Chapter 31
Thirty-one
DIMITRI
“What are we doing at a house, Knox?” I ask. “We could be with Hope.”
“Enjoying our new morning routine?” he asks with a knowing smirk.
Yes. I am. I love that she’s so open with wanting us. We’re still gentle. I’m not willing to overwhelm her or ask her to take all of us at once, but she’s letting more and more of her inhibitions go. A mix of therapy, love, and confidence building is doing her good.
A house will not.
“Why are we here?” I press again.
A woman with a tight bun walks over, looks us over, then grins like she has everything all figured out. “I was only expecting one man, but a couple is lovely. Just what this house needs.”
Knox rests his elbow on my shoulder. “It clearly needs some lawn care.”
Knox still won’t answer me as the real estate woman tells us about the house, when it was built, the square footage, why it’s priced low—because it needs appliances and all the carpet needs to be ripped up, because the roof needs to be replaced, because it’s buy as-is no matter what an inspection says.
I’m more focused on why we’re here and why we’re getting a tour of the three bedrooms upstairs and the bathroom, why Knox is knocking on the walls in the upstairs hall, testing the banister of the stairs, and sniffing the mudroom/laundry room.
When we get to the first floor and we’re standing in the open kitchen, staring at dining room with a view of the massive living room with the open hall upstairs looming above, Knox opens the windows and lets the light in.
“I’ll let you two talk it over. I’ll be outside,” the woman says.
Knox grins. “She’ll love it. All the open light.
It’s a fresh canvas. She’ll have an office to work on Daisy’s Haven, we’ll have options for rooms, even though I’m sure we’ll bring our massive bed to the master.
A yard. The pool for Jaxon and his back.
We can build our own gym in one of the rooms downstairs. It’s a house we can grow in.”
“This is insane,” I breathe. “We signed a lease for the apartment.”
“I made it month to month,” he dismisses, then looks at me. “I’ve been saving since we went pro, Dimitri. For a house, for a life. I know Jax has too. We deserve to make things permanent. We deserve forever with Hope.”
When he phrases it like that, I can see the possibilities. The sectional we’d put in the living room with a massive TV. I can see having some of the guys over from the team. Turning the backyard into a hangout spot as well.
I scratch the back of my neck. “It’s tempting.”
“It’s perfect and you know it. We can make this ours. The four of us,” he says with conviction. “We lost how many years that we could have had with her? We did so many things wrong. I want to show her all the things we can do right.”
“Don’t sell me on it,” I say, finally meeting his eyes. “Hope’s the one who needs to see the future and want it.”
HOPE
I scratch at the blindfold as Jax hums next to me. “I like seeing you in a blindfold. So many possibilities.”
“None of you are going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask.
“That would ruin the surprise, sweetheart,” Knox says.
I know we’re driving somewhere. I’ve felt a few potholes and turns, but that doesn’t tell me much.
“We should tell her, Knox,” Dimitri mumbles.
“Don’t worry,” Jax says in my ear. “I don’t know what’s going on either. We’re in a neighborhood, I think Ben lives around here somewhere, and—”
“Hey! Don’t spoil it,” Knox warns. “It’s important.”
They’re not… No. They wouldn’t propose. Not when we’ve finally had some calm. I just want normal. I want to ease into it and relax with my three men. I want us to actually be in a relationship without constant distractions and threats.
When we come to a stop, Jaxon whistles. “Ooh, you have a way with surprises, Knox.”
I reach for the blindfold, but when I get it off, Knox is standing in front of me. “It’s an option. A… a promise with immediate follow-through if you want it.”
“Way to build it up,” Dimitri says, but he’s teasing. There’s some excitement rippling between them. Even Jax is pumped. Dimitri shrugs. “You’ll love it or you’ll question his sanity.”
“This was a joint decision,” Knox argues. “That’s how things work now. We decide together.”
“Okay, I’d like to help decide… by knowing what’s going on,” I say.
Knox takes one of my hands and starts walking backwards. He blocks any view, but the way he strokes my hand, how Jax keeps grinning, the mix of anticipation, nerves, and excitement have me close to squirming.
“Please stop stalling. I’m getting anxious,” I insist.
Knox moves and reveals a house. He starts telling me all about how we can organize things. Dimitri mentions a few things himself, and Jax is clearly picturing a new version of the house, painted on the outside, fixed up with lights and done in a fresh new style.
They want to buy a house together?
At least they’re not proposing.
“Well?” Knox asks. “Do you want to go inside?”
“But we just got the apartment,” I murmur. “I can’t afford a place like this.” Damn, it’s… massive. “Why do we need a new space?”
“All we have is yours, Hope,” Dimitri says.
“A fresh start, a place where we can all breathe, have our own space, and grow,” Jax says.
Knox nods, his gaze focused on me.
Dimitri hasn’t said anything.
Because my opinion is what matters. I’m tempted.
I’ve wanted to have a house of my own with no memories, nothing bad or terrible clinging to it.
A fresh start. My throat tightens at the idea.
We’re moving fast, but I’ve been living with them and we haven’t done anything the traditional way. Why start now?
“Okay,” I whisper, my heart pounding in my chest.
“Okay?” Knox asks.
The corner of my lips curve. “Show me our new home.”
The way their faces light up is almost more than I can handle. And I let them lead the way, showing me every part of the place. It should scare me how much work this place needs.
It’s broken, a mess, unloved.
But we were that once too. We got better, became better, together. We can do the same here. Build something good, and lasting.
“I love it,” I say as Knox shows the backyard.
“We haven’t showed you upstairs yet,” he chuckles as he scratches the back of his neck.
“Do you love it?” I ask him and he nods.
“Once we’re done with the place, it will be everything we ever need,” he says and my lips stay closed. That isn’t an answer and he knows it.
“I love it.” He smiles. “We… we can build our life here, I just know it.”
“I want that too, with all of you,” I say and take in my men. “We deserve a place like this.”
We’ve had enough bad, we deserve the good.
All of it.