25. Rowan
ROWAN
“Your dog needs training,” Harley says as I watch Nugget grab onto his pant leg and tug. The two of us are relaxing in one of the many living rooms in this place. “This morning I found him running around with a pair of my socks. My favorite pair. And then he tried to swallow them. Whole.”
I scrunch up my nose as I take a sip of the tea Samson made me. I would pull Nugget off, but it will only result in him going at his pant leg even harder.
“I’m not sure he is trainable,” I confess. “The only one he obeys is Larry—and Dottie, but I think that’s because of all the treats she bribes him with—and I think Larry just scares him.”
Harley sighs and then reaches down and picks up Nugget, who simply barks once and then laps at his chin before starting to chew on the sleeve of his shirt. “He’s like a fucking baby goat.”
I reach over to rub his floppy ears. “A very cute baby goat.”
“He is cute.” Harley lifts him up and drops a kiss on his nose. “But we need to train him before he eats something important.” He turns to me suddenly with a grin. “Think we can train him to eat specific things?”
“Like what?”
“Well, Cade has terrible taste in music,” he says. “All nineties trash. He’s been collecting it on vinyl. Wonder if Nugget will take on a few of those?”
I wince. “I mean, probably? But I don’t think that’ll be good for his digestive system.”
“Sad times,” Harley says, and then hiccups. “Damn, that potion is still in my system.”
“Your dick any bigger?” I ask, just as Samson rounds the corner, his brow furrowed.
“Why you asking him about his dick?” Samson demands, hands on his hips, his mouth turned down in disapproval.
“He’s curious,” Harley says as Nugget starts to wiggle violently in Harley’s arms, trying to reach for Samson.
Samson glowers at him but takes Nugget from his brother’s arms. He automatically cuddles him in as Nugget yaps happily.
Meanwhile, I’m over here trying not to swoon at the sight.
“We’re going to train him.” Harley points at Nugget. “If he’s going to live here, he can’t be terrorizing everyone.”
“Good fucking luck with that,” Samson grumbles as Nugget sniffs his neck. “I’m going to my shed.”
My lips pull tight. I don’t like that Samson’s safe place is so small. He needs something bigger. More open. Where he can be free…
An idea starts to percolate in the back of my mind.
Harley smirks at his brother. “Yeah, go to your shed. You need the practice.”
Samson’s cheeks flush, his fist balled at his side.
But before he can open his mouth to retort, I jump in.
“He’s doing really well, actually. And he’s passionate about it.
He shouldn’t have to hide what he loves.
At least he’s being brave in letting people know how he feels now.
I know not everyone in this room is able to do that. ”
Given that it’s just me, Harley, and Samson, he knows who I’m talking about.
Harley turns red, his gaze dropping to the floor. I should feel bad over my dig about him and Jules, but I don’t. Not when he seems determined to mock Samson.
Samson’s staring at me intently, something dark and wanting in those depths.
I clear my throat, lifting my chin high. “I’m sorry to be rude about it, but you’ve all made him feel bad long enough, and if I hear it, I will stop it. It’s not okay, and Samson deserves better.”
Harley gapes at me in shock. Approval flashes through his eyes, followed quickly by shame.
Then he turns toward Samson and nods his head.
“Fuck, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were so passionate about it.
I thought you just liked to…I dunno, throw axes through the air like a wildling.
” He stops and runs a hand through his hair before continuing.
“But I guess it makes sense. Wylder always did say Mom danced the most with you.”
“Yeah. She did. I’m not any good—”
“Samson Buckingham,” I begin, facing him with my hands on my hips, “so help me, I will also stop you from disparaging all your hard work and what you desperately love.”
He glowers at me, but I see the way his chest puffs up slightly, the flex in his bicep as he tries to reel Nugget in. It doesn’t work, so he just sets him down and Nugget begins sniffing along the floorboards—in search of food, no doubt.
I glare between the two of them. “Now apologize. Both of you.”
Harley looks at his older brother and looks sheepish. “Sorry for making fun of what you love.”
Samson grumbles at the words, but I see the way they affect him, how they sit in his chest and make it expand in relief.
“And you, Samson, you apologize too.”
“To who?”
“Yourself.”
Samson snorts. “Not fucking doing that.”
I begin to tell him that he must, but he cuts me off, a hand to my waist, pulling me into his chest. He smells so fucking good, like soap and a little bit of me. His lips come down against mine, and he kisses me roughly. A promise, an apology.
When he finally pulls away, I’m left reeling.
“You guys have fun training that demon dog. I’ll be in my fucking shed.” Then he kisses me once more, leaving my lips slightly swollen. “You can come visit if you want. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
He flips Harley off as he makes his way out of the kitchen, and I let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh. Never seen him like this with anyone.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, really. And never seen anyone defend him like that. I am sorry though. I guess I never really realized how much he loved it. I’ll have to tell my brothers about it.”
“Or I can. I can totally do that.”
“Yeah. We’ll set them straight. Together.”
We grin at each other, and for better or worse, I know I have a friend in Harley.
The moment is broken when I see Nugget shake a throw pillow violently.
I curse and lunge for it. It only makes Nugget run away, the pillow dragging on the floor.
He nearly trips over it, his short little legs trying desperately to maneuver around the large thing.
The two of them disappear out of the door as Nugget makes a break for freedom.
“Those are Wylder’s new pillows. Fuck. You go this way, and I’ll go the other,” Harley shouts with a laugh, moving down a small hallway and into a small seating area to try and subvert Nugget’s escape.
It works momentarily, but Nugget manages to wriggle out of Harley’s grasp and flings himself onto a couch, his long body knocking against an end table, the lamp and decorative vase wobbling precariously.
I gasp, shouting at Nugget to come.
It only makes him vibrate with excitement, the thought of being a bad boy even more exciting than a scrap of food on the kitchen floor. He starts to bark, his tail wagging violently.
As I approach, he steps back, and that’s when it happens.
I watch it in slow motion, the vase tipping to the right and then to the left. I lunge for it, and Nugget does the same, only he hastens the process, the most assuredly expensive antique tumbling to the floor with a crash.
Harley and I freeze, and Nugget eyes the mess and then rolls onto his back, smiling happily.
“What did you do?” Dottie says, rounding a corner, spray bottle in hand. She sees Harley and promptly squirts him before stepping past me and right to Nugget. “Did you hurt your wittle paws? Did the mean, bad men chase you?” she asks, making me frown.
“Dottie,” I begin softly, “Nugget’s the one who broke the vase.”
“He would never,” she says, turning toward me and looking appalled. “I expect that from him, but not from you.”
“But it’s the truth,” I say, and she rolls her eyes, scooping Nugget up and cradling him to her chest.
“It is not. He’s innocent. Now grab a broom, Harley, and clean up your mess.”
Then she storms out of the room, Nugget smiling happily at me as he goes.
“Well, fuck,” Harley sighs. “That’s…insane.”
“It is. I thought he got away with murder with me, but Dottie is something else.”
“I mean, he is cute, but he’d be cuter with some training. But at least Dottie has him now. He’ll be distracted for a while. After I clean this up, you want to show me some of your moves? I think training Nugget will have to be for another day.”
“What kind of moves?” I ask.
He laughs again. “I mean dance moves. You know, so I can connect with Samson a little more. I’m pretty sure I’m good at it, but I could use some pointers.”
“Maybe I should have the entire Buckingham family gather, and I can teach you all together.”
It’s a joke, but Harley’s eyes light up. “Oh. Oh yes. Let’s.”
“Wait—” I begin, but Harley is already rushing to grab a broom from a hidden closet, sweeping up the vase hurriedly, and then dumping it into the nearest trashcan.
“Was that expensive?” I ask anxiously, mentally tallying what’s in my bank accounts. The figure is depressingly low.
It’s a reminder of how much I don’t belong here with the Buckinghams.
Even if I’m starting to feel like maybe I should.
“Fuck knows,” Harley says breezily. “Don’t care either. Come on.”
I protest as he drags me out into the hallway. “But I need to know so I can pay Wylder back for it.”
Harley scoffs. “He wouldn’t accept your money. If he did, Samson would murder him.”
“Oh god,” I groan as I’m flung around a corner. I have to push off the wall not to crash through it, and as I do, we run into Ansel and Cade walking down the stairs.
“We’re having a dance lesson,” Harley says excitedly. “Get everyone else down here.”
“What kind of dancing?” Cade asks, his lips turning up in a grin. “I love a dance. Can it be erotic?”
Ansel shakes his head and then meets my gaze. “Why are we all getting dance lessons again? Did something happen?”
I move to open my mouth, but Harley beats me to it. “We need to support Samson. He loves it, Rowan loves it, so we’re gonna love it too. And what better way than to actually do it?”
Ansel’s eyes shine slightly as he pulls out his phone. “That’s just beautiful. I love it. I’ll text Neo and he can alert everyone else. Where are we meeting?”
“How about in the ballroom,” Harley says. “There’s enough space in there for us to move, and there are speakers.”
“And there’s a pole,” Cade says, rolling his lips slightly.
“Because it’s under construction. It’s a post.”
“Same thing.”
I snort, and Ansel rolls his eyes, but I’m pretty sure he means it.
“Neo wants to know if this is a code yellow,” Ansel says, and I look over at Harley, unsure what that means.
Harley just nods. “Yeah, tell them it is or else they won’t come quickly enough. And we have shit to do while Nugget is occupied.”
Ansel bobs his head, and then Harley ushers me forward, Cade and Ansel on our heels.
“Don’t worry, boo. We’re gonna dance our little hearts out and make you and Samson proud,” Harley says.
My eyes sting at the sentiment, at the way his family loves one another. And maybe…if I stick around, they can love me like that too.