Page 117 of Ten Hammers

“I’m doing the show,” he says defiantly. “I signed up and convinced Mason to do it too. It’s only a two-season contract, so I guess they were waiting to see–”

Everyone is speaking at once so it’s hard to make out what anybody is saying, but the vibe is impossible to miss. Everyone is angry as hell.

Then Max yells to be heard over us all. “She was never going to choose us!”

We all fall silent.

He repeats, sounding so damn broken-hearted I almost, almost feel bad for the little bitch, “She was never going to choose us.”

He goes on and it’s fucking heart-wrenching to listen to him explain why he felt that way. Then he says again, with more conviction, “She was never going to choose me. Or Mace.”

“You’re right,” a voice says and we all turn to see that Winnie has snuck up on us once again.

She’s standing in the doorway between the hall and the living room. “I wouldn’t have ever chosen you, Max, or you, Mason.”

I swear, we all hold our breath waiting for her next statement.

The identical pain etched on Max and Mason’s faces look like she’s just taken their dicks and straight ripped them off their bodies. Or maybe their hearts out their chests. On the other hand, several of my brothers can’t hide the relief they obviously feel that this means their own personal odds of being Winnie’s favorite Hammer have gone up.

“I wouldn’t have ever chosen any of you.”

Now I feel like she’s ripped my heart out of my chest. “Winnie, don’t say that. Please don’t let what these two have done stop you from–”

She holds up a hand, making my plea die on my lips. Much like the hope that she’ll ever be mine is dying inside me.

I glance around. We all look like a bunch of balloons that she’s just popped with a single needle.

“Cruzie, this isn’t about what they’ve done. It’s about what I’ve done. I’ve been merrily dating all of you… having sex with most of you… falling more in love with each of you every day… while still somehow trying to convince myself that choosing one of you my favorite is going to be possible at the end. I couldn’t when we started this… and I won’t ever be able to. So don’t be mad at Mason and Max. How they went about it was shitty and shady as fuck, but they did the right thing for them.”

We all protest at once like we’ve fucking rehearsed it. Even Mason and Max.

“Let me finish, please,” she continues, and there are tears welling up in her eyes.

I want to go to her and dry them.

She turns her attention to Axel after we’ve all quieted down. “I know you said I could take all the time I needed to make a decision, that if I wasn’t ready to choose once the reno is done, you don’t see why I should have to.”

We all turn our attention to Axel.

He shrugs. “Meant it when I said it, still mean it now. This isn’t something she should have to rush. This isn’t something that should have a deadline. And unlike some of you,” he shoots eye-daggers at Max and Mason, “I’m perfectly happy with the way things are now.”

“Me, too,” Gavin and Gunnar say simultaneously. I don’t think I’ve ever heard them say anything in sync before and if circumstances were different, I’d laugh.

But the circumstances are, our girl is crying her eyes out and clearly hurting and we’re all sitting around like lumps.

I start to stand, to go to her, and she shakes her head.

“But taking all the time I need isn’t fair to any of you. Because I would literally need forever. My favorite Hammer would be the one who died last of old age.”

I do laugh at that, because, hell, my girl is funny.

My girl.

How will I ever stop thinking of her that way now that I’ve started?

“It’s not fair for any of you to put your futures on hold for me any longer. I know, without a doubt, I am not going to be able to choose. Letting go of any of you would destroy me. So I have to let go of all of you. You should all sign up for Who Wants To Marry A Hammer Brother? I think it’s going to be a smash hit,” she glances at Mason. “No pun intended.”

I can see her lip tremble from across the room as she glances from Mason to Max and back again.

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