Page 59 of Three to Fall

He kissed me back, pulling me into his arms. “That doctor thinks you’re perfect just the way you are. Frown and all. But you know what that doctor doesn’t want?”

“To stop talking about himself in the third person?” I suggested cheekily.

He grinned, his smile warm and sweet and turning his face boyish. “That doctor doesn’t want you giving yourself an ulcer from stress. Let’s leave this for today. Hayley Jade is at school. We both have the day off from the hospital. Hawk too. We should go do something.”

I traced my fingers over his chest. “We should probably study.”

Grayson squinted at me. “That’s very responsible.”

“‘Responsible’ is my middle name. And I think it’s yours too.”

He groaned. “It is. Fine. But I really do think you need to get out of this clubhouse and into the fresh air. It’s a nice day outside. We can pack your books up and hike up to this spot I know. It’ll be quiet, since it’s a weekday, and we can pack a picnic and study in the sunshine.” He pointed at the phone. “No signal out there, so you won’t even have a reason to take that thing. Nothing but sun, exercise, and learning.”

It actually sounded really nice. And Grayson was right, I definitely needed a break from obsessing over Alice’s texts. “Deal. You go have a shower and get ready while I tell Hawk.”

Grayson saluted me and walked backward, naked, to the shower.

I grinned at the sway of his dick and his goofy expression, all while appreciating the fact he always watched out for me.

Hawk was just walking back in the front door and tossed the van keys onto the bar top. He made a beeline for me, sweeping me into his arms. “Just the person I wanted to see.”

His tongue was in my mouth a second later, his kisses always dirty hot compared to Grayson’s sweeter ones.

Both had their place and spun my head in different ways. But I pushed him away. “Hayley Jade get to school okay?”

Hawk nodded. “Yep.”

It was their little routine, the two of them. Hawk took her every morning, often stopping for hot donuts and coffee first, the two of them chatting together about anything they had the signs to communicate about. Sometimes I went too, but I instinctively realized this time was special to them, and that letting them have it was important. All the guys had fallen into these routines with her.

Grayson liked to be here in the afternoons to help her with homework or to just sit on the floor and play. He was desperately trying to encourage a love of hockey in her, and more than onepuck had been shot across the concrete floors of the clubhouse. Not that anyone minded. Anything went here.

Hayden had thrown himself into the deep end, learning as many ASL signs as he could, and Hayley Jade ran to him every evening when he got home from the day shift at Sinners, ready to learn.

I pushed up on my toes and kissed Hawk’s stubbled cheek. “Grayson wants to take our study session outdoors today, since it’s nice out. Hike to some spot he knows then have a picnic.”

Hawk glanced down at his standard uniform of faded jeans and motorcycle boots. “I don’t hike. I don’t even own a pair of shoes I could hike in.”

“You and Grayson are the same size…I bet he has a spare pair.”

Hawk screwed up his face. “That’s like asking me to wear his underwear.”

I laughed. “How is that the same thing?”

“I don’t know, but it is! Ugh, his foot fungus germs coating themselves around my socks…” He shuddered.

I gave him a fake pout because he was being a princess. “Please?”

He rolled his eyes. “Fine. I’ll hike. But only because I’m gonna watch your ass sway all the way up the trail.”

“Deal.” I would have agreed to anything to get him to come. But I liked the idea of his gaze on my body while we walked. I’d be thinking about that all the way up the track. “Go get ready. I’m just going to see if Kyle wants to come.” I walked backward toward the door. “Don’t change your mind while I’m gone.”

Except I knew he wouldn’t. Because he’d proved time and time again he would do anything for me.

That was a heady feeling. Having his devotion. His love. His protection. The sun was unusually warm, and I practicallyskipped down to Kyle’s cabin to ask him if he wanted to come with us.

Kyle peeped his head out from beneath the blankets and blearily told me he didn’t feel well and would skip today’s little adventure. I didn’t like that he didn’t feel good, but I promised to bring him back some cold and flu tablets, got him a fresh glass of water for his bedside table, and left him to sleep.

Kiki and Ice were both sitting in the common area when I got back, Kiki scrolling her phone, Ice listening to something playing on his through a set of headphones. I liked Kiki. She wasn’t as brash as Amber was, and I put my hand on her shoulder. “I’m going out, but Kyle isn’t well. Are you home today? Do you think you could keep an eye on him for me? Just check to see if he needs anything once or twice. I worry about him, out in that cabin alone.”

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