Hayes’s eyes soften just a little at that, but he still looks stunned. “You’re serious about this.”
I nod. “Dead serious.”
Ford lets out a low whistle, hands on his hips. “You realize how much this thing’s gonna cost, right? Even you can’t?—”
“I can,” I say firmly. “I’ve been saving for years, waiting for something worth putting it toward. And this? This is it.”
Silence stretches. Then Hayes takes a slow breath and says, “Why now?”
I don’t hesitate. “Because it’s time. Time to stop acting like a pack that doesn’t know where it belongs. Time to build something that lasts. For us. For her. For the family we chose to make together.”
Ford’s gaze flicks to the house again, then back to me. “You really think this place could be that?”
“I don’t think,” I insist. “Iknow.”
Hayes’s lips twitch, trying not to smile. “Well, damn. Guess you’ve already made up your mind.”
“Pretty much,” I admit.
Ford shakes his head, but there’s a glint in his eye now. “Hell, Beck… when you do something, you don’t half-ass it, do you?”
I smirk. “Not in my nature.”
The three of us stand there for a moment, staring at the house. I can already see it. Our voices filling the rooms, Lo laughing in the kitchen, maybe a few dogs sleeping by the fire because we’ve always got room for more. It feels right. It’s the future.
Finally, Ford huffs out a laugh and claps me on the shoulder. “Screw it. Let’s do it.”
Hayes grins, quick and sharp. “Guess we’re about to be homeowners.”
I look at both of them, the weight in my chest easing. “No,” I correct, letting the words settle in the night air. “We’re about to be home.”
CHAPTER 39
Lo
Idon’t even know what to say.
Mostly because I can’t see a damn thing.
The blindfold is soft. Satin, maybe, but it makes the ride feel a hundred times longer. Every bump in the road sends my stomach flipping, and the low rumble of the truck’s engine thrums through me like a pulse I can’t escape.
“Seriously,” I mutter. “Am I being kidnapped right now? Because if that’s what’s happening, I have to tell you, I will not be a well-behaved kidnappee.”
Ford chuckles from the driver’s seat, and I swear I can hear the smirk in his voice when he says, “Pretty sure that’s the first time someone’s tried to sass their kidnappers.”
I tilt my head toward him, even though I can’t see a thing. “Then you admit it. Youarekidnapping me.”
Hayes’s voice comes from the passenger side, low and lazy. He’s enjoying this way too much. “Not exactly.”
“Not exactly?” My heart is doing this weird tripping-over-itself thing. They’ve both been weirdly quiet since they picked me up. No clue where Beck is. Just the promise of a “surprise.” Which is usually code for either something great… or insane.
And considering these men, odds are it’s both.
Hayes leans back, his shoulder brushing mine. God, of course they put me in the middle. “You’re gonna like it, Lo.”
“That’s what all good kidnappers say.”
Ford laughs again, and then I hear the turn signal click. Gravel crunches under the tires as the truck slows, and the air shifts. Cooler, wilder somehow. The scent of pine sneaks in through the open vents, sharp and clean. We’re definitely out of town now.
