All I Need (The Everything Legacy #1)

Chapter 1

ONE

TAJ

Freshly fallen snow crunched beneath my feet as my legs carried me through the bustling streets.

There wasn’t anything I minded about this. The cold, the snow, my hometown—I loved it all. This time of the year was one that I’d lived for, even when I’d been a kid in school. I preferred the bitter cold winters to the heat of the summer.

Maybe that was because I’d grown up in a snowboarding family. All my friends did, too. And the sport had become the center of my life in so many ways.

Now, at twenty-seven years old, I could appreciate this time of year even more than ever.

As I continued moving toward the center of the town, I took in those who passed by me.

There were very few who seemed as unaffected by the cold temperatures as me.

Maybe they had similar reasons for being so.

But even those folks who appeared not to be wearing nearly enough layers were just as cheerful.

And that could likely only be explained by what we were all doing here today.

I stepped into the crosswalk, made it to the opposite side, and took the final few steps into the park.

Today, one week and two days past the Thanksgiving holiday, was Rising Sun’s annual Christmas tree lighting.

It was a relatively new tradition that had started back when I was just ten years old.

And for seventeen years, I hadn’t missed this once.

As much as it had become a tradition in this town, it had become the same for my family and friends.

At the thought of the people that I held nearest and dearest to me, they came into view. None of them had noticed me yet, but I saw nearly all of them huddled around, waiting for the main event.

I moved through the throngs of people who were anticipating the same and closed the distance between myself and my crew. When I was a handful of feet away, my best friend spotted me.

“Look who finally decided to join us,” Archer announced, a teasing smile on his face. Everyone in the group looked my way. “We were just discussing whether you were going to make it.”

Ace said, “I can admit I was wrong. I told everyone you were going to bail on us.”

Shaking my head in disbelief, even as I felt amused, I settled my stare on Ace. “I said I was going to be here.”

Kingston slapped a hand on my shoulder and said proudly, “I didn’t doubt you for one second, Taj. I knew you’d come through. You’ve never missed this.”

I offered a smile and a nod of approval as Archer reasoned, “You can’t exactly blame us for wondering. You’re officially the hotshot in charge now, and even on a Saturday, you occasionally find a way to be busy.”

Archer’s brother, Phoenix, added, “We’re just trying to adjust to it all, and we’ve decided it’s best to assume you’ll be absent or late. Then, if you show up, it’ll be like getting a surprise every time.”

I rolled my eyes at them.

But as I did, I had to admit to myself that they were only exaggerating slightly. The truth was that I’d taken on some new responsibilities lately, and I was meticulous about the work I did.

Then again, I didn’t think they could blame me. Recently, I’d officially become the CEO of Blackman Boards. It was a position I’d been working and preparing for years for, and with my dad, Wes Blackman, deciding to retire early, I was finally in charge.

Years ago, long before I came into the picture, my dad had decided to open his own company. It started small, offering only snowboards at the beginning. But after years of hard work and dedication, Blackman Boards became a global brand in extreme board sports.

Taking over the operation was no small matter. To say I felt the weight of that responsibility resting heavily on my shoulders would have been an understatement. I wanted to be successful, yes. But I wanted to take Blackman Boards to new heights.

Just like my father had done with his three best friends riding for his company, I wanted to believe I’d be able to do it with mine by my side, even if it was only Archer and Kingston who rode for the company professionally.

My eyes slid beyond the men to the two women behind them.

My sister, Savanna, stood beside her best friend—and one of Archer’s younger sisters—Harper.

They were lost in their own conversation, so I returned my attention to my friends.

“You know, you’re giving me crap about being late, but I don’t see Lark, Tessa, or the twins here yet.

Are they going to get the same response if and when they decide to show up? ”

“I hate to burst your bubble, Taj,” Kingston said. “But my sisters are already here. Chloe and Mia were bitching about the cold and went off to grab some hot chocolate somewhere.”

I shook my head. It was only the beginning of December.

We hadn’t come close to experiencing the worst of the cold yet.

Sometimes, I wondered how they were the daughters of Zane Cunningham, one of the best halfpipe riders the sport had ever seen.

Then I’d remember that their mom, like mine, was originally from Southern California and not Northwestern Wyoming, where we all lived now.

Ace added, “And my sister and Tessa are always late. That’s nothing new. They’re women.”

Like they hadn’t been having their own conversation, oblivious to what we were discussing, Savanna and Harper joined in the discussion.

“I’ll have you all know,” my sister began, “Harper and I are both women, and we got here on time.”

“Yeah, my sister and Lark might be perpetually late to things, but that’s not true of the rest of us,” Harper declared.

Before any of the guys had a chance to respond and apologize for making such an egregious assertion, Chloe and Mia returned with four cups of hot cocoa and passed the extras off to Savanna and Harper. “What did we miss?” Chloe asked.

“Oh, the guys were just giving Taj a hard time about not showing up tonight,” Harper explained.

Confusion marred Chloe’s expression, but it was Mia who narrowed her eyes and noted, “But Taj is here.”

Phoenix positioned himself between the twin sisters, draping his arms over their shoulders. They scooted their shivering bodies closer to him. “Yes, he’s here now. But Taj has either been late to a few recent outings or missed them altogether.”

Feeling compelled to defend myself, I said, “Some of us work, you know. I’ve got a massive project I’m working on now, and that’s in addition to this being the busiest season for Blackman Boards.”

“But Savanna was here on time,” Chloe fired back, her tone teasing.

My eyes flicked to my sister, who was wearing a proud smile. “She’s got a point.”

“Who’s got a point?”

I spun around at the familiar feminine voice. Tessa was standing there with Lark, both women looking at us expectantly. “Finally. You two have arrived. Maybe everyone can give you some grief now instead.”

“Grief? About what?” Lark asked, the tip of her nose bright red.

“Taj was late,” Savanna said.

Understanding dawned on their faces as Tessa murmured, “I see. Still working too much?”

“I got here before you two.”

Tessa grinned, and Lark made no apologies. “Yeah, but that’s not saying much. We’re always late.”

“And can you blame us?” Tessa asked. “It’s not like we missed the tree lighting. Why would I want to stand in this cold any longer than necessary?”

The pair moved closer to the group as Lark asked, “Why do we have to live in the coldest place on Earth?”

Kingston shifted his body next to her and poked her in the side before he tugged her toward him. “You know it’s cold out, and despite having access to the best gear for this kind of weather, you insist on wearing anything but.”

Lark wasn’t going to let that one go, even as she scooted closer to him. “I’m not wearing snowboarding gear when I’m not snowboarding. A girl’s allowed to wear something that makes her feel good and look cute.”

Kingston’s lips twitched.

Ace moved his body beside Tessa, but he kept his attention on his sister. “Okay, Lark, but do you actually feel good when you’re shivering for hours? I swear, I’ll never understand women.”

There was a collective sigh as the women rolled their eyes.

All I could do was let out a laugh. If there was one thing this group knew how to do, it was tease one another.

And I loved it.

Savanna was my sister and the only blood relative I had in this group, but they all felt like family. Of course, I’d known them all my life.

Our parents had been best friends when they were our age, and they’d considered themselves to be family, too. So, it didn’t necessarily surprise me that it was the same among us.

And the holiday season had always been a big deal for our families.

Sometimes, I could still remember all the traditions our parents had adopted when we were young.

We didn’t do nearly all those same traditions now that we were grown, but there was no question we made the effort to find time to celebrate with each other every year, keeping some of the old and creating some new celebrations of our own.

Tonight, we were bonding over one of the old ones.

And with near-perfect timing, it happened. The tree-lighting ceremony began.

For a while, we stood together, listening to the soft Christmas music that played in the background while the organizers worked, and the mayor spoke to the crowd.

With my friends by my side, I had my hands shoved in my pockets and allowed my eyes to scan the throng. Everyone was in attendance. Families, friends, and lovers. And for a moment, I found myself feeling a bit of longing.

I loved my life. I loved who I had in it. And there wasn’t much of anything I’d change. But I could admit that I liked the idea of getting myself to a place where I’d be here with my arms wrapped around the woman I loved.