Chapter Twenty-Six
Ryanne
T he next morning I slip out of the front door, leaving Justice asleep, and head for the main house, anxious to see Hannah.
I feel like a completely different person after everything that happened last night and though I am still trying to come to grips with it all, I don’t regret a single moment of it.
In a way I feel like I’ve been set free. Free from the fear I felt when it came to Justice and the bond he shared with his brothers. Free from the regret and guilt I harbored for running all those years ago, but most of all, free to express my love.
Justice didn’t say the words back to me, but he showed me with every touch and kiss. He made love to me like never before, cherished me in ways I only ever imagined. It meant so much more than words ever could.
He also opened up and shared a part of himself, which I know was incredibly hard. The revelation of his birth mother shattered me, but it also made me realize we have more in common than I thought. Both born to parents who hate us. Though, his was definitely more violent and tragic.
It terrifies me to think what else he may have suffered before finding his brothers and Thatcher.
In the living room, amongst the throes of passion, I witnessed all three of their demons and it was a very dark place.
My heart breaks for them all but it also makes me understand them a little more.
Why their hearts are as interconnected as they are.
They all share one common denominator: pain.
Braxten is sitting out on the front steps when I reach the main house, drinking a cup of coffee. Heat creeps up my neck, invading my cheeks as erotic images from last night surface. I may not regret it but I do feel a little embarrassed knowing he saw me in my most intimate and vulnerable moments.
His gaze is warmer than usual as he greets me. “Hey.”
“Hey,” I reply back quietly. “Hannah awake yet?”
“Yeah, she and Dad are cooking breakfast.”
Nodding, I start up the stairs only to have him snag my wrist, stopping me mid step.
“Sit with me for a minute.”
I look down at his hand before nervously taking the spot next to him, my eyes training ahead as I stare out at the rising sun.
“You doing okay?” he asks, sounding genuinely concerned.
“Yeah. Still just trying to take it all in I guess.”
He grunts. “You and me both.”
I look over at him, surprised by the admission. I figured this would be the norm for them, but I am finally realizing this is hard for him, too.
“Look, I just want to say thank you for giving us one last time together.”
His heartfelt words have warmth invading my chest. “I didn’t just do it for you guys,” I confess quietly.
“I did it for me, too. I feel like I needed to in order to really understand the relationship you have with one another. As much as I hate to admit it, I always felt threatened by it. I knew I could never compete with it.”
“Trust me, we’ve never been a threat to you, not where my brother is concerned.”
There’s so much truth in those words that it erases any remaining insecurities I had. It also brings forth the memory of that first night with Justice, the night I saw the figure standing just outside the door of his bedroom, watching us during our most intimate moment.
“Were you the one watching us that night?” I ask bravely, feeling almost embarrassed for asking but I can’t help myself. I’ve thought about it often over the years, wondering which one of them it was, though I think I have a pretty good idea…
The confused scowl that transforms his expression confirms what I already suspected. “What night?”
“When Justice and I were together all those years ago someone watched by the door.”
Surprise registers on his face before he chuckles. “Knox, that fucker.”
I always figured it was him but had to ask.
“He didn’t like the circle being broken, even back then.”
I understand it more now than I did before, which is one of the reasons why I went through with it last night.
“I don’t want to take him away from you guys,” I say, feeling the need to tell him that. “I just want to love him, too. I need him as much as you guys do, so does Hannah.”
The same emotions gripping my heart are prominent on his face. “Yeah, I know.”
“The three of you are lucky to have each other,” I continue, voice soft. “I don’t have siblings; I never had anyone love me until Hannah. Well, and Thatcher.”
“That man really loves taking in the strays, doesn’t he?”
I chuckle, thinking how true it is. Thatcher is one of a kind. He definitely makes the world a better place. Without him, all of our lives would not be what they are today.
“But now you have two badass brothers, not to mention how hot we are.” He slings an arm around my shoulders, pressing a kiss to the side of my head. There’s nothing sexual about it, just friendly—brotherly.
I roll my eyes at his not-so-subtle modesty but can’t deny the warmth flowing through me. “Well, I appreciate you saying that but let’s not count Knox in just yet.”
“Don’t worry about him. Beneath all that hostility he’s just bursting with love.”
The ridiculous statement has a bout of laughter escaping me. I’m pretty sure Knox doesn’t burst with anything. He’s too closed off, too…sad. The reminder of what I saw last night has my heart growing heavy again.
“How’s he doing?” I ask.
He shrugs. “He’ll be all right. We all knew this day would come eventually, but that doesn’t make it easier, ya know?”
I nod, completely understanding that.
Approaching footsteps pull our attention forward.
There I find Justice walking toward us, looking sinfully sexy in all his morning glory.
His dark hair is rumpled with sleep, jeans from the night before hanging enticingly off his lean hips.
He carries his shirt in his hand, leaving his very powerful and sculpted body on display.
“Show off,” Braxten grumbles.
Smiling, I slip out from under his arm and walk down a few steps to greet Justice, my arms locking around his neck as he pulls me in close, our bodies fitting together in the most perfect way.
“Good morning,” I greet him.
“Morning,” he mutters, his deep voice still thick with sleep. “Everything okay?” His gaze shifts to Braxten with the question.
“Yeah, she just wanted to come and hang out with me,” he says. “Said she missed me and couldn’t stop thinking about me.”
It takes everything in me not to burst out laughing, especially at the glare Justice gives him. “Actually, I came to see Hannah. I missed her.”
“Me too,” he shares. “And you.”
The admission has a silly smile stealing my lips.
“All right, this is making me nauseous,” Braxten says, pushing to his feet. “I’m going inside, I’ll see you guys in there.”
“Brax,” I call over my shoulder.
He turns back to face me.
“Thanks for the talk.”
“Anytime… sis .”
The one word means so much more than he can ever know.
After he walks inside, I turn back to Justice and find him watching me closely. “Sis?” He lifts a brow.
“Uh-huh.” I lean in, brushing my lips across his. “How do you feel about that?”
His hands drop to my bottom, pulling me flush against him. “I say let’s make it legal by you marrying me.”
I shake my head, lips quirking. “Nice try, Creed.” Grabbing his hand, I pull him up the steps. “Come on, let’s go see our little girl.”
He grunts. “Nice evasion.”
It’s all I have for now. I don’t want to lose this new place we have found ourselves in. A place that very well could lead to what we both want.
Music greets our ears the moment we enter, Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” blaring from the kitchen, Thatcher’s and Hannah’s voices singing the words. We walk in to find Thatcher standing at the stove, flipping pancakes in the air while she catches each one with a plate.
Braxten almost gets a pancake in the head as he grabs himself a glass, managing to dodge it just in the nick of time. The entire scene before me has warmth flooding my heart.
“Mama, Daddy!” Hannah puts the plate down when she spots us and runs straight into Justice’s waiting arms.
“Morning, baby.” He kisses her cheek before shifting her to the side so I can hug her, too.
“How was your night?” I ask.
“It was amazing. Papa Thatcher and I had so much fun. We drank hot cocoa, had popcorn, and watched Brave .”
“Now why am I not surprised to hear that’s the movie you chose.” I look over at Thatcher to see his smile is as bright as Hannah’s.
“We had a great time,” he says. “We’ll have to do it again.”
“Uncle Knox said he would take me on the tractor with him later today and even let me drive.”
For the first time since entering the kitchen my eyes move to Knox, nerves twisting in my belly as I try to gauge where we stand.
His usual hard expression is a little softer today, and for the first time ever I’m greeted with a nod.
It’s more than I’ve ever gotten from him before so I take it as a starting point and smile in return.
“Have a seat,” Thatcher says. “Hannah J. and I made chocolate chip pancakes for everyone.”
Chairs scrape across the floor as we all take what have become our usual seats at the table. Justice sits next to Knox, putting Hannah between us. As I help dish her plate, I notice him pull his brother in close, murmuring things that the rest of us can’t hear.
Witnessing their love and bond makes my chest swell and ache at the same time. Whatever he says has Knox nodding before he releases him.
“Did everyone have a good time at the dance?” Thatcher asks, the grin resting on his face a good indicator that he hasn’t stopped thinking about it, and I have a pretty good feeling as to why.
“I did,” Hannah says. “I loved playing with Amelia.”
“How about you, Thatcher?” I ask, not bothering to hide my knowing smile. “It sure looked like you and Gwen had a good time.”
“Well, you know.” He chuckles, and if I didn’t know any better I’d swear the man was blushing. “Dancing with a beautiful woman all night is no hard feat.”