39. Ivy
Chapter 39
Ivy
I bury my face against Holt’s neck, squeezing my eyes shut as I breathe him in. He smells like soap and comfort and everything I never let myself admit I wanted. I hold him tighter, feeling his pulse strong and steady against my cheek.
Wyatt wraps himself around my back, solid and warm, his breath ghosting against the side of my neck. I shiver, but not from the cold.
This…this feels right.
I can’t believe they’re here.
I ran. I left them. And they still came after me.
Not just to drag me back—but to give me a choice. To tell me if I really want to go, they’ll come with me.
My throat tightens.
No one has ever fought for me like this. No one has ever looked at me the way they do, like I’m something worth holding on to.
Holt’s words echo in my head. Let us love you.
Do they?—?
My heart stutters. Because I think—I know —I love them.
It shouldn’t be possible. Not this fast, not after everything. But I feel it, deep in my bones. Holt tilts his head against mine, his lips brushing my hair like he can’t help it. Wyatt tightens his hold, like he’s afraid I’ll slip through his fingers.
I belong to them.
They belong to me.
I let out a shaky breath, my fingers twisting in Holt’s shirt. “You really mean it?”
Holt’s grip tightens. “Every word.”
I swallow hard and turn my head slightly, just enough to catch Wyatt’s gaze. “Even the part about leaving?”
His jaw flexes, but he nods. “If you need to go, we’ll go.”
God.
They’d really do it.
They’d drop everything, leave the only lives they’ve ever known, just to be with me.
A lump rises in my throat. “Why?”
Holt pulls back just enough to look me in the eye. “You already know why, baby.”
I don’t.
I do.
But I need to hear it.
Wyatt shifts behind me, his lips at my ear. “Because you’re ours.”
I suck in a breath.
Holt cups my face, his thumbs sweeping across my cheekbones, his voice soft but steady. “Because we love you.”
They love me.
They love me.
And I—God, I love them too.
The words claw their way up my throat, fighting to get out. But I can’t say them. Not yet.
It feels too big, too terrifying, too impossible.
Instead, I fist my hands in Holt’s shirt and yank him down, crushing my mouth to his. He groans, his fingers digging into my waist as he kisses me back. Wyatt’s hand tangles in my hair, tipping my head back as he drags his lips down my throat. “That’s a yes, right?” he murmurs against my skin.
I let out a breathless laugh.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “That’s a yes.”
Lily is practically bouncing with excitement when we come back inside, her bright eyes darting between me, Wyatt, and Holt like she’s trying to figure out which one of us is going to spill the juicy details first. She looks like a kid who’s just been told Christmas came early, and I can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm.
“So?” she demands, hands on her hips. “What happened out there?”
Mason laughs, ruffling her hair. “Let them talk in private, kiddo. Why don’t we head out to dinner?”
Lily rolls her eyes but grins. “Fine. But I want all the details later.”
Once they’re gone, I turn to Holt and Wyatt. They’re both watching me, and it’s impossible to miss the hopeful, slightly nervous looks on their faces.
I shake my head, fighting back a grin. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around all this. You really mean it? You’d leave the mountains and everything for me?”
Wyatt shrugs, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “We mean it. But what we want to know is if you’re gonna leave us again.”
There’s no accusation in his voice, just genuine curiosity, and it makes me realize how much I owe them an explanation. I sink onto the couch, pulling a pillow into my lap like it’s some kind of security blanket.
“I left because I didn’t think you’d want me to stay,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I thought you’d be better off without me.”
Holt sits beside me, his knee brushing mine. “And why would you think that?”
I look down at the pillow, twisting it in my hands. “Because I’m a mess. Because I didn’t want you to get caught up in all the drama that comes with me. I was trying to protect you.”
Wyatt’s laugh is unexpected, and I glance up, confused. “City Girl, you’ve got it backward. We’re the ones supposed to be protecting you.”
I don’t know what to say to that. I don’t know how to explain that I’ve never had anyone care enough to protect me before. It’s always been me against the world, and I’m terrified of what it means to let someone else in.
“You guys don’t know what you’re getting into,” I say, my voice trembling. “I don’t even know what I’m getting into.”
Holt’s hand covers mine, stopping my nervous fidgeting. “We know enough, Ivy. And we’ll figure out the rest together.”
The sincerity in his voice makes my heart ache, and I feel that dizzying rush again, the one that makes me want to laugh and cry and hold on to them forever. They’re willing to take this leap with me, and I realize I’m willing to take it too.
Wyatt sits on my other side, stretching his arm along the back of the couch, his fingers toying with the ends of my hair. “You really think we don’t know what we’re getting into?”
I huff out a laugh, shaking my head. “I think I don’t know what I’m getting into.” My hand drifts to my stomach, fingers brushing over the fabric of my sweater. “I still can’t wrap my head around any of this. You two. The babies. Staying.”
Holt’s eyes darken. “But do you want to stay?”
It’s such a simple question, but it twists something deep inside me. Do I?
I’ve spent so long thinking I had to leave and go back to my “real” life at some point. But I don’t want to. I love it here.
I swallow hard. “I want…” I trail off, exhaling slowly. “I love it here.”
Holt moves before I even finish speaking, dropping to his knees between my legs and pressing his forehead to my stomach. His breath is warm through my many layers, his voice rough when he speaks. “That’s all we needed to hear, baby.”
Wyatt’s hand settles on top of mine, pressing it firmer against my stomach. “And if you ever get scared again, you tell us. We’re not letting you go, Ivy.”
The words hit me harder than I expected, something fragile and terrified inside me breaking apart under the weight of their certainty. I press a shaky hand to Wyatt’s jaw, tilting his face up so I can look at him. “You really mean that?”
His lips curve into a smirk, but his eyes are serious. “You’re stuck with us now, City Girl.”
Holt presses a kiss to my stomach, then another. “All three of you.”
I laugh, breathless and overwhelmed, as Holt shifts up, capturing my lips in a kiss that feels like a promise. Wyatt’s hand slides up my back, grounding me between them.
We sit in a comfortable silence, the kind that doesn’t need to be filled with words. I don’t remember the last time I felt this happy. Maybe never. There’s still plenty to figure out: Hank, my contract with the reality show, where we’re going to live. But we don’t have to figure it all out right this second.
The sound of the door opening breaks the peace, and Lily bursts in, her cheeks red from the cold. “You’re still here!” she exclaims, looking genuinely thrilled.
“Still here,” I confirm, smiling at her.
Mason follows her in, shaking snow from his jacket. “Roads are getting pretty slick. You might want to spend the night.”
“Spend the night?” Holt echoes, glancing at me.
I nod, feeling a warmth spread through me that has nothing to do with the fire Mason just stoked. “We’d love to. As long as you don’t mind. I don’t want to impose any further. You’ve already done so much for me tonight.”
“It’s not an imposition. You’ll stay. Guest room only has a full, though.” Mason says, grabbing a beer from the fridge and handing one to Holt and another to Wyatt. “One of you might have to sleep on the couch.”
Holt takes the beer with a shake of his head. “I don’t want her out of my sight. I’ll take the floor. As long as I’m next to Ivy, I don’t care where it is.”
I feel my cheeks heat up, partly from embarrassment but mostly from the way his words make my heart do that wild, happy dance again. How did I get so lucky? I thought I’d lost them.
Wyatt stretches, looking every bit the satisfied cat. “Guess that means I get the bed.” He winks at me, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I should call and cancel the car,” I say, pulling out my phone.
Holt’s hand covers mine, and I look up to see him watching me with those intense gray eyes. “You sure?”
I nod, taking a deep breath. “I’m sure.”
I make the call, my fingers trembling a little. It feels monumental, like I’m officially choosing this life with them. Wyatt fiddles with Mason’s radio, the old thing crackling before he gets a clear line.
“Hank, you copy?”
There’s a long beat of static before Hank’s voice comes through, rough as ever. “What?”
Wyatt grins like he expected nothing less. “We’re stayin’ down the mountain tonight. Roads are bad.”
Another pause. Then, “Figured.” A beat of static. “That it?”
I can almost see Wyatt’s smirk as he leans closer to the radio. “Aw, you worried about us, old man?”
Hank’s sigh is audible even through the crackle. “Worried ‘bout my damn truck. Don’t put her in a ditch.”
Holt shakes his head, arms crossed, but he’s listening closely. I can tell he’s waiting, just in case Hank has more to say.
I bite my lip, nervous. Hank hasn’t acknowledged me, hasn’t even asked where I am. But I shouldn’t be surprised. He made his feelings real clear earlier.
Wyatt, on the other hand, isn’t about to let him off easy. “Nothin’ else you wanna say?”
Another long stretch of static. Then, finally, Hank mutters, “How bad’s the road?”
Holt answers this time. “Icy. Not worth the risk.”
Hank grunts, like that settles it. “Stay put.” Another pause. “Don’t do nothin’ stupid.”
Wyatt barks out a laugh. “That’s asking a lot.”
“Damn right it is,” Hank mutters. Then the line goes dead.
Wyatt chuckles, setting the radio down. “Love you too, Hank.”
Holt exhales, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “He’ll stew on it,” he says, glancing at me. “Doesn’t mean he’s not thinking’.”
I nod, my throat tight. I want to believe that. Want to believe this isn’t the end of everything we’ve built. But I also know Hank, and I know he’s stubborn as hell.
“Come on,” Holt says, pulling me to my feet. “Let’s head upstairs.”
We make our way up, leaving Mason and Lily to their own evening. The guest room is small but cozy, and I try to picture the three of us squeezed into that tiny bed. It’s a ridiculous thought, and I can’t help the giggle that escapes me.
“Hope you’re ready for a tight fit, City Girl,” Wyatt teases, flopping onto the bed and pulling me down with him.
Holt settles on the floor, his hand finding mine. This…this is everything.