Page 129 of In Spades

“Clothes, Hunt!” Kristin chided from the kitchen.

He scurried back into the bathroom and slammed the door.

Logan shook his head as he tucked his math book back into his backpack. “That kid…”

“He’s something else,” I said, chuckling as I looked over the sheet of graph paper Logan would turn in tomorrow.

I grabbed the pencil and pointed to part of a math equation where he had forgotten to show his work.

He nodded and filled in the problem. Looking over his shoulder, he watched Kristin walk down the hall to the girls’ room. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” I said. “What’s on your mind?”

“Do you think you and Kris will get married?”

Some guys would probably get scared off by that question. For me it wasn’t frightening. A future with Kristin was inevitable.

“Yeah, if Kris can put up with me,” I said. “But it’s not something that’s gonna happen right away. We haven’t even talked about it.”

Logan grinned. “She’d probably be mad at you for talking about it with me, then.”

“Yeah, so don’t be a narc and rat me out,” I said, laughing as I punched him in the arm.

His face turned serious. “Will you let Zoey and Hunter live with y’all? You know, when you get married.”

“What makes you ask that?” I asked, genuinely confused. Did he think I was going to take Kristin away and leave the four of them to fend for themselves?

Logan looked down at his homework. “Kylie and I have been talking about it. When you and Kris move in together, I’ll probably be eighteen, so I could try to get my own place. Ky could crash with me so you wouldn’t have to deal with us.”

Holy shit.

I hunched forward and pressed my fingers into the corners of my eyes. He really thought I was going to take Kris and run.

“Logan, listen to me,” I said, clearing my throat. “I love your sister very much.”

“I know, and Kylie and I just figured?—”

I held up my hand to stop him. “But I also love you. And I love Kylie, Hunter, and Zoey. The whole herd. No one is left out.”

Logan’s eyes misted over. “You mean it?” he croaked out.

“I’m not just choosing Kristin. I’m choosing all of you.”

Logan looked away, so I put my hand on his back.

There I was, thinking he felt threatened that I’d take his place as man of the house. But really, he was worried I would cast him aside.

I gave his shoulder a squeeze. “It doesn’t matter if you’re eighteen or eighty. You’ll have a place with me.”

“Probably not when I’m eighty,” he said, cracking up. “You’ll be dead.”

“Smartass,” I retorted and elbowed him in the ribs. “Get ready for bed before Kristin kills me. I shouldn’t be keeping you up so late.”

I started down the hall to find Kristin, but she ran smack into me as she closed the girls’ door. Chest to chest, hearts beating in time—something about this singular moment in our existence felt so right.

“What was all that about?” she asked in a hushed tone. “You and Logan were in some deep conversation, but I couldn’t make it out.”

I slid my hand around the back of her neck and kissed her slowly. With a contented sigh, she relaxed into my touch. “I love you so much, Kris.”

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