Someone in the room clears their throat and then Boone says dramatically, “Well, this has been heartwarming and all, but I think our work here is done. We should probably give these two some space.”
Jake nods enthusiastically. “Yeah, we’ve got practice in the morning anyway.”
They file toward the door with surprising speed for men their size, but Sutton stops them. “Wait. You guys can’t go. We’ve got beers for everyone and Shepherd promised to get pizza. It’s on its way.”
The guys all stop and turn to me, registering my equal look of shock. “I did?”
Sutton places a hand on her hip and winks. “Yeah, remember? Last night? You promised you would get the guys pizza for helping me out?”
I bite back a laugh because I did no such thing and she knows it. I see what she’s doing here, baiting me into hanging out with the guys. Any other time I would say fuck no and spend my evening in peace and solitude, but the easy-going smile on Sutton’s face has me wanting to give her the world, so I can certainly handle a few pizzas and beers for these mindless fucks.
“Yeah, you’re right. How could I have forgotten?” I shrug.
“Silly, you,” Orry teases, giving me a playful punch to the shoulder. “I’ve got time for a beer and a slice.”
“You mean six slices,” Kyler jokes.
He pats his stomach. “What can I say? My mama says I’m a growing boy.”
Boone cackles. “She said that when you were ten, man!”
The guys file out of Sutton’s new home following Kill and Hop to the main house, but I linger until I’m the last one left. “You okay?” I ask, keeping my voice low so the guys can’t hear from outside.
Sutton runs her finger along the rim of my grandmother’s teacup, a small smile playing on her lips. “Yeah. I’m great. I just didn’t expect all of them to show up.”
“Neither did I,” I admit. “They’re like a pack of very large, very noisy puppies. Once one decides to go somewhere, they all follow.”
She places the cup carefully on the counter, handling it with a reverence that makes my chest tighten. “They care about you.”
“They’re nosy,” I correct her, but I can’t keep the affection from my voice.
“That too.” She glances around the space, taking in the details. The fresh flowers I put on the table this morning, the new coffee maker, the stack of books I thought she might like. “You didn’t have to do all this.”
“I wanted to.” I step closer, close enough to catch that scent that’s uniquely her. “Is it okay? The space, I mean.”
She nods, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It’s perfect. And it means a lot, thank you, Shepherd.” Her eyes meet mine, and there’s something in them that makes my chest tighten.
For a moment, we just stand there in her new kitchen, the sounds of my teammates and brothers laughing in the distance. I want to touch her, to brush that strand of hair from her face, but I don’t. I’m letting her set the pace, just like I promised.
“You didn’t have to invite them to stay,” I tell her. “I know they can be a lot.”
She laughs, and that sound still does something to me. “Actually, I wanted them to. They make me laugh and I haven’t laughed in a while. I’m sorry to have put you on the spot about the pizza. You can charge me double rent if you want.”
For the first time since she ran straight into my arms at the bar the other night she looks like someone who might actually feel safe here, which means inviting a bunch of idiots to move some boxes might have been the best accidental decision I’ve made all week.
“Five dollars it is then.”
I offer her my hand and to my surprise, she takes it. “Perfect. Put it on my tab.”
I tug her hand as she heads for the door, my heart suddenly racing. “Wait. There’s one more thing.”
She turns back, those coffee-colored eyes catching the light in a way that makes my chest ache. “What?”
My fingers tremble slightly as I hold up a Portland Rush keychain. Two keys dangle from the ring, as I place them in her palm. “These are for you.”
Her fingers curl around them. “What is this?”
“This one,” I say, my voice dropping lower as I hold the silver key, “is a key to this house.” I brush the gold key next, letting my fingertips linger against her warm skin. “And this one is a key to the main house. My house.”
