I tell him about coming back to work for the APBRA. About running into Beau at the arena, the video that threatened my job, the fake courtship that Charlie proposed to save my career. About how fake became real so fast, it scared me. About Jakeand our history, about Charlie and his quiet devotion, about Beau and his overwhelming intensity.
Caleb listens without interrupting, his expression cycling through surprise, amusement, concern, and something that might be pride.
“And then there was my heat,” I say, looking down at my hands. “It hit early because of stress and being around them constantly. And they…” I swallow hard. “They took care of me. All three of them. And Beau bit me during it.”
“Jesus,” Caleb breathes. “That’s… that’s a lot, Wills.”
“I know.”
“And you’re sure? About all of this? About them?” His eyes search mine, and I can see the worry there. The protective older brother who’s trying to reconcile the little sister he remembers with the bonded Omega sitting before him.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything.” The words come out fierce, certain. “Caleb, they’re… they’re everything. They make me feel safe. Wanted. Seen. They don’t treat me like I’m fragile or broken or something to be managed. They just… love me. All of me. Even the messy parts.”
His expression softens. “Are you happy? That’s all I really need to know.”
Tears prick my eyes again. “Yes. So happy. Caleb, I didn’t know I could feel like this. Didn’t know it was possible to be this… complete.”
A slow smile spreads across his face—the first real smile I’ve seen from him since he walked into this barn. “That’s all that matters.” He reaches over and pulls me into another hug, this one gentler, longer. “My little sister, bonded to Pack McCrae. I’m still processing, but if you’re happy, then I’m happy.”
I cling to him, breathing in his familiar scent, hardly believing this is real. That he’s here. That he’s okay with this. That maybe we can find our way back to being siblings again.
“But I am going to kick Charlie’s ass,” he adds, and I can hear the smile in his voice. “Just on principle. Best friend’s little sister is supposed to be off-limits. It’s in the bro code.”
I laugh. “Good luck with that. He’s been waiting for you to come home so he could tell you himself. I think he’s been terrified.”
“Good. He should be.” But there’s no real heat in his words. “I’m going to make him sweat for a while. Maybe threaten his kneecaps. It’s my brotherly duty.”
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m protective. There’s a difference.” He pulls back, keeping his hands on my shoulders. “Seriously, though, I need to talk to all three of them. Set some ground rules. Make sure they understand that if they hurt you, I know where they sleep.”
“Caleb—”
“I’m kidding. Mostly.” His expression turns serious. “But I do want to talk to them. Especially Charlie. We’ve been friends for most of our lives. He should have told me.”
“He wanted to,” I say quickly. “But the timing was never right. And then things moved so fast, and?—”
“I get it.” He squeezes my shoulders. “I do. It’s just… it’s a lot to process. My best friend bonding with my little sister who I haven’t seen in six years.” He laughs, shaking his head. “This is not how I expected today to go.”
“How did you expect it to go?”
“I don’t know, a drink at Salty’s, a ride, one of Hattie Belle’s biscuits. Not finding out that you’re part of the most successful pack in the bull riding circuit.”
I snort. “Yeah, my life kind of went sideways.”
“Sideways is one word for it.” He pulls me into another bone-crunching hug. “Come on. Let’s get out of this barn and go grab some food at Salty’s. We have six years to catch up on, and I want to hear everything. And I mean everything.”
I burrow into the arm around me. “Everything?”
“Well, maybe skip the explicit details about my best friend and his pack.” He grimaces. “There are some things a brother doesn’t need to know.”
“Deal.”
As we walk toward his truck, the sun setting behind us and painting the sky in shades of orange and pink, I feel something settle in my chest. Something that’s been missing for six years.
My brother is back. And maybe my family isn’t as broken as I thought.
“So,” Caleb says as he opens the passenger door for me, “how exactly does a veterinarian end up in a fake courtship with three bull riders?”
