* * * *
The house filled with people. I immediately noticed that most of the adults were keeping an eye on the boys and Mona. It was interesting to me how Rey kept checking on Madden and Mona, and Madden kept his eye on his sister. The three of them were a small unit now, and it made me feel better about when I would inevitably find myself unable to stay.
And if it just happened so that the boys became an item while I was gone…yeah. I’d chalk it up on fate and learn to live with it.
With that thought in mind, I let myself sink into getting the food finished. Everyone had brought something, but those needed to be heated and I dug out utensils to use for everything. Theo had taken the job of getting the fold-out tables and chairs from the storage, and Seb and Ben were helping him with that.
Hudson arrived late, but he’d been stuck in traffic coming from Chicago, so we’d pretty much expected that anyway.
He looked stressed out, so Theo pulled him aside for a chat in Lake’s office. Sierra gave me a look when she saw them retreat there, and I shrugged as if to say I didn’t know either.
Hud had been closest to Ruth, but he’d always been a friend to all of us here. He’d started as Ruth’s lawyer for all things Twin Star and her personal life.
Now, it felt like his weariness came from something other than just regular work fatigue. The man worked too much as it was, but if there was something else going on, one of us needed to know. Why? Because we knew that he didn’t have that many friends in Chicago. He was a workaholic and coming here had always been his solace.
Once I had everything ready to be moved to the table, I gave orders for the closest people to do the moving while I went to freshen up.
“Get the kids up as well!” Toby called after me, making me wince.
I jogged up the stairs and went to my room first, then, once I felt less like my neglected bladder was about to burst and I looked a bit better, I went to knock on Madden and Mona’s door.
When there was no answer, I quietly opened the door.
The sight of the three of them on the bed made me feel so damn torn. It was such a lovely sight and clearly how things weresupposed tobe. But it also made me feel the green-eyed monster inside my chest perk up. I wanted that with Rey.
I knocked on the doorframe. “Guys, it’s time to eat.”
Madden stirred first, looking groggy as hell. “Huh?”
“Time for dinner.”
He turned his head to look at me, then something about his expression changed, and he tugged at Rey’s arm that was around him. “Babe? We need to wake up.”
Rey groaned and squeezed him closer, making my heart do a weird flip. “Okay,” he mumbled.
Madden gently shook Mona awake while Rey rolled away from him and stretched. And noticed me at the door.
A slow smile spread on his lips, and my heart did that thing again, except this time it was for a whole other reason.
“Come on, you have five minutes,” I told them collectively, then started back downstairs.
* * * *
Having fourteen people sitting around an awkwardly cobbled together dining table was kind of…fun. The round tables were at the ends, and Theo and the guys had managed to fit two folding tables in between them.
Everyone just picked a chair and we all sat down.
“So,” Lake said, and everyone quieted instantly. “Why don’t we go around the table and each say one thing we’re thankful for this year?” At everyone’s noises of agreement, Lake closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and smiled. “I suppose I should say I’m grateful for Twin Star, and I am, but not at the cost it came at. Instead, I’m going to say I’m the most grateful for Theo.”
Everyone went “aww” and Theo blushed.
As we went around the table, everyone could find something to say.
“Found family,” Toby murmured, clearly trying his best not to look at the kids he wanted to be his.
“Riding lessons!” Mona said excitedly.
“Warmth,” her brother said quietly.
