Page 135 of Set Me On Fire

I followed her gaze across the crowded garden. The people splashing in the pool, the others standing around and talking shit didn’t catch our eyes. No, it was Dad and Brock, standing at the barbeque grilling meat and placing it onto platters that Hayden carried over to the table.

“Right when I thought he would tell me to piss off, or at best, offer to help me to get rid of your brother, he told me the one thing I needed to hear.” My lips moved, saying the same words in a whisper, because I’d heard this story before. It was all part of the mythology of our family. “I’ve got this, Heather. I’ve got this.” With a slow smile, she continued. “And he has, every day since. When we weren’t sure how we were going to keep a roof over our heads or the lights on. When we were struggling with the twins, because they were the hardest babies, always wanting to be fed at the exact same moment. It’s not the obstacles or lack thereof that determine a relationship or its likelihood of succeeding, but…”

She let out a long breath.

“How you get past them. Lust, desire, need, they all burn bright but not for long.” That got me a nod. “So keep that in mind when making your decision. It’s what endures after the fires have died down. Something real, something strong. Trust, commitment, respect, and something people don’t talk about enough.”

“What?”

“Friendship.” It was her eyes that twinkled too brightly now, tears marring them. “You can get through anything with your best friend by your side.”

Was that what the guys were? No, my mind instantly rejected that, putting Jamie first, but… Could they become equal first? I saw then a rapid flicker of all the things that had happened, all the ways the guys had showed up for me. Yeah, that was definitely a possibility. Framing it that way, of becoming friends, of banding together against a shitty world that would never understand what we had made it so much easier to see it. Me walking into that freshly painted nursery like it was mine.

Ours.

I took a long drink from my glass, emptying it before looking at Mum.

“Good talk.”

“You know I’m always here for you, sweetheart, always. Just be open to the fact that others might want to do the same.”

I didn’t get to reply to that. A masculine voice called my name and my head whipped around, hope flaring to life.

Only to find one of Brock’s mechanics coming running towards me.

“Clinton…” I growled in warning, but he grabbed me around the waist and threw me over his shoulder. “Clinton!”

“You’re looking too hot, Mills. Time to cool you down!”

I saw Jamie’s pool coming into focus, the people already swimming yelling out encouragement to Clint, telling him to dunk me into the pool.

Only for him to be stopped by a wall of muscle.

“Um… hey, fellas,” Clinton stammered out.

I craned my neck to see Knox step up to the mechanic, towering over him, over six feet of protective, pissed off firefighter.

“How about you put the mother of our child down right fucking now.”

Chapter 59

Knox

Punching some dickhead’s teeth down his throat would be a very, very bad idea, but that thought was like dry grass in a bushfire, burnt up before it could even register. Every muscle quivered as I fought to maintain control, and that’s when Millie was put down. Her hair was smoothed back into place, but when this idiot went to straighten her top, someone let out a snarl.

Huh, that was Noah, not me.

“Step. Back.”

Noah bit off each word, and the red haze inside my head dissipated a little when the idiot did as he was told. That brought something unwelcome in its place. We had every eye on us, but I didn’t care. I didn’t know these people. Their good opinions meant nothing.

Just hers.

“Are you OK?” I asked, my voice ragged and hoarse.

“No.” Millie threw up her arms and let out a hopeless little laugh. “No, I’m not. I found out I was pregnant on Christmas Day, just in case anyone missed that.” Her smile was almost a snarl as she looked around the garden. “And right when Ithought I’d be raising my child by myself, I found out I had not one, but three men wanting to be the daddy. These bastards.” She stabbed her finger in our direction, as if we’d committed some terrible crime rather than tried to step up and be part of our kid’s life. “They had to be perfect, right when I thought there weren't any perfect men left in the world.”

“Hey…” One of Millie’s twin brothers said, but the other shoved his elbow into his ribs.

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