25. Rowan
25
ROWAN
T he lighthouse needs a damn cleaning. I run a hand over the old wooden table, frowning at the dust.
Grace asked if she and the guys could come over for dinner, and I said yes before thinking about how much of a mess this place is. Now I’m regretting it.
I grab a rag, wiping down every surface. The couch gets fluffed, dishes put away, and the floor swept. It’s not perfect, but it’s better.
I shouldn’t care this much. But it’s her .
Grace.
I still remember the first time she stumbled in here, drenched from the rain, shivering, in heat. I had no idea what to do with her then. No clue she’d turn into my favorite person.
A knock at the door pulls me from the memory.
Jake.
He holds up a bottle of wine in one hand and a bag in the other. “Brought fish.”
I snort. “You just happened to have fish?”
He smirks. “Got them from the docks this morning. Figured you’d know what to do with them.”
“You bought fish from someone else?” I ask.
He actually looks away, a smirk on his face. “Just this once, Rowan.”
I take the bag, already moving to the kitchen. “You’re lucky I like cooking.”
Jake follows, setting the wine on the counter. “Figured you’d want to impress her.”
I give him a look. He grins. I shake my head and start prepping.
An hour later, we are sipping on beer as we discuss the best ways to scale fish when we hear her.
Another knock.
But I smell her before she even steps inside.
She walks in wearing a red floral dress, mid-length, swaying with every step. Wedges on her feet. Her hair down. Soft.
She’s buzzing with energy, like she’s got news she can’t wait to spill.
Ash steps in behind her in khaki pants and a button-up. Casually rich. Figures.
Grace barely gets two steps in before she’s in my arms, hugging me tight. I breathe her in before she pulls back, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. Then she moves to Jake, giving him the same greeting.
Ash uncorks the wine. “Smells fucking amazing in here.”
I nod toward the stove. “Fish. And some other things.”
Grace claps her hands. “I’m starving .” She leans against the counter, eyes bright. “So, listen, I had the best idea today.”
Ash groans and Grace lets out a small laugh that settles in my chest. “Okay, it was mostly Ash’s idea.”
Jake takes a sip of wine. “Oh yeah? What is it, baby?”
She grins. “A farmers’ market stand. Selling discounted flowers instead of tossing them.”
Jake nods, impressed. “That’s smart.”
I lean against the counter. “I can build the stand. Timber, maybe a nice setup.”
She blinks. “Wait. You do woodwork?”
I smirk. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
She stares for a second, then beams. “That would be amazing .”
I roll my shoulders. “Shouldn’t take too long.”
She launches forward, hugging me again, murmuring, “You’re the best,” into my chest.
Yeah. I like hearing that.
Dinner is almost done when she settles into Jake’s lap, legs draped over his. Ash pours more wine, watching with a smirk.
I lean against the counter. “So, what’s your plan for handling the heat now that you can’t have sex?”
Grace hums, twirling a strand of hair. “Adrenaline activities.”
Jake raises a brow. “Like?”
She shrugs. “That’s where you come in. You’re my pack. You come up with something.”
I glance at Jake. He tilts his head, thinking. “Hiking?”
Grace perks up. “That could work.”
Jake sets his glass down. “I know a trail that leads to the waterfalls. But…” He hesitates. “It goes past the cliffs.”
Silence.
Ash’s expression tightens. “You sure about that?”
Jake shrugs. “Enough time has passed, right?”
Grace glances between us. “We can do something else.”
I exhale. “No. If Jake wants to hike, we hike. We’ll all be together.” I meet his gaze. “Nothing’s gonna happen.”
Jake swallows, running a hand through his hair.
Grace leans in and presses a kiss to his cheek. “Okay?”
He exhales. “Yeah.”
Ash shakes his head. “This is either a great idea or a terrible one.”
Grace grins. “Guess we’ll find out.”
Dinner is easy. Comfortable.
We eat, talk, laugh.
Grace tells us about some old lady at the flower shop who tried to steal a succulent by stuffing it in her purse.
Ash tells a ridiculous story about a failed expedition involving a literal circus.
Jake argues that grilled fish is superior to fried, and I tell him he’s an idiot.
It’s nice .
I glance at Grace. She’s glowing, animated, happy.
Yeah.
This is really nice.
This is exactly what I wanted with my Lena, but somehow, it feels like more.
It feels like with time, this could be more than enough.
* * *
It’s too fucking early for this.
Grace looks half-dead, standing there in tiny-ass shorts and an oversized hoodie, her hair a mess, eyes barely open.
She squints at all of us, grumbling, “I wish this was gonna end with me getting laid, ’cause why the fuck are we up this early?”
Jake laughs, stretching his arms over his head. He’s wearing a black tank, showing off his inked-up arms, with cargo pants and hiking boots.
“No one forced you to come.”
Grace glares. “ Yes , you did .”
“This is for your own good,” I remind her.
“Pack loyalty and all that bullshit,” she grumbles, which results in all of us laughing.
Ash smirks, adjusting the straps on his backpack. He’s in a fitted dark green long-sleeve and khakis, looking like he belongs on the cover of some Adventurer Monthly magazine.
“You literally requested adrenaline activities.”
She grumbles again, arms crossed. “Past me is an idiot.”
I hand her a thermos. “Hot cocoa.”
She takes it, sips, and lets out the kind of noise that makes me shift my stance. “Okay, maybe I do like you.”
I snort, adjusting the straps of my own bag. Dark henley, jeans, boots. Simple.
Jake claps his hands. “All right, let’s move.”
We hike.
Jake leads. He knows these trails better than any of us.
Ash surprises the hell out of me, pointing out different plants and explaining their uses. “This one? Anti-inflammatory properties. That one? Some people say it’s an aphrodisiac.”
Grace raises a brow. “And you know this how?”
He smirks. “I read.”
Jake scoffs. “Yeah? What, Sexy Botanicals for Dummies ?”
Ash flips him off.
Grace giggles, sipping more cocoa. “I like this side of you.”
Ash winks. “There’s a lot to like.”
I roll my eyes. “If y’all are done flirting, we’ve got a hike to finish.”
* * *
Grace gets tired halfway up.
I don’t say anything—just kneel in front of her. “Hop on.”
She doesn’t argue. She just sighs dramatically and climbs onto my back. She’s warm and soft with her arms around my neck.
Her breath tickles my ear as she mutters, “If you drop me, I’m haunting your ass.”
I grin. “Noted.”
Jake glances over his shoulder. “That’s cheating.”
I shrug, adjusting her. “She’s small.”
Grace flicks Jake’s ear as we pass him. “Jealous ’cause no one’s carrying you ?”
Jake laughs, shaking his head, but I can see a trace of… fear. And then we reach them.
The cliffs.
Jake slows. We all do.
This is where his sister fell.
No one says anything at first. The wind moves through the trees, the ocean shining in the distance. Jake stares at the edge, jaw tight, hands clenched.
Grace moves first, slipping off my back, stepping up next to him. She doesn’t speak, just slides her hand into his.
Jake exhales. Nods. “Yeah. It’s okay.”
She squeezes his fingers. “Yeah.”
I look at him, and something settles in my chest. A kindred thing.
He swallows. “All right. Let’s go.”
And then finally, another hour later, we make it.
The waterfall.
It’s fucking gorgeous. The water cascades down the rocks, mist catching in the morning light. Trees frame the scene, lush and wild. It’s peaceful.
Jake lets out a low whistle. “Damn.”
I shake my head. “Don’t think I’ve ever come this far.”
Ash, meanwhile, is vibrating. “You see those tidal pools?” He’s already digging through his pack. “I need samples.”
Grace plops onto a rock. “Nerd.”
He grins. “A hot nerd.”
She sips her cocoa. “Debatable.”
I chuckle, watching my pack—the people who have somehow become my everything.
This?
This is good .