Everyone laughed. Aiden shrugged. “Different fathers.”
His gaze shot to me, regret in his eyes. I gave a small headshake to assure him it was okay. We had to live with our history, but we didn’t have to dwell on it. We also couldn’t avoid mentioning our parentage in every conversation.
“Let’s sit down,” Holden suggested as he sat the platter of turkey in the center of the table. “I’m starving.”
Knight’s eyes landed on the dish full of jalapenos. “Ooh, what are those?”
“Appetizers. Help yourself as we all get situated.”
Knight grabbed two, and I snagged one as I rounded the table with Bailey because I didn’t want to miss out on what he’d made. I popped it into my mouth as we took our seats.
The sweetness of the cream cheese muted the spice of the jalapenos, and the savory bacon balanced it all out. It was deliciously gooey in my mouth.
“Goddamn,” Knight said. “That’s good.”
Aiden watched him pop another one into his mouth and lick his lips. When he caught me looking, he turned to me with a smile.
“So, Bailey made those?”
Ah, that’s why he was watching. He was curious about my boyfriend. Understandably. “He did. I knew I’d bagged a hot mechanic, but I had no idea he was good in the kitchen too.”
Bailey snorted. “My brothers and I all took turns making dinner.”
“Get ready for a lot of garbage plates,” Gray said. “That’s his favorite thing to make.”
Bailey shrugged. “One-pot meal, hot and tasty. What’s not to love?”
“Amen, brother,” Axel said. “Your burger-bacon-noodles concoction is delish.”
“Not as good as all this looks, though,” Bailey said, glancing around the table. “Thanks for making all this food.”
“Everyone contributed,” Holden said. “For which I’m thankful. How about we go around the table and all share something we’re thankful for this year before we eat?”
“Good idea,” Shiloh said with a soft smile. “I’m incredibly thankful to have met Holden and to be welcomed into this family.” He pressed a hand over his chest. “No one has made me feel more loved in my life.”
“Aw,” Emory said. “Ditto. Except, you know, meeting Gray.”
There was some laughter.
“You can’t just copycat Shiloh,” Gray protested.
“Okay, I’m grateful for all of Gray’s sexy tattoos,” Emory said teasingly. “Otherwise, I might not have figured out I wanted to be a tattoo artist.” He reached out and fingered the Bro Code tattoo on Gray’s inner wrist. The man wore plenty more ink under his clothes, but this was a family dinner, so Emory wasn’t going to feel him up.
Not publicly, anyway. I’d seen them get pretty handsy when they thought no one was looking.
“I could say a lot more,” Emory admitted. “About how I’ve become my real self because of meeting you all. Learned to reallyembrace what makes me happy.” He glanced at me. “Flynn, I hope you’ll do the same, because this family is all about the unconditional love.”
One by one, everyone shared what they were thankful for.
“I’m thankful Bailey is here with us,” Holden said, “and Flynn too. I know it hasn’t been easy between us, Bails, and we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but I’m so damn glad to have you here, and I want nothing but happiness for you. You have a job back at the shop as soon as finals are over. And Flynn, your job is more than safe. With the county contract, we can cover two mechanics. I hope you’ll feel more secure knowing that we want you here. You’re not just an employee or Bailey’s boyfriend. You’re family.”
My throat grew tight, and I nodded, unable to find the words.
“Actually, would it be okay if I worked only part-time?” Bailey asked. “I’ve been looking into that program that Nova mentioned at my birthday. Auto body restoration. I was thinking about enrolling. With those new skills, we could expand the shop even more.” He hesitated. “Uh, if you think that would be a good idea, I mean? I just really want to make this business everything it can be. That’s what I’ve always wanted.”
“That’s a great idea,” Holden said. “I was so focused on you getting out there and experiencing what the world had to offer, I never considered what you could offer us. I was shortsighted about that.”
“I did get out there in the world and learn things,” Bailey said. “I learned my place is here with my family.” He grasped my hand. “With everyone I love.”
