39
Christmas Eve in Montana included a lot of colorful lights, snow fights, and spiked eggnog. Every color of light imaginable covered the tree, and festive music hummed from invisible speakers.
The place even smelled like pine.
Denver sat at a card table in the corner of the rec room, watching a pregnant Audrey Dean flip through a catalogue of baby clothes next to him. He had a sister. It was too amazing to think about, and he couldn’t stop watching her.
She hummed happily. “If she has our eyes, we should buy this one.” She tapped her finger on a very tiny blue dress with pink polka dots.
“I’ll buy it,” Denver said easily, studying this new sister of his. She had black hair and very blue eyes. But where their mother’s eyes had been cold and calculating, Audrey’s were all warmth.
She laughed. “You keep saying that.”
His heart hurt from the enormity of it all. “I’m going to be an uncle. That matters.” Holy shit, that mattered. His chest filled with heat. He had to get to know this amazing woman. Had to protect her.
She smiled and reached across to grab his hand. “We’re going to have so much fun.”
He exhaled. “I’m sorry. For what happened. What I did.” He was still dealing with the fact that he’d killed his own mother, and it was going to take some time for him, but that was okay. He had time, and he’d do the same thing in the same situation, so that was that. “She was your mother, too.”
Audrey tightened her hold, her gaze softening. “You had to save Talia and everyone else. Mother was a danger to all of us, and now we’re safe.” She sighed. “We’ll handle it together.”
Yeah. Together. They’d help each other deal with the fact that their biological mother didn’t give a shit about them and had even forced him to shoot her. “You’re going to be a great mom, Audrey,” he murmured.
Her smile warmed him. “I know. And you’re going to be an awesome uncle to her.”
“Him,” Nate Dean said as he passed through the room, grabbing an empty appetizer plate on his way.
Audrey laughed. “It’s a girl.”
“If you say so.” Denver glanced at Nate’s back as he moved into the massive kitchen area. “I’m not sure he’s good enough for you,” he teased.
Audrey snorted. “That’s funny.”
“Denver? Come talk to me,” Matt Dean said from over by a long table.
Denver hesitated.
“I’ll be fine, Den,” Audrey said gently. “We have a date tomorrow to walk the property, remember?”
He nodded, fully prepared to make sure she didn’t stumble. His heart was so full these days, and she definitely took up a big place in it. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Her smile was sweet and accepting. “I’m glad you’re my brother.”
The words sank in and warmed him. “Me too.” He patted her hand. God had given him so much. Keeping an eye on her, he moved toward Matt and Ryker by the table.
Matt was the oldest of the Dean brothers, also known as the Gray brothers. Denver had been on the property only for a day, and here he was, joining Matt in looking over maps of it, eggnog in his hand. Noni had gone to put Talia down for a nap in one of the main lodge’s bedrooms.
“So, as you can see, we can build more houses over to the north.” Matt pointed to a section near the other homes. “Every home is on a two-acre lot, so there’s tons of room.” He looked up, his gray eyes gleaming.
Denver couldn’t help but smile. “None of us have agreed to move here.” Though they were definitely all moving there. Might as well let Matt convince him. The guy seemed to like maneuvering everybody, so why not make him happy?
Matt shifted an impressive amount of muscle beneath his dark shirt. “Then build homes and then decide to stay for sure.” He pointed to the existing houses. “This is where Laney and I live. She’s a doctor, so you’ll want to be close to us just for the baby’s sake.” Then he pointed to the other homes. “Nate and Audrey are here, Shane and Josie here, and Jory and Piper here.” He grinned. “It’s our own little subdivision.”
Ryker leaned over and studied the plat map. “I like how the river runs behind them and they’re all so nicely treed.”
Denver barely kept from grinning. Ryker was so in. He loved this plan.
Mattie nodded. “Yeah. We could build your houses here.”
