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And then, there it was—the mansion that seemed to have leapt straight from my dreams.
The one I’d whimsically picked out on Zillow as my dream house.
My heart stuttered as recognition dawned on me.
“Greyson…” My voice trailed off, incapable of forming the question that burned on my tongue. He merely smiled, that enigmatic curve of his lips that promised answers without saying a word. I added, “Sebastian?”
Now, I realized Sebastian wasn’t casually introducing me to a hobby of browsing Zillow. I twisted in my seat, and he offered me an unapologetic grin.
My breath caught as they ushered me out of the car, and instead of bringing me up the stone path from the driveway to the front door, which was edged with pink and white roses, they led me around the house.
“This is…” My voice faded into a whisper of awe as I stared around at the lush garden in the back.
Stone paths led through the garden, dividing the brightly colored flowers that were everywhere. Lilies and violets bordered our way, leading to an open space where a gazebo stood, with ivy twining up its white posts. At the back of thegarden was an enormous swing set, and I grinned at the thought of our future children playing there. Another pair of swings hung from the wide branches of a tree. The backyard was so peaceful and birds sang steadily overhead.
“Are you...thinking of buying it?” I ventured, trying to mask the hope threading through my question. But they merely exchanged glances, a silent pact not to reveal too much, not yet.
“Kennedy, I told you the penthouse will always feel like it’s their turf.” Greyson gestured to Sebastian, Carter, and Jack, who all nodded in agreement.
“We need something that’sours,” Carter said. “A brand new house for a brand new chapter—for all of us.”
“I love it so much,” I confessed, although I didn’t just love the garden; I loved them and their commitment to building a life that worked for all five of us.
Soon to be six.
“You haven’t even seen the inside,” Sebastian teased me, holding out his hand. “Come on.”
“I know, but the garden is so perfect,” I murmured. “I don’t even remember it looking like this in the Zillow pics…this garden is exactly what I dreamed of…”
The four of them exchanged a mischievous smile.
I repeated, “Are you thinking of buying this?”
“Actually,” Jack smiled, his hazel eyes glinting with happiness, “we already did.”
The admission hit me like a gentle wave, soothing yet utterly overwhelming.
Sebastian’s hand pressed against the small of my back, guiding me forward. Together, we approached the French doors that led from the garden into the house.
Inside, the scent of fresh paint lingered, blending with the scent of the lilacs from the garden outside. I wandered in a daze through the enormous but cozy kitchen, the living room with thebig stone fireplace where I could just imagine curling up with these men.
But it was the library that left me breathless. Shelves upon shelves rose up to meet the high ceiling, carved from dark wood, and there was a pair of cozy white couches facing each other at the center. It was like a dream.
There were some books lining the shelves, and a pile of boxes and smaller parcels that flowed across the floor.
Sebastian gave me a slightly abashed grin. “I heard some jerk ruined your home library.”
“I don’t know that I would call him a jerk,” I disagreed gently, looping my arm around his lean waist.
He dropped a kiss in my hair as we moved together toward the bookshelves. “I’ve been going through your Goodreads account. Everything you loved…I’ve been ordering it. I’ve been trying to get all the cool special editions.”
I ran my fingers over the spines, tracing the titles of novels that had once been dear friends, then pulling out one book to look at the gorgeous painted pages.
My heart swelled with a mixture of nostalgia and newfound joy. These were the kinds of books I’d wanted but hadn’t been able to afford.
“Thank you.” Tears welled up, unbidden, spilling over as I stood rooted to the spot.
“Kennedy?” Sebastian sounded concerned, alarmed even, as he turned me to face him. His fingers gently skimmed my cheek.
