“It is,” Max agrees. “It feels a little weird with none of us living in it.”
Liam bought the house back from the bank as soon as he got his first paycheck after turning pro. It was his first big purchase.
His second was to pay for his three brothers to go to college. None of us made it through four years—we all got drafted young, and we were anxious to take care of ourselves financially so Liam didn’t have to anymore.
Liam was the only one of us who truly enjoyed studying, and I know he would have loved college. But life’s not always fair, and Liam was the oldest and the one who sacrificed so we could all get what Dad wanted for us—to play professional hockey and to excel at it.
Winter leans over and kisses me. “I’m going to leave you boys to catch up for a while,” she says. “I’ll see you at home.”
“Be ready because I have a surprise for you later,” I whisper in her ear.
After she’s gone, the four of us lie on our backs and stare at the darkening sky.
“Can’t believe we caught him.” Jared’s words are barely audible.
“Doesn’t change the past,” Max says.
“No,” Liam says. “But maybe it will help us bury this shit for good. The cop said he’d give us a call when they find out more.” He glances over at Max. “You don’t want to pass down all that anger to your kids someday, do you?”
“I don’t plan to have kids, so that solves that problem,” Max says with a chuckle we all know is meant to mask his pain.
“You don’t want kids?” I ask him.
“Nope. And I thought you didn’t either,” Max says to me.
Jared elbows me in the ribs. “Has your new housemate changed your mind?”
I flip him off, but while they’re all laughing, Winter crosses my mind.
Would I want kids?The answer to that is simple—only if Winter and I did the parenting thing together. She’s the only woman I ever saw a future with.
“Are you two serious?” Jared asks me.
I take a swig of the whiskey rather than answer him. What am I supposed to say, that Winter and I are fuck buddies? Something tells me none of my brothers would believe that even though technically it’s the absolute truth. But when I’m with Winter, I don’t believe it, either.
“She’s the only woman I know who can put up with your bullshit,” Liam says. “She even came babysitting with Hunt the other night,” he says to the twins. “And they were both good with Lulu.” He turns to me. “You looked good all domesticated.”
“Fuck off,” I say to him.
But I felt it, too. Taking care of Lulu with Winter beside me—it felt easy. And far too comfortable. When she leaves for New York, I don’t want to miss her the way I did the last time.
I already know in my gut that it’s going to be far worse than that, though. We’re connecting as adults, and with our past as a foundation—it’s damn near addictive.
“Question.” Max sits up and looks over at me from the other side of Jared. His dark hair is longer in the front, and it falls into his eyes as he stares at me. “I don’t mean to get in your business, but something’s been bugging me about the night we lost Dad.”
“Okay.” I have no idea where he’s going with this, and I gesture for him to continue.
“How did Winter end up at our house that night?” Max asks me. “Neither of you had your licenses back then. And I didn’t think you called her before you left the hospital.”
“I didn’t. I took a cab to her house,” I say.
“In the middle of the night?” Jared doesn’t look over, but the surprise in his voice is obvious. “What if she didn’t wake up when you knocked or threw shit at her window or whatever it is you two did?”
“I knew she’d be there for me,” I say easily. Truer words were never spoken. “When I got there, I asked her if she’d come over. She saidof course. She even—” I cut off.
But my nosy brothers’ interests are piqued.
“She what, Hunt?” Liam asks me.
