Page 88 of Twins for the Mountain Daddies

The mood in the truck shifts, but I try to hold onto the warmth from before, the easy teasing. I know what’s waiting for us up the mountain, but for now, I lean back, resting my hand on my stomach.

The restaurant is a tiny place in a town I’ve never heard of, the kind that makes you feel like you’re stepping back in time. The waitress shows us to a table in the corner, and I can’t help but notice the way people glance over at us, curious but not gawking. Not like I’m used to. With Wyatt and Holt, I’m just a girl on a date. It’s nice. It’s strange.

“Too fancy for you?” Wyatt asks, his knee bumping against mine under the table.

“Way too fancy,” I say, smiling at him over my menu. “They don’t even have burgers.”

Holt chuckles. “We can go somewhere else.”

I shake my head. “No way. I’m not passing up my first cloth napkin experience.”

Wyatt grins and leans back in his chair. “See? She’s easy to please.”

The waitress brings our drinks, and Holt watches me over the rim of his glass. “You’re awfully quiet, CG.”

“Just thinking.”

“Careful,” Wyatt says, his foot nudging mine. “That’s dangerous.”

I kick him lightly. “I was thinking that I haven’t felt this way in a long time.”

“What way?” Holt asks, his voice softer now.

“Happy.”

The word hangs between us, and I can tell they’re both trying to figure out what to say. I don’t give them the chance. “It’s weird.”

Holt laughs. “You’re weird.”

Wyatt winks at me. “We like you anyway.”

By the time we finish, I’m still not ready to head back. Mason’s right, the snow is coming. But not today according to the radio forecast. So, we spend the afternoon driving around, stopping at a few shops and acting like tourists. I’m careful not to let my mind wander too far ahead, but it’s hard not to think about how much I want this to last. I haven’t had anything real in so long, and I’m terrified that if I believe in it, it’ll disappear.

But I’m starting to see they’re really in this.

“So, how does this work exactly?” I ask after a while.

Wyatt’s hand squeezes my thigh. “How does what work?”

“This. Me. You guys.”

Holt glances at me, then back at the road. “What about us? I think we made our feelings very clear, baby.”

“It’s not exactly normal.”

He shrugs. “Normal’s boring.”

I smile despite myself. “You guys have an answer for everything, don’t you?”

“Pretty much,” Wyatt says, his lips brushing my ear.

As the sun starts to dip a little lower, we head out of town, the car winding through roads that seem to lead nowhere.Eventually, we pull off the main road, bumping down a dirt path until the world opens up around us.

The view is breathtaking. Mountains stretch across the horizon, the sky a bright, endless blue. It’s beautiful, and I feel small and insignificant in the best way. Wyatt wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me back against him. Holt grabs my calves and lifts until they’re angled across his lap.

“Not bad, huh?” Wyatt says.

“It’s amazing,” I breathe, wishing I could stay in this moment forever. I look at the two of them, and my chest tightens. I can’t believe they’re here with me. That I’m here with them.

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