"No." He turns off the stove and moves to the window, looking out. "It's Colt. And Mason."
My stomach drops. "Should I… Do you want me to hide or—"
"Absolutely not." He turns to face me, expression firm. "You're not hiding. We're not hiding. This is happening, and everyone's going to have to deal with it."
"But what if Mason—"
"Mason's going to be fine. They're all going to be fine." He crosses to me and cups my face. "We're not doing anything wrong, Nicole. You're an adult. I'm an adult. We care about each other. That's all that matters."
I nod, but my heart is racing. One thing to have Colt's blessing. He's my best friend, he knows me. But the other ranch owners? They might see this differently. Might think I'm too young, or that Boone's making a mistake, or—
The front door opens without a knock. Because of course it does. This is a ranch. Nobody knocks.
"Boone?" Colt's voice carries through the cottage. "You here?"
"Kitchen," Boone calls back, not moving from his position in front of me. Protective. Claiming me without saying a word.
Footsteps. Then Colt appears in the doorway, Mason right behind him.
Colt's eyes immediately find me sitting on the counter in Boone's flannel, and a grin spreads across his face. "Well, well, well. Looks like my meddling worked."
Mason looks between me and Boone, confused. "What's going on?"
"Boone and Nikky finally got their heads out of their asses," Colt announces proudly. "And judging by the fact that she's wearing his clothes and they both look thoroughly fucked, I'd say it went well."
"Colt!" I bury my face in my hands, mortified.
Mason's eyebrows shoot up. "Wait. You and Boone?"
"Yes," Boone says firmly, moving to stand beside me. His hand finds mine, fingers lacing together. "Me and Nicole. We're together."
"Since when?"
"Since this morning. Officially." Boone squeezes my hand. "But I've wanted her for three years."
"Jesus Christ." Mason runs a hand through his hair. "I did not see that coming."
"Really?" Colt snorts. "Because it was painfully obvious to anyone with eyes. He's been mooning over her for years."
"I have not been mooning," Boone protests.
"You absolutely have." Colt grins. "Remember last summer when she came by to drop off cookies and you walked into a fence post because you were too busy staring at her ass?"
I laugh despite my embarrassment. "You did?"
"No." Boone's ears turn red. "That was unrelated."
"Sure it was." Colt turns to Mason. "And she's been just as bad. Asks about him constantly. Gets this dreamy look whenever someone mentions his name. It's been nauseating."
"It has not!" I protest.
"It really has," Colt confirms. "But I'm happy for you both. Seriously. You're two of my favorite people. If this works out, that's amazing. And if it doesn't—" His expression hardens slightly. "—I'll kick both your asses for making things weird."
"It's going to work out," Boone says with absolute certainty.
Mason is still processing, looking between us like we're a puzzle he can't quite solve. "So, you're dating? Like, seriously dating?"
"Yes," we say in unison.
