Page 70 of Crossroads

“I see you guys are here. Sorry, we had to duck out of the town hall early.”

I cleared my throat as Callum turned on the oven. “Your shirt’s inside out, bro.”

“I always wear it this way.”

“I suppose leaving town hall early to set up dinner didn’t quite work out as planned?” Kiera asked, tongue in cheek.

My shoulders shook as the laugh rumbled through me, and my brother just looked at me, eyes wide.

I didn’t think they would get used to me smiling, laughing, but they would have to get over it. I was figuring it out as it was.

Teagan came through and pushed me out of the way so she could help Felicity, as Finnian walked in with Sterling, both of them in a heated discussion about something I wasn’t paying attention to. I knew usually we would invite some of our friends and more of the town, but for now, it was just the Ashfords and those close to us. And that meant Kiera was by my side as I walked down the long hallway filled with photos and paused at the one that I had asked Callum to put up the night before. Kiera’s breath caught, and she reached forward, her fingers playing along the edge of the frame.

“Did you do this? Did you know about it?”

I nodded and pulled her close as I kissed the top of her head. “He’d had it up before and hid it for a while. I figured it was time.”

Kiera sniffed into my chest as she wrapped her arms around my waist, and I looked down at the different photos that had been added to the wall.

One of our mother, smiling and not looking like she was scared of the man who would eventually try to break all of us. Another of Malcolm, behind a drum kit, flipping us off, although his cymbal blocked the movement just enough that hopefully one of the kids wouldn’t ask about it. And next to that was a photo of Courtney on the beach, our single vacation we had taken when we had been a family of four. She sat on the sand, the water coming up to her knees, as I stood behind her, Henry in my hands, and Josie was wrapped around my leg, all of us grinning at the camera.

“I remember that day. Courtney asked a stranger to take a photo for us, because she could always do that. I hated talking to anyone, even back then. But she asked everybody to make sure that we had family photos. Rather than photos of just the three of them.”

“Usually it’s the mom that doesn’t want to be in front of the camera.”

“Courtney used to try that, and I would take the phone or camera and switch our roles. But there were plenty of digital photos of the four of us. None of the prints survived, but we can put them in frames again around the house. If you want.”

“I’d love to have them in the house. As long as you’re okay.”

I kissed the top of her head again and let out a deep sigh. “I think it’s time. I only have a couple lurking around the house as it is. But I don’t want them to think I forgot them.”

Kiera pulled my attention down to her, a frown on her face. “I don’t think they’d ever believe that. But I love you, Bodhi. And they loved you. Let’s make sure that the house has space for all five of us. Because no matter what happens, no matter who comes next in our lives, those three are my family too.”

I slid my thumb along her jawline before taking her lips with mine ever so gently.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”

“You didn’t run away when I came at you with a bat. I’m going to count that as a win.”

I snorted. “Yes, that must be it.”

“If not that, then it’s the piercings,” she whispered, and I groaned.

“What piercings?” Finnian asked. I whirled on him, wondering when my little brother had walked down the hall.

“None of your business.”

“I have so many questions, but then again, you’re like a sister now, Kiera. Maybe I don’t have any questions.” I took a step forward, and Finnian held up both hands. “I’m going to go check on my daughters.” He pulled out his phone and ran back down the hall, leaving Kiera in a fit of laughter.

“That man sometimes sounds like the happiest, most comical guy there is. I don’t know how he can run his business and be a single dad at the same time.”

“You know, growing up, I’d always hoped that I’d have a bigger family. Or at least a family that cared about me at all. Now there are so many of you.”

“And eventually Callum will start breeding, and Briar will have another kid. And everybody just keeps adding to the pile.”

“You brought me in? So you are part of the problem,” she said dryly.

I took her mouth with a quick kiss and led her back into the living room, where everybody was talking at once, snacking, and just living.