourself to your dad,” Ben says, “but you did that over and over again, and if he didn’t appreciate it and see your worth, that’s his loss. Fields Enterprises is excited to have you as part of our team.”
“Damn right, we are,” Brody says, clasping Hayden’s shoulder. “We’re going to take the company to the next level.” He winks at his dad, who barks out a laugh.
“You quit your job?” I blurt out, unable to contain my confusion.
Everyone goes quiet as Hayden walks over to me. “I wasn’t on board with the way my dad handled business, so yeah, I walked away.”
“Because of me?” I whisper so only he can hear, shocked at what he’s saying.
He reaches out and tucks a wayward strand of hair behind my ear. “I would do just about anything for you,” he admits quietly, causing butterflies to flutter in my chest. “I want to talk about this, but I think we should wait until after dinner, once we’re alone.”
I nod in agreement, then encircle my arms around his waist, resting the side of my face against his chest, needing him to know that regardless of what happens between us, I appreciate what he did for me. He holds me tightly for a few seconds, his lips pressing against the crown of my head.
When we separate, I turn around and find Brody, along with his parents watching us. Brody smiles softly, but his parents wear confusion in their expressions.
“We should probably talk,” Brody says to his parents, walking over and sliding his arm over my shoulders. “Are Olivier and Penelope joining us?”
“Ollie is spending the night at his friend’s, and Penelope is at a cheer sleepover, so it’s just us this evening,” Savy says. “Dinner’s just about ready, so why don’t we head into the dining room?”
“Do you need any help?” I offer, not wanting to seem rude.
“Sure,” she says with a smile. “Ben, can you grab a bottle of wine?” She glances at me. “White or red?”
Since red tends to get me drunk quicker, I go with white.
“Your kitchen is gorgeous,” I mention when we walk into it. Really, their whole house is amazing, but her kitchen is similar to Brody and Hayden’s—a baker’s wet dream.
“Thank you. I love to cook, so Ben made sure when we bought this place and renovated that it had a decent kitchen. Do you like to cook?”
“I do,” I admit. “But baking is my passion.”
“I made a pot roast tonight, which the guys love, but if you ever want to make Brody and Hayden’s favorite, go with lasagna. They’ll devour it.” She glances back and winks, and I know she knows, even though it hasn’t been said yet.
“I…” I splutter, unsure what the hell to say. “I really care about them both,” is what I settle on, making her stop what she’s doing and face me. “I’ve never been in a relationship like this before, and I have no idea how it will all play out, but I truly care about them both.”
“I can tell,” she says warmly. “And from what Brody’s said, it’s obvious he cares about you. I haven’t spoken to Hayden, but I can see it in the way he watches you that he’s smitten as well.”
“And you’re okay with this?” Technically, I’m a grown woman and don’t need anyone’s approval, but I don’t have many people in my life. I would love it if Brody’s parents gave us their blessing since it’s clear they’re close, and I doubt we’ll be getting Hayden’s family’s approval anytime soon.
“Brody mentioned you have two kids. Eight-year-old twins, right?”
“Yeah, they’re with my in-laws for the summer. My husband passed away almost five years ago, but I’m still close with his parents.”
“I didn’t have anyone growing up,” she admits, emotion laced in her words. “I was a foster kid, and because my parents always had one foot in the door and one out, I was never able to get adopted so I could have a real family.
“When I met Brody and Ben, I found my family, and in a lot of ways, they found their family with me. Brody might not be mine biologically, but he’s my son in every way that matters. As his stepmom, as someone who loves him more than life itself, all I want is for him to be happy. And it’s clear when he speaks of you and then seeing him with you tonight, he’s happy.
“And Hayden… Well, he’s not technically mine either, but his family isn’t the best, and he spends more time here than with them.” She shrugs. “It’s safe to say we’ve unofficially adopted him, so the fact that you’re making both of them happy is only a bonus.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, getting choked up. “Your blessing means a lot to me. I don’t have a lot of people in my life, and the last thing I want to do is alienate anyone in theirs. When they suggested this, I was skeptical, but I couldn’t choose between them, and after losing so many people close to me, how could I turn down two men who care about me and want to be with me?”
“Damn right,” Brody says, making me jump. “It’s about time you accept the fact that we both want you and that you’re ours.” He kisses my cheek, and I can’t help the blush that creeps up my neck and face as Hayden and Ben join us in the kitchen.
“So you’re all together?” Ben asks with zero judgment in his tone.
“Yeah,” Brody tells him. “We both fell hard for Bree, and since she didn’t want to choose, we proposed that she date both of us.”
“How did you guys meet?” Savy asks, making me glance at Hayden, who looks nervous and uncomfortable. We probably should’ve talked about all of this before going to dinner, but we didn’t have the time.
“At her coffeehouse,” Brody says, not missing a beat. “I’m pretty sure she puts something in those brownies because with one bite, she had us both addicted.”
“Your parents are so great,” I tell Brody as we walk into their condo a few hours later. The wine was crisp, dinner was delicious, the dessert was heavenly—and I totally asked her for the recipe—but more importantly, the company couldn’t have been better. They were completely open and welcoming. They asked questions but didn’t judge, and when it was time for us to leave, they made Brody and Hayden promise to treat me good and bring me back soon.
“They are,” Brody agrees. “I was hoping you’d get to meet my brother and sister… next time.” Brody pulls me onto the couch with him and snuggles me into his side. I sigh in contentment, having missed this so much while I was away.
“I know it’s late, but can we talk?” Hayden asks, instantly sobering me.
I nod and pull away from Brody, wanting to be in my right mind while we talk.
Hayden pushes out a harsh breath and sits on the coffee table in front of me. “I need you to know before I start that Brody wasn’t okay with me keeping it from you, but I put him in a shitty situation, and he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.”
I nod in understanding, already knowing this because he said it when I first found out, but I can respect Hayden for trying to keep his best friend out of this. When they said if I didn’t want to be with one of them anymore that they’d respect it, they obviously meant it, and I can tell by the way Hayden’s talking, even if he believes we’re over, he’s trying to save Brody from the same demise.
“The day I met you, I was sent by my father to convince you to let us buy you out of your lease,” he admits. “Until I walked through the door, you were just business, but something crazy happened when I saw you… Like instant attraction.” He shakes his head, smiling softly. “All business was thrown out the window, and all I wanted was to take you out on a date.” He smirks. “But you weren’t having it.”
Brody chuckles under his breath. “She was having me, though.” He winks, and I bark out a laugh, remembering how that went down.
“Only because I made a deal with Lacey,” I tell him. “After I turned down Hayden, she convinced me to give the next guy who asked me out a chance, and that was you.”
Brody’s features pinch together, and Hayden laughs.
“I should’ve walked away,” Hayden says, steering the conversation back on track. “But when I went in there again to talk to you, I couldn’t help myself. I had to try again, and you said yes.”
He smiles sadly. “I knew it was a conflict of interest, but I kept telling myself I’d figure it out. I spent hours, hell days, finding better, more profitable properties to present to my dad, but he was hell-bent on buying you out because he’s not used to being told no.”
“It probably doesn’t help that I called the cops on him.”
Brody and Hayden laugh.
“No,” Hayden says. “That definitely didn’t help.” He takes my hands in his and massages circles into my palms. “I never once told him I would convince you to buy out. I kept saying I was handling it, and in my head, I honestly thought I could get him to change directions. The properties I found had better locations and would be easier to get permits for. But he’s stubborn, and at this point, he’s only refusing to look at a different property out of spite.
“I went to him and told him that I care about you, that I’m falling in love with you, and asked him to please reconsider. When it became clear that business would always come first—even ahead of his own son—I quit.”
My brain freezes at the word love. It’s too soon to be falling in love, right? Yet that’s exactly what I’m feeling. I’m falling for both of them…fast, and that’s why when I found out about Hayden, it hurt so badly. Because it only hurts when you care.
“My dad isn’t going to stop coming after you,” Hayden says, his lips curving downward. “But there’s nothing he can do. The lease can’t be broken unless you agree, which you won’t be doing. Benitez can take you to court, but he most likely won’t win.”
“And if he does,” Brody adds. “I have the best damn attorneys on retainer that will fight him.”
“We won’t let them take Heart’s from you,” Hayden agrees, “regardless of how things end up between us.”
My heart squeezes behind my rib cage at how selfless and thoughtful they are. “I appreciate that,” I tell them both, “but it’s not your fight. It’s mine. And I won’t take it lying down.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Hayden says. “Your fight is ours. If you’ll let us fight beside you… with you.”
“I want you both beside me, but in order for this to work, we have to communicate honestly. I understand you didn’t directly come after me, but sometime in the past several weeks we’ve been dating, you should’ve told me. I would rather find out from you than someone else. And I’d rather be hurt by the truth than be ignorant to the lie.”
Both men nod in understanding. Brody pulls me into his side and kisses me softly, and Hayden moves to the couch on the other side of me. I kiss Brody for several beats, tasting his warmth and reveling in his sweetness, then I break the kiss to give Hayden some attention.
“No more hiding things,” I tell him before I press my lips to his, my tongue darting out to entwine with his. He sighs into the kiss, then deepens it, as if with each curve of his lips he’s apologizing over and over again. When I moan into his mouth, he lifts me by my hips into his lap.
“I’m so sorry,” he murmurs against my mouth. “I promise, only honesty from now on.”
“Speaking of honesty,” I breathe, pulling back and glancing from Hayden to Brody nervously. “I have a confession to make.” At the thought of saying what I need to say, my body heats, my neck and face no doubt turning a shade of pink. “I… I want to take things further…with both of you…but I can’t choose.” I already told Hayden this, but I haven’t told Brody.
“I know,” Brody says, “Hayden told me.” I sigh in relief.
“I told her we’d figure it out,” Hayden says with a wink, causing butterflies to attack my belly. I have no idea how they plan to figure it out, but I can’t wait. Every time I’m with them has me wanting them more and more.
“We want to take you away this weekend,” Brody says. “Any chance you can get the coffeehouse covered?”
“For how long?” I just got back from being away, and it would be kind of irresponsible to bail so soon. But at the same time, I’ve been busting my ass for years without taking any time off, which is why I hired competent employees.
“We’ll leave tomorrow morning and come back Monday night since the Fourth of July is Sunday,” Hayden says.
“You guys don’t have to work?”
“Fields will be closed for the three-day weekend,” Brody says.
“Where are we going?” I ask, getting excited at the idea of spending three whole days alone with them.
“We have a few options.” Brody grins. “I have a beach house in Miami I bought from my parents a few years back, they have one in Montauk, and my aunt has one in The Hamptons that she’s not using. Pick your place, and we’ll be there tomorrow morning.”
I was just in Florida, but it was to see the kids, not to go away with the guys. Would that make me horrible to be there and not see them?
“Umm…” I think, unsure which place to pick. “I don’t know. You pick.” I sigh. “I’m learning I have a problem making decisions,” I half joke, making the guys laugh.
“That’s okay,” Hayden says, lifting my chin. “We’re completely okay with making the decisions for you.”
He leans over and, holding my chin, sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, nibbling on my flesh. “On our way, we’ll stop at your place so you can pack a couple of nice outfits for going out, swimsuits for the beach, and lingerie. Or better yet, forget the lingerie. No panties either. We need easy access to that sweet pussy of yours.”