Page 52 of My Three Hometown Hard Hats
“Hey, Trouble,” Brooks says, carrying a plate of foil-wrapped baked potatoes to the table.
“Hey,” I say, feeling a little less nervous after seeing Austin outside.
Setting the plate down, he jogs over to me and sweeps me into his arms.
I laugh as I wrap my legs around his waist, so they aren’t flailing about. My purse falls to the floor by the back door, but I don’t even care.
He carries me into the kitchen, setting me on the island next to where Conrad is stirring what looks like a roasted veggie salad.
Brooks nestles in between my legs. He cups my cheeks, kissing me softly at first, then deepening it when I lean into him. His tongue gently swipes over my lips before he backs away.
I want to pull him back into me for more, but I force my hands to remain at my sides because, as great as this all seems, I still don’t know what’s really going on here.
Conrad hands the bowl he was working with to his brother and takes his turn moving in close. “Hey you,” he whispers.
“Hey.” I slide my arms over his shoulders.
We just stare at each other, his hands firmly gripping my thighs over my jeans. My tongue darts out, tracking over my bottom lip. His eyes deviate from my eyes to my mouth, and he pounces.
His left hand lands on the base of my spine while the other cups the back of my head. He drags me to the very edge of the counter, so I’m pressed against him as his mouth crashes against mine.
My brain short-circuits, so when he eases back away from me, I sit there unmoving for way too long. Blinking my eyes, I realize Austin is now standing in front of me.
His arms wrap around me as he eases me to the ground. He makes sure I’m steady before pulling back.
“Let’s go eat, angel.”
The meal is delicious, but I’m starting to go a little mad. They just keep talking about everything else other than the bomb that’s ready to go off.
Me.Maybe I’m the bomb ready to blow.
My leg bounces erratically under the table, and suddenly my appetite is gone. I set my fork down beside my plate, abandoning my half-eaten food.
I can still hear Brooks talking about their next softball game, but I’m not really listening.They don’t want to do this. They can’t.
They cooked me this nice meal to let me down easy. They’re just being nice and letting me finish my dinner before letting me go.
My heart squeezes in my chest, aching for something I never really had to begin with.
A gentle hand ghosts over my shoulder. “Hadley, are you okay?” Conrad says on my left.
“Just do it… please,” I say, still staring down at my hands.
“Do what?” Brooks says from my other side.
“Sweetheart, look at me,” Conrad says in a gentle but firm voice. Reluctantly, I tilt my head up, my eyes meeting his. “What’s going through your head right now?”
“What I told you all I wanted was selfish of me. How could I expect all of you to be okay with that? To be okay with sharing me, but not being with anyone else yourselves? I appreciate all of you trying to let me down gently, but please just do it.”
Conrad’s face scrunches up in confusion as Austin and Brooks both say, “What?” in unison. I glance at both of the other men. They’re staring at me with the same level of confusion as Conrad has written all over his face.
What the hell?
“You thought we invited you out here for dinner and waited all this time to tell you we don’t want to or can’t be with you in the way that works for your big, beautiful heart?” Brooks asks.
I shrug, not knowing what to say as I start to question whether I read everything wrong.
“Well, we’re not,” Austin says from across the table. “If you think I can let you go after last night, then you’re insane. If being with these two,” he gestures to Brooks and Conrad, “makes you happy and complete, then I’ll make it work. It isn’t like our family was conventional anyway.”
