Page 140 of Saving the Halfback

I glanced over at Chase, who shrugged. “I wondered why he was smiling while on the way to get interrogated over the murder of his father.”

“Ibethe was smiling,” Lachlan said, shaking his head and placing his hand on mine.

I turned my head to Nolan, who hadn’t said anything. His face was blank, maybe a bit guarded. “I’m sorry,” I found myself saying.

Nolan shook his head. “No, it… we were never in a relationship. Right? Nothing to be sorry for.”

“Man—” Chase started.

“I didn’t mean it like—shit.” Nolan looked embarrassed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Bails, we all talked about this. No comp, remember? And if you did end up choosing one of us, we would all back off and respect it.”

“Is this you choosing?” Chase asked, frowning.

My eyes moved from Nolan to him and then up to Lachlan. “I have to choose?” I looked down to where his hand still held mine against his chest. “I guess, of course, I do.”Tell the truth. Tell the truth, Bailey. We are done with lies.When it comes to these men, I would never tell another lie. “I don’t choose, then. I’ll stop it all.” I pulled away from Lachlan, but he gripped my hand tighter.

“Choose us all,” he said, as if it were that simple. “It doesn’t bother me.”

I glanced at Chase, who was now sitting on an ATV. He shook his head. “Definitely not something you’d lose me over.”

Then I looked at Nolan. “You’ve known them your entire life, their entire lives,” he said. “You four already have a dynamic.”

Chase cleared his throat. “If you don’t want to do this, that’s fine, but don’t think you’re not part of the family.” In a lower voice, he added, “I wouldn’t be here without you.”

“Technically, neither would Lachlan or Ethan,” I said. “I was pretty much done with trying after Chase snapped at me at the beginning of the year.”

Chase winced. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. But if I hadn’t run into Nolan, I don’t think I would’ve tried again. You don’t have to be part of this to be part of the family, though,” I told him, nodding to Lachlan because he had yet to let go of my hand. “I like hanging out with you, all the same. Platonic friends.” I smiled.

“Can I think on it?” Nolan asked. He stepped forward, and Lachlan finally released my hand. Nolan reached up, taking my chin in his hand and pressing down so my lip released. That time, I hadn’t even realized I was biting it. “Don’t count me out just yet,” he said, the pad of his thumb soothing over my lip. “I just need a moment to think on it.”

“Even if you decide not to, we’re still family? Right?”

He leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek. “Always. The moment I saw you, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stay away.”

“All right, I’m ready to ride,” Chase said. “If Ethan doesn’t get back soon, I will surely go insane. I see what he means about the mushy gushy stuff.”

“What?” Lachlan asked.

“Oh, nothing. Where’re we going? Down the trails?” he asked.

I grabbed the keys off the wall hook and handed them out. “There are rules,” I said to them. “The field is empty right now, so you can rip around wherever you want, but the back pasturehas cattle. There’s a bull in there named Bruce, and he’s not afraid of the ATVs, so be careful.”

“Yay, moo cow!” Nolan pumped his fist in the air while jumping on the ATV.

“Uh, no, moo bull.” I laughed. “Do you guys remember the trail we used to go on?” I asked Chase and Lachlan.

“That runs along the creek and to the creepy rotting tree fort?” Lachlan asked.

“Yep! Bring us around there. No rush, though, if you want to rip around the field.”

We ripped around the fields for a while, and though I refused to let Nolan go in the back field, I did bring him up close to where the herd was, since he was fascinated with the cows. Bruce was eyeing us the whole time. He was due for processing this fall, and I couldn’t help but remind myself it was my fault. He’d still be in the pasture with his girls if Dad didn’t believe he’d had attacked Ed. Yet another life taken at my hand.

We were on our way back when my phone went off.

Ethan:Done. Just stopping at the church, then heading back home.

Home. My heart squeezed.

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