Beck appears in front of me, grinning like a menace. “You ready, Ghost?”
“No.”
“Too bad.”
He pulls the blindfold over my eyes, and I go blind. Immediate instinct flares—my posture goes rigid, and my shoulders lock. Kate’s hand finds mine again, her fingers lace through mine, grounding me.
We’re guided outside, everyone talking excitedly around us—Beck narrating like this is a game show, Quinn hissing at him to shut up, Jace telling him he will bury him if he ruins this, and Addison laughing too loudly. Something important is about to happen, and I’m choosing to trust them instead of overreacting.
We stop after a bit of a walk, and the silence shifts. Even Beck quiets, which is how I know this is real.
Then Dad’s voice booms, “Alright, take them off.”
The blindfold comes off slowly. Light hits first, then shape, followed by scale, and for a second, my brain refuses to catch up with what my eyes are seeing.
A house sits in front of us, built of stone and dark timber, glass catching the last of the sunset and throwing it back at the sky.
It’s one of the houses Cole has been working on for the past couple of months. My dad came up with a project to build each Morgan sibling their own house on the property when the main house started getting too overcrowded with everyone getting married and having kids.
When Beck called to inform me I’d be getting a house too, I declined as I never saw myself returning here, but he said Dadwas having none of that and we were all getting one. They are not set to be complete for at least another three months, but this one seems to be done.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking around at all the grinning faces around me.
Dad’s explanation is clipped. “You came back, so we made room.”
Ella smiles, eyes bright. “Cole designed it with you in mind. He’s been working on it nonstop.”
Cole scratches the back of his neck, suddenly shy. “You like quiet and privacy. Thought you deserved a place that didn’t feel borrowed.”
Beck steps forward, hands shoved into his pockets, trying and failing to look casual. “So… yeah. Uh… Welcome home, brother.”
Kate’s hand tightens in mine, her breath catching sharp beside me. They don’t crowd us—that’s the thing that gets me most—they hang back, like they know this part isn’t for them. Kate turns into me, face buried against my chest, shoulders shaking.
She laughs through tears. “I was not emotionally prepared for this family.”
“None of us were,” Tessa mutters, earning a snort from Jace.
I look at my family—Zane, solid as ever; Jace, always watchful; Beck, grinning too wide because emotion makes him nervous; Ella, soft and strong; and Dad, the unmoving center of it all. I’ve spent ten years convincing myself I didn’t fit here anymore, but they never agreed.
I finally find my voice, rough as gravel. “Fine, you win. I won’t rebuild the mountain home. I’ll stay here, at Iron Stallion, with all of you,” I decree quietly.
The words land like a vow. Kate’s breath catches, and Ella smiles like she’s been waiting for that sentence her whole life. Hollers, cheers, tears, and lots of hugs follow.
Before it gets too much, I bend and scoop Kate up without thinking. She squeaks in protest, then laughs, arms wrapping around my neck. “Ryder,” she warns.
I kiss her forehead and carry her across the threshold, heart pounding hard enough to feel dangerous. The house smells like fresh wood and clean air. I kick the door shut with my heel, and on the other side, there’s an immediate chorus of exaggerated groans.
“Oh, come on,” Beck complains loudly. “At least let us see the kitchen layout!”
“Give them ten minutes,” Quinn calls back, laughter in her voice.
“Ten?” Ava scoffs. “Be generous.”
Kate’s face burns against my neck. “Horrible people,” she mutters.
“Our people,” I correct, and something in my voice makes her eyes flick up to mine.
Outside, Dad’s voice rumbles, amused and calm. “Leave them be.”
