Chapter 28
Iturn onto my street and immediately notice Finn’s truck parked outside my house, the lifted frame impossible to miss even from half a block away.
The sight slows me down, my hands tightening slightly on the steering wheel as I pull closer.
By the time I roll into the driveway, everything looks normal.
Quiet. No movement outside. No sign of him.
I shut the engine off and sit there for a moment, listening to the silence settle around me before grabbing my bag and heading toward the door.
It opens the second I press down on the handle.
Unlocked.
A faint crease forms between my brows as I step inside, the familiar smell of freshly baked bread wrapping around me almost immediately.
Warm, comforting, completely out of place with the stillness of the house.
I close the door behind me and move through the hallway slowly, my boots soft against the floor as I glance toward the living room.
Neptune lies happily chewing on a bone, Skye stretched out nearby with Houston curled along the rug, all three of them calm and content like nothing unusual is happening.
Which somehow feels stranger.
I look up toward the stairs just as I notice Nathan standing at the top landing, arms crossed, watching something inside the guest room with quiet amusement.
“Hello?” I call, climbing the first few steps.
He glances down at me, relaxed. “Hey, May. We’re almost done here.”
We?
Confused, I continue up the stairs, and the second I reach the landing, my steps slow.
Aiden and Finn are in the guest bedroom, standing on opposite sides of the bed, pulling a sheet tight across the mattress, moving in an awkward, careful rhythm of two people trying very hard not to get in each other’s way.
The sight is so unexpected that I stare for a second, blinking as my brain catches up.
“What in the hell…” I murmur, staring at them.
Nathan chuckles beside me. “They’re learning to work together.”
I laugh quietly, more amused than anything, and both men lift their heads at the same time. Aiden’s expression barely shifts, calm and steady as always, while Finn’s shoulders tighten slightly before returning his focus to the comforter they’re now spreading across the bed.
“Did you make this happen?” I ask Nathan, still trying to figure out how I walked into this.
He shrugs. “Men are just like dogs. Little training goes a long way.”
I cover my mouth, laughing quietly, and he laughs with me while the two of them finish fluffing pillows, determined to prove something neither of them is saying out loud. Aiden smooths his side with quiet precision. Finn gives his side a quick fluff and then slips out of the room as fast as he can.
“I tried texting you,” he says as he walks toward me, voice lower now. “I didn’t want to just show up, but… I was worried.”
Guilt settles low in my chest.
“Sorry,” I say. “I’ve been busy. My sisters are coming tomorrow, and I’m trying to get everything ready.”
The timer goes off downstairs, sharp enough to break the moment, and Aiden turns without hesitation, heading toward the stairs. Nathan follows after him, leaving me alone with Finn as the house fills again with the quiet sounds of movement below.
“I didn’t mean to barge in on whatever’s going on here,” Finn says, and there’s a tightness underneath the words that makes me soften a little.
“You’re not barging in,” I tell him. “They’re helping me out. Aiden is using my oven. He is baking for the farmer’s market, and he needs all the help he can get. It’s a lot of work.”
“Aye,” he says, a small smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “The famous bread maker.”
I laugh, the tension easing slightly.
“Did you need something from me?” I ask.
His eyes meet mine then, the frustration fading into something quieter, more vulnerable. “I kissed you, and then I didn’t hear from you. I’ve been spiraling a bit.”
I reach for his arm, my fingers curling lightly around it.
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
He covers my hand with his, warm and steady, and for a moment neither of us speaks.
I rise onto my toes and press a small kiss to his cheek.
“Thank you for helping with the bed,” I murmur. “That was really kind of you.”
His breath leaves slowly, his expression easing as he nods.
“Aye, anything for you, lass.”
Twenty-four hours later, I’m driving into the Newport Municipal Airport with my heart beating faster than I expected.
George let me leave work early so I could make it here on time, and I spent the entire drive telling myself to calm down, that it’s just my sisters, that I’ll see them in a matter of minutes.
But the closer I get, the more the excitement builds, settling warm and restless in my chest. I didn’t realize how much I’ve been missing them until now.
I park and step out, the wind carrying that familiar coastal chill across the small lot. The sound of engines hums in the distance, and when I look toward the runway, I see the charter plane already sitting there, sleek and polished against the blue sky.
Of course they’re arriving like VIPs.
I start walking, shielding my eyes against the light reflecting off the tarmac, and I spot them stepping down from the plane one after the other.
Even from this distance, they’re unmistakable.
April moves first, animated and bright, her energy impossible to contain.
June follows behind her, slower, more reserved, her bag slung over her shoulder.
April turns her head, scanning the area, and the second she spots me, she lifts both arms.
“May!”
Her voice carries across the runway, and then she’s running toward me, laughing like we’re kids again, like she hasn’t seen me in years instead of months. I barely have time to brace myself before she crashes into me, arms wrapping tight around my shoulders.
The impact nearly knocks the breath out of me, but I laugh into her hair, holding her just as tightly.
“Oh my God, I’m so happy to see you,” she says, her voice shaky with emotion. “I’ve missed you so much.”
“I missed you too,” I murmur, squeezing her again.
June reaches us a second later, and suddenly all three of us are tangled together in the middle of the runway, laughing and holding on like none of us wants to let go first. April’s eyes are glossy when she pulls back, her face bright and emotional, and I feel something settle in my chest at the simple reality of having them here.
For a moment, it feels like nothing has changed.
Then I look at June.
She smiles when she catches me watching her, but it doesn’t fully reach her eyes. There’s a tightness there, something quieter than usual.
Whatever she needs, whatever is weighing on her, I’m going to make sure she leaves Oregon lighter than she arrived.
I pull them both back into another hug, holding on a little longer this time, the wind whipping around us and the smell of jet fuel mixing with salt air, my heart full in a way it hasn’t been in a while.
“I truly cannot believe you live here,” June says.
The three of us stand in the backyard, facing the ocean. The sun hangs warm above us, the air soft and breezy in that rare way the coast gets when everything lines up just right. The sound of the waves drifts up the hill, steady and calming.
Neptune weaves between us, happily soaking up attention, switching sides every few minutes depending on who’s scratching him best. April is already obsessed, crouching down every time he looks her way, snapping photo after photo.
“I can’t believe it either,” I admit, watching the water shimmer in the distance. “Every morning I wake up, and I’m just… thankful I get to be here.”
“It’s seriously stunning.” April straightens, looking out at the view. “I need to get Max to invest in property here so we can come visit all the time.”
“Especially if you’re going to be traveling in private jets now, Mrs. Billionaire Boyfriend,” I tease.
June giggles, and April rolls her eyes, cheeks turning pink.
“Seriously,” June goes on, nudging her. “And the worst part is, he worships her. Like, I knew they were in love, but this man practically worships the ground she walks on.”
April groans. “Okay, that’s dramatic.”
“It’s true. He’s kind and patient and just… grateful all the time. It’s honestly disgusting how perfect he is.”
April laughs, hiding her face for a second, but she’s smiling in that way that says she secretly loves hearing it.
“And this girl still won’t move in with him.”
I turn toward April. “Why not, though? What is stopping you?”
“I want my space.”
“Please,” June cuts in. “The poor guy was distraught. He had to go home at night because I was there, and they work together.”
“He was not,” April argues, laughing.
“He so was,” June screeches.
“Does he usually sleep over?”
April nods, grinning. “He stays over all the time.”
“Then why won’t you just move in together? You’re basically wasting money on rent.”
She shrugs, looking down at her hands for a moment. “I don’t want to move in until we’re engaged. I feel like if things don’t work out, I’ll still have my own space.”
“What makes you think things aren’t going to work out?”
“I don’t know.” She smiles sheepishly. “I would basically die without him at this point, so it better work out.”
We all laugh, the sound blending with the breeze and the distant crash of waves.
“You need to move in with that man,” June says. “And then you can come here and buy a house right next door to May, and I can just stay on her couch forever.”
“That reminds me.” I turn toward them. “Aiden brought a bed for the guest bedroom, and it’s pretty big, so you two should be comfortable.”
April’s grin turns sly immediately. “What is the fireman doing installing beds in your house?”
I laugh. “Actually… both Aiden and Finn helped move it in. And they even made the bed.”
They both stare at me.
“What?”
I huff out a laugh again, shaking my head, and start telling them everything that’s happened over the last three days.