47. Colton
47
COLTON
I look around the gym at our shell-shocked family scattered across exercise mats and weight benches. Everyone's processing what Ransom just shared—the devastating truth he's carried alone for almost three decades.
My brother sits with his shoulders hunched, hands hanging between his knees. His eyes are fixed on some distant point on the floor. The confident facade he works so hard to maintain has crumbled, leaving that scared eleven-year-old kid who lost everything.
"Fuck you, brother." The words burst out of me before I can stop them.
Ransom's head snaps up, eyes wide for a split second before his expression shutters. His jaw tightens as he braces for rejection—I know that look. He's expecting us to turn our backs, to judge him the way he's judged himself all these years.
"Fuck you for not sharing that with us years ago. For not giving us a chance to be there for you." My voice cracks. "You've carried this alone all these years when you had a whole family right here who loves you and wants to support you."
Nick nods from his spot against the wall. "You're our brother, man. Through everything."
"Always have been," Maverick adds quietly.
Ransom's breathing gets ragged as he struggles to maintain control. He rakes his hands through his hair, then stands, pacing away from the group. No way, I'm letting him run from us.
I cross the room and grab his shoulders. "Listen to me. We all have shit in our pasts. Things we wish we could change. But you're the one who taught us family means never having to carry that weight alone."
Tears spill down his cheeks as his careful control finally breaks. I pull him into a fierce hug, feeling his shoulders shake. Even now, he won't allow himself to fall apart completely.
"We love you, brother. Nothing changes that. Nothing ever could," I whisper into his ear.
One by one, my brothers join us until we're all wrapped around Ransom in a messy group hug.
I watch as Ransom's breathing steadies, his shoulders no longer shaking under my grip. Then a fart rips through the group, and the stench hits us. I glare daggers at Zach and Declan, but only Declan meets my eyes. I kick at Zach, making him dance away. "Way to kill the fucking moment, asshole."
Groaning, Ransom steps back from our group embrace, swiping at his eyes with the back of his hand. The gesture hits me hard—how many times had he been there when one of us broke down? Never once did he make us feel weak for it.
My own dad would've knocked me across the room for showing tears. John learned that too, then prison taught him to be ice cold. But Ransom? He taught us it was okay to feel, to hurt, to heal.
Holly appears beside us, Noah sleeping peacefully in her arms. Without a word, she transfers my nephew into Ransom's hold. "Hold the baby," she says softly. "He'll make you feel better. Come back and talk to us."
The tension visibly drains from Ransom's body as he cradles Noah against his chest. He moves carefully back to his spot on the gym floor, sinking down with the precious cargo.
"God, Ransom." Evie's voice is thick with emotion. "Living with that kind of guilt all these years... I get it. Kids shoulder so much responsibility, take on blame that isn't theirs to carry." She takes a shaky breath. "But that one mistake doesn't define your whole life."
My wife meets my eyes across the circle, shining with love. I’m never going to get tired of her looking at me like that.
And I’ll never take it for granted. Ransom helped me become the man I am today. A man almost worthy of her. Every fucking day I wake up, thank whatever God sent her to me, and work my ass of to deserve her.
"I'm thankful every day that you built this family," Evie continues. "You saved Colton. You helped save all of us in different ways."
"If it weren't for you, I'd probably be dead in some alley," I admit roughly. "Instead, I have a wife, a daughter, and a real future."
Holly nods. "No one else would have stepped in and been there for Micah the way you were. The way all of you were."
"You showed me what family really means," Nick adds. "I didn't think I deserved any of you after my Abuelita died. But you didn't give up on me either."
Ransom cradles Noah, his fingers gentle as they brush the toddler’s head. The tension in his shoulders eases slightly with each rise and fall of Noah's chest.
Maya's voice breaks the silence. "Tell us more about your sisters. What were they like?"
Ransom swallows hard, his eyes fixed on Noah. "Julie was seven. Sweetest kid you'd ever meet. Always trying to make everyone happy." His voice catches. "And Katie—she was nine.” He glances up, giving Cadence a small smile. “God, Cady, when I first met you, you reminded me so much of her. That wild hair, always bouncing around like gravity didn't apply."
Cadence touches her curls, tears shining in her eyes.
"Katie could find the bright side of anything, just like you," Ransom continues. "Even when I was being a complete ass about sharing a room with them." He shakes his head. "I complained constantly about it. Three kids crammed in one bedroom—I thought it was the end of the world."
Cara lets out a watery laugh. "Oh god, remember our shared room, Bree?"
"Worst years of our lives," Bree agrees, wiping her eyes. "You used to draw a line down the middle with masking tape."
"And you'd still leave your shit everywhere," Cara shoots back.
"It's what siblings do," Bree says softly to Ransom. "Fight and complain and love each other anyway."
"Julie used to steal my comics," Ransom says, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "She'd hide under her blanket with a flashlight, reading them after bedtime. I'd get so mad, but then she'd look at me with those big brown eyes and say, 'But, Ranny, I just wanted to see what happens next.'"
"Ranny?" Becca raises an eyebrow.
"Shut up," Ransom mutters, but there's no heat in it. "Katie started it when she was learning to talk. It stuck."
"That's adorable," Maya says.
"Yeah, well." Ransom shifts Noah to his shoulder, breathing in that sweet baby smell. "They were adorable kids. Smart too. Katie wanted to be a veterinarian. Julie was wanted to dance and sing. She would have been an actress for sure."
The raw pain in his voice guts me. All these years, he's carried not just the guilt, but these precious memories locked away where they couldn't hurt him. But the people we loved and lost deserve to be remembered, to be spoken about.
"They sound amazing," I tell him. "Just like their big brother."
"They would have been incredible women," Ransom says, his voice hitching just a bit on the words.
"Do you look like your Dad?" Cadence asks. "Or your Mom?"
Another swallow. "My Dad. Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I'd swear he was looking back at me. He went grey at his temples in his thirties. He kept threatening to dye it, and Mom would make a big show about how much she loved his silver." His lips quirk. "Then they'd disappear for twenty minutes to have a little 'talk.'"
Cadence’s smile is soft, and a little sad. "They sound like they loved each other a lot."
"They did."
Our lives would have been so different if that fire hadn't happened, if Ransom hadn't ended up with Robert McKenna... none of us would be here.
"You ever think about the ripple effect?" I ask, breaking the heavy silence. "How one moment changed everything?"
Ransom lifts his eyes from Noah's peaceful face. "All the time."
"If you hadn't lost them—your family—you wouldn't have met Robert. Wouldn't have learned from him how to survive that kind of loss." I pause, choosing my words carefully. "And Blair... she taught you about love, didn't she? About hope."
"Colton—" Ransom's voice holds a warning.
"I'm not saying it was worth it. Nothing makes losing them okay." I lean forward. "But do you see the purpose in it? In what you built from that pain?"
Ransom's quiet for a long moment, just breathing with Noah. "Yeah," he finally says. "I saw myself in each of you. The anger in Declan. The guilt Nick carried. The way Maverick tried to save everyone." His eyes meet mine. "Your need to protect."
"I always figured you picked us for what we could do," Zach says. "The sweet talker, the tech guy, the muscle..."
Ransom shakes his head. "Those skills were useful, sure. But first?" He looks around our circle. "I looked for the spark. That tiny bit of hope you all still had, even after everything. The fight left in your eyes."
"Even when we tried to hide it," Nick adds softly.
"Especially then." Ransom's lips quirk up. "The ones trying hardest to act tough? Usually needed family the most."
I nod slowly, looking around at the faces of my family. Every single person in this room has their own story of pain and redemption. But we're here, together, because Ransom saw something in each of us worth saving.
My chest tightens as I watch him with Noah. The way he holds my nephew so carefully, like he's both terrified and in awe of this tiny life in his arms. He's always been caring—this steady, dependable presence that I didn't always appreciate way back at the beginning. But Ransom with the babies? It's something pretty magical to see.
"So what do you need now, brother?" I ask quietly. I'm pretty sure I already know the answer, but he needs to say it out loud. He needs to admit it to himself as much as to us.
Ransom's fingers trace Noah's cheek, his eyes fixed on the sleeping baby. The silence stretches, broken only by the soft whir of the gym's air conditioning.
"Blair," he finally whispers, voice rough with emotion. "I need Blair." He swallows hard, then meets my eyes. "Or at least... a real chance with her. To show her who I am now, not who I was when I left."
"Even if it means splitting your life between Chicago and Badger Falls?" I press.
"Even then." There's no hesitation in his voice now. "I've spent twenty-five years building this family, this life. But there's always been this... hole. This piece missing." His arms tighten slightly around Noah. "I thought it was guilt about my parents and sisters. Maybe it was, partly. But Blair..." He shakes his head. "She's always been there, in the back of my mind. Every decision, every step forward—I’d wonder what she'd think, what she'd say."
"Then go," I tell Ransom firmly. "We'll figure out the logistics together. Between all of us, we can make anything work."
There a slow dawning hope on his face, clearing away some of the pain. "You really think we can manage splitting time between here and there?"
"Since when has distance ever stopped this family?" I gesture around the gym. "Hell, we stole a tour bus just to come check on you." Whoops. Didn't mean to say that. I gave it back, and they gave permission after the fact, so that's not really stealing, is it?
A smile tugs at his lips, but there's still that shadow in his eyes. That hesitation I understand all too well. For years, we've lived practically on top of each other. Sunday dinners, daily workouts, impromptu movie nights—our lives completely intertwined.
"It'll be different," I admit. "But different doesn't mean worse."
"We've been talking about expanding anyway," Nick adds. "Maybe this is the push we needed."
"Actually..." Cadence's voice is soft, hesitant. "I've been dreaming about building another rescue out there. Something bigger. With room for training and more animals. Something to make a bigger difference."
Maverick clears his throat. "Funny you should mention that. I may have spent last night looking at property listings in Badger Falls."
Ransom’s eyebrows wing up as Maverick pulls out his phone. "There's this old farm just outside town. It needs work, but it's got everything you'd need for a rescue: barn, paddocks, plenty of land."
"Show me," Cadence breathes, moving closer to see his phone.
Bree shifts on the bench, exchanging glances with Cara and Nick. She twists her hands in her lap before taking a deep breath.
"I've been thinking..." Bree's voice is soft but steady. "Someday, when Nick and I have kids, I want them to grow up in a place like Badger Falls."
"What?" The word bursts out of me before I can stop it. You think you know someone, and bang, they just start dropping bombs all willy-nilly and shit. Suddenly everyone’s leaving?
"I want them to know their neighbors," Bree continues, her eyes bright. "To be able to ride their bikes to the park or get ice cream in town without us worrying. Like I did growing up."
Cara reaches over and squeezes her sister's hand. "You never told me you missed that."
"It's been on my mind, but right now, there's no panic. But someday." Bree glances at Nick. "Seeing all those kids playing in their yards, that town square..."
Nick wraps an arm around her shoulders, completely unsurprised by this revelation. "We've talked about it a few times," he admits.
"You knew?" I ask him.
"Course I did." Nick kisses Bree's temple. "We talk. A lot. In between doing other things." He gives us a smug look, and Bree snorts, slapping his stomach with the back of her hand. I glare at him, then point to my ring finger. Little fucker grins and winks. He better get on that. He's got to lock that girl down. Not that I think she's going anywhere, but it's the principle of the thing.
Bree nods. "Not right away, obviously. But in a few years..." She looks around at our gathered family. "I want our kids to have space to run and climb trees. To catch fireflies in mason jars and know the name of every dog on their street."
Ransom's eyes sweep across our faces, Noah still nestled against his chest. The weight of everyone's confessions seems to hit him all at once. His shoulders slump slightly.
"I had no idea you all felt this way," he says quietly. "Have I been... have I been keeping you trapped here?"
"Don't be a fucking idiot," I jump in immediately. "That's not it at all."
"Not even close," Bree adds firmly. "This family, what we have here—it's perfect. Like a protective bubble against all the shit in the world."
Nick nods. "We're not looking to leave, Ran. We just want... more. To grow what we already have."
"Like branches from a strong tree," Maya offers. "The roots stay exactly where they are, but we can stretch out, reach further."
I watch Ransom absorb this, see the tension ease from his face. "You're sure?" Good. He’s finally getting it. We’re not going anywhere.
"Positive," Bree says. "It's not an either/or. Hell, you guys are so rich, you could buy up land around that town and build your own little compound. We could put a helipad in the middle, and you guys could come and go anytime you wanted." She laughs, like she's joking, but Jonas and I lock eyes. He's not taking it as a joke.
Neither am I. It’s fucking genius.
Ransom’s eyes widen when Bree says the word "compound." Of course he’s interested, 'cause it sounds fucking awesome. All my brothers trade glances, slow smiles dawning.
"We're building a fucking compound, aren't we?" I ask.
Kade clears his throat. "That's jumping the fucking gun, don't you think? Shouldn't our first fucking priority be getting Ransom and Blair together?"
"Oh. Right. Yeah, that's important too. I guess we could wait a while, right?"
Everyone nods, but on more than one face, I see a whole lot of scheming. We're not going to wait, but Ransom doesn't need to know that. Let him focus on getting his woman.
We'll focus on making sure our family stays tight.
And if we’re going to the country, I need to find myself some overalls.