Page 103 of Always Earned, Never Given

Declan walks into the room, his gym bag in his hand and a compression shirt on, showcasing every single one of his delicious muscles. He leans down and kisses my head. “Kroydon Hills hasn’t seen the last of the Sinclairs.”

We hear groaning coming from the other room. “So cheesy,” hollers Murphy, I think.

Coach enters the room. “How come when I ask one of them to do something, they can’t hear me, but when they’re eavesdropping, they can hear every word?” He kisses my head in the same spot Dec just did and smiles at Amelia. “You staying for dinner, Amelia? We’re ordering out tonight, and Katherine ordered more than we could possibly eat.”

“Thanks, Mr. Sinclair—” She’s interrupted by Coach, who’s ignoring the fact she was obviously about to decline his invitation.

“Perfect. We’ll put out more plates.” He looks around at the three of us. “One piece of advice when you go house hunting. Make sure there’s plenty of room for a big table. The best days of your life will be the days that table is full.”

I watch him as he walks into the kitchen and mentally move a big dining room up my list of wants for the new house.

Somehow, the girls ended up hearing about dinner, and it turned into a madhouse with Nattie, Sabrina, and Chloe coming over too. Everyone was here, and Coach was right. It was a great night. Fifteen of us fit around Coach’s big reclaimed wooden table that’s fit for a king. Well, for quite a few kings. Once everyone left or went to bed, Declan and I curled up in the white princess bed in Nattie’s old room. It’s comfortable, but I feel like we’re going to dirty it up. Everything in this room is white or grey. Soft white bedding and gauzy white material hang down the canopy covering the bed. Sheer white curtains frame the windows and brush against a plush grey rug. Even the furniture is white.

“You know there’s no way your sister picked this stuff out, right?” I soak it all in. “Nattie loves color.”

“Yeah. Dad had a hard time letting her grow up.” Dec climbs into the bed next to me, then pulls the blanket up. “Do you think I’ll be the same way? Not wanting to let Tommy and the babies grow up?”

Declan made sure to start sleeping on my left side since my right arm is the one that’s recovering. I lean my head against his chest and tell him with complete sincerity, “I think Tommy and our babies are going to be the luckiest kids in the world to have you on their team, loving them. I love you, Declan. Thank you for never giving up on me.”

His lips brush over mine. “I’m the lucky one, baby.” He settles himself in the bed, before whispering, “Love you, Belle.”

“Forever, Dec.”

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