Page 49 of Cowboy Triplets Next Door

“What?” Keaton sat forward. “Did I hear that right?”

“You can’t leave, Billie.” Owen shook his head and scowled. “No. Not happening.”

I looked down at Gray, waiting to hear what he had to say but he just stared back at me, lips pressed tightly together. Was he okay with me leaving? The thought hurt and he must’ve seen the pain etched onto my face because he finally reacted. It just wasn’t in the way I expected. He stood up and stalked out of the house.

I stood there, swaying from being put down so suddenly, and looked at Owen and Keaton. “I…what…see? He doesn’t want to be stuck with me. I’m crazy for even thinking this was a good idea.”

Before either of them could respond, I stomped to my bedroom and shut the door. I locked it and then turned to glare at my bed. I didn’t want to sleep there, not when it smelled like them after just one night. With a heavy heart, I sank down on the edge of the bed anyway and buried my face in my hands.

“Open the door, Billie!” Gray’s voice startled me. He knocked hard enough to rattle the walls. “Open it now or I’m knocking it down.”

I stood up and then hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to face them.

“I’m not joking, Billie.”

I groaned, unlocked and yanked open the door. “I thought you left. Why’d you come back?”

He grabbed me and pulled me back to the living room. Owen and Keaton watched from where they were still sitting. Owen raised his eyebrows at me. “Are you going to be this dramatic for the rest of our lives?”

“Good thing you’re so much older than me then, so you won’t have to deal with it for that long.” I froze, finally making sense of his words after reacting first. “Wait. What do you mean? The rest of our lives?”

Gray settled on the chair again and tugged me into his lap. “Before you got all moody and locked yourself in your room, you tried to suggest that you’re still planning on leaving. No. You’re not leaving, Billie. For three obvious reasons.”

Keaton lifted his hand. “Reason number one right here. Owen and Gray can fight over two and three.”

“Another reason you aren’t leaving, Billie, is that you have a responsibility to this ranch.” Gray watched my face go red and smiled. “Before you attack, look at this.”

I grunted. “I wasn’t going to attack.”

“Just look at it, Bumble B.”

I took the folded stack of papers from him and opened them while holding his gaze. “I don’t know what this is but I—”

My heart thudded painfully fast. Reading over the first few lines of the paperwork, I saw that my name had been added to the deed to the ranch. Swallowing, I raised my eyes to Gray’s. He watched me with a blank look on his face, his body tense.

“Is this real?” My voice broke and I licked my lips. “You…you added me to the deed?”

“It’s always been yours, too, B. We never wanted to take it from you. We just made it official.” Shrugging, he slowly raked his teeth over his lower lip. “So, you can’t leave. You own part of this place and you can’t abandon it.”

I crashed my mouth to his and let the papers fall to the ground. Cupping his face in my hands, I didn’t realize I was crying until I tasted the saltiness against Gray’s lips.

He swiped the pads of his thumbs under my eyes as I eased back. “Say you’re staying.”

My heart was a lump in my throat as I nodded. I’d never really wanted to leave. I just thought I had to. If I could be there, with them, I’d have everything. “I’m staying.”

Owen let out a relieved breath. “Thank fuck.”

“It’s official then.” Keaton stood up and scooped me out of Gray’s lap. “No more running. No more fighting. You’re ours, Billie Myers. For the rest of our lives.”

I wrapped my arms and legs around him as tight as I could. “There’s probably going to be fighting.”

Owen slapped my ass and grunted. “Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

“You’re not going to make it to any dinner plans with our sister tonight, Bumble B.” Gray stood up and met my gaze. “Your bed’s going to get a little more use after all.”

CHAPTER 39

Billie

---