“No, thank you. I need to make some calls to figure out homes for the cubs and Nyx.” Just as he says that, a refrigerated truck pulls up.
“This must be the meat for Nyx,” Declan says. “Why don't you take a shower? Doc and I can feed her before he leaves, and I’ll meet you back at the house.”
I bite my lip, looking between the truck and the barn.
“Come on, let them do it. You’ve had a big day, and a shower is just what you need.” Jacinta grabs my arm and drags me away.
“I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know what I’ve found out,” Doc calls after me, and I wave my hand at him, Jacinta not allowing me to stop.
When we get to the house, the living room is full of laughter, a noise that stops when we enter.
“Wow, way to make a girl feel self-conscious,” I grumble as I look down at myself. Of course, now that I have a full audience, I notice I’m covered in dirt and white fur and… Is that poop? Nope, not going to look too closely at that.
“We have two girls and three boys,” Jacinta proudly announces to the group. “Daphne, Velma, Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby.” You could hear a pin drop after her announcement as everyone tries to process that bombshell.
“Seriously?” Holden’s the first to come to his senses, breaking the confused silence.
“Yup,” she confirms while they all discuss much better names for ‘our’ cubs. She ignores them all in favor of pushing me in the direction of Max’s room and her ensuite. “Go shower while I find you some clothes,” she orders. I do as commanded, not wanting to think about how attached everyone has already gotten to the cubs, knowing how disappointed they’ll be when Doc finds them a new home. Honestly, I don’t want to face my own disappointment either, but I’ll pretend that I’m mostly worried on everyone else’s behalf.
My hot shower goes a long way in distracting me from my thoughts as I close my eyes and rest my head against the tiles while the water flows over me. I really don't want to give the tiger cubs up, but realistically, I could only raise them for a few months before they would need more space than I could provide them. Even if Dad let me build a cage, that wouldn’t be fair on them. They need space to roam, a place to swim, and things to climb. No, it would be best if Doc found them a zoo or sanctuary, but there are so many dodgy organizations out there, I just hope he can find a legit one.
After I shut off the water, it only takes a few minutes to dry off and tug on the pajamas Jacinta had laid out on Max’s bed. My apartment is completely packed up, so I’m supposed to be sleeping here, but I think I’ll climb in with one of the guys instead. I feel the need for some comfort tonight.
Hurrying downstairs to find some food, I feel a frown form when I get to the kitchen and discover no one is around. Murmuring voices come from the living room where Chuck and Melinda, Jace, and Jacinta are talking quietly. I move between the two couches.
“Where are all the guys?” I ask, looking around.
“Out at the riding arena. They asked if you could meet them down there when you were done with your shower.” Melinda smiles at me, and I groan.
“God, I’m exhausted. Do they really need me?” I grumble, finding everyone way too amused for my liking.
“See what they want, then you can go to bed,” Chuck cajoles me, a small smile on his lips.
“Fine. What are they all doing over there, anyway? They’re not pretending to joust with the practice lances, are they?” The thought of the six sexy Summers brothers pretend jousting flicks into my mind, but they’re not wearing shirts. They’re sweaty, and they run at each other in slow motion, practice lances in hand, aggression on their faces, but before they can hit one another, Jacinta nudges me with her leg.
“Did you just fall asleep on the spot?” I can’t offer anything but a shrug, and Jace’s snickers build in the silence of Jacinta’s incredulous stare.
“No. I don’t think so. Okay, I’m off.”
Grumbling, I make my way to the big indoor arena we train the horses in. Similar to Dad’s but bigger, there’s a permanent jousting fence on one side with enough room for two horses to practice. The rest is a wide open space, but when I pull one of the heavy doors open, that wide space isn't so empty. In the middle, the guys have set out a picnic blanket and surrounded it with battery-operated candles. The six of them are chatting, bottles of beer in hand, but they all stop when they see me.
ChapterTen
Harlow
Hey.” I wave kind of awkwardly, and Jaxon puts down his beer and gets up, coming over to greet me with a soft smile and a gentle kiss on the lips. I’m a little slow to respond because I can’t believe they’ve done this for me. Never before has anyone gone out of the way to make me feel special like this—well, no potential suitors anyway. It’s definitely a lot nicer when your boyfriends surprise you with a picnic.
“Hi, sweetheart. Come have a drink and something to eat. We have something we want to talk to you about.”
He takes my hand and leads me over to the blankets. Everyone moves over so I have room, and Declan passes me a glass of champagne.
“Oh, fancy. What are we celebrating?” I ask as he leans in to kiss me. When he pulls away, he’s smiling.
“You and what you mean to us.” His words make my heart skip a beat, and I feel all tingly inside.
“Here, you must be starving after your day. Declan and Thomas just told us everything.” Kai passes me a bowl of fragrant stirfry, and my stomach rumbles.
“You’re not wrong,” I tell him, carefully placing my glass next to me before taking the offered bowl. I can see they all have one too, and we’re quiet for a few moments while we all tuck into the delicious food.
