Page 114 of Shattered Hearts

“Dinner will be ready in half an hour,” she tells me.

Nodding, I turned to greet everyone else, including Violet and Levi who drove separately.

Aspen taps my leg, and I pick her up. She’s dressed in her flannel pyjamas and hair in braids. She gives a small giggle. “Uncle Gray, I made a puzzle.”

“Did you?” I give a small gasp. “I think you’ll need to show me.”

“In a minute,” Holden interrupts, holding something in his hand that’s shiny, but I can’t see what. He tips his head towards the back door. “You and Laynie should come outside for a bit.”

I frown. Laynie moves with me, and Macie takes Aspen from my arms as we walk outside, leaving our parents to catch up in the warm living room. Following my brothers down the back porch and towards the paddocks, I chew on my lip, grasping Laynie’s hand tighter.

We come to a stop.

“Okay, so we’ve been thinking about this for the last week or so,” Reid starts. Holden gives a small nod as Cole grins. “We know Laynie wants to live here, so we discussed your whole living situation.”

My head tilts. “You talked about it without either of us?”

“It was out of love,” Macie insists, blushing a little.

“What about our living situation?” Laynie asks warily, and I can tell her brain just kicked into her overthinking gear.

Holden gives us a rare smile before walking closer and grabbing my hand, pressing something into my palm. I frown when I see it’s a set of keys. “What’s this?”

Holden looks at Reid before explaining briefly, “The house is yours. The one we finished this afternoon.”

I must look insanely confused, because all of them chuckle. Laynie looks lost for words.

“What do you mean it’s mine?” I question.

“I’m giving it to you. Both of you.”

I shake my head. “Holden, come on. You built it for you and Aspen to live in, not me and Laynie.”

“Technically we all built it,” he grumbles. Cole flicks his brows. “Plus, Aspen and I can stay in the main house for a bit longer. You and Laynie need your own space, far, far away from the rest of us.”

“Are we that annoying?” Laynie jests.

I sniff a laugh.

“No, but babies are loud and are up at all hours. I would know,” Holden adds.

Pressing the metal into my palm enough for it to bite at my skin, I pull Holden into a hug. He reluctantly embraces me back for a beat before pushing me off.

“Thanks, man.”

“Yeah, well, I hope you like it. If you don’t, don’t tell me. I’ll happily take it back if you complain.”

I smile. “I would never complain.”

My brothers and Macie roll their eyes.

“This means we can get started on one for Holden and Aspen,” Reid suggests, giving me a look to say you in?

“Not right away. We need to build my track first,” counters Cole.

That makes Holden chuckle.

“Yeah, Cole, we were never going to do that,” says Reid.