Page 136 of Necessary Roughness
“Here’s one!” Logan said, staring at his phone.
“That was fast,” Roman muttered.
“It’s right on the beach, with a big deck,” Logan read out loud. “And it’s only three million.”
That number made me choke on my champagne. Roman rubbed my back.
“You seem awfully eager to spendmymoney,” Knox said dryly.
“If the four of us are together, like, for the long-term, then it’sourmoney. Besides, buying a place in the middle was your idea.”
“That’s not how this works at all,” Knox said.
Logan ignored him. “This one is only two-point-eight mil! What a steal!”
I took the phone from him and squinted. “Eight bedrooms. A wrap-around porch that faces the ocean…”
Roman took the phone next, then passed it to Knox. “Huh,” he said. “That’s actually really fucking nice.”
“Right?” Logan exclaimed.
“How does your signing bonus work?” Roman asked.
“I won’t get it until we officially sign a rookie contract in a few weeks,” Knox explained. “But my agent says it’ll be between seven and eleven million.”
“Oh baby!” Logan hopped up and did a little dance. “I should’ve orderedtenentrees tonight.”
“You still need to put your leftovers away,” I pointed out. He’d dumped them on the table when we got home and immediately went into my room.
“That’s why I love you,” he said, winking as he hurried to put the food away.
“Again,” Knox said loudly, “this isn’t your money.”
“Shut up and press the button,” Logan said from the kitchen.
“What button?”
“Thebuy housebutton,” Logan explained. “I’ve never bought a house, but I’m assuming that’s how it works.”
“A few more bottles of wine,” Knox said, “and I just might do that.” He was staring at the phone with the same expression he’d had right before inviting me to move in with them last fall.
He’s actually serious about this.
He glanced up at me, and grinned. For a few heartbeats, I was struck with a vibrant image of our future: the four of us living in a house on the beach, happier than anyone had a right to be. The sea breeze blowing in our hair as we laughed and drank wine and made love on the porch. Raising a handful of children. Four sounded nice—one for each man, plus a wildcard fourth. Watching them learn how to swim in the ocean underthe watchful eyes of their fathers. Or better yet: teaching them to play football in the driveway.
I blinked, and the image was gone. But based on the way Knox was smiling at me, he was imagining something similar.
Logan hurdled the couch and landed next to me. “What movie are we watching?Die Hard?”
“We just watched it,” Knox complained, snuggling closer to me.
“In January! For Christmas! That was three months ago!” Logan whined.
“I’m vetoing it,” Roman said, sitting on the floor in front of me and resting back between my legs against the couch. “But I’ll do another eighties movie.”
“Something cheesy,” I said, gently stroking Roman’s hair.
Knox reached across me and stole the remote from Logan. “It’s my big day, so I’m picking the movie.”
