Page 126 of Declan

Next was Brooks, then Zane took his shot, pounding my shoulder hard enough to dislocate it. And finally, Max stepped up and jerked me forward, but thankfully refrained from a bone-crushing man-hug.

“Happiness looks good on you, brother,” he muttered.

“Feels good.”

“Fucking hell. You’re like a whole new man.”

“Waking up every morning next to the woman you love, going to bed the same way, will do that to a man.”

“Christ. You’re seriously fucking happy.”

“No, I’m over-fucking-joyed.”

“Yeah, you are.”

Ten minutes later after more greetings from the women, which included Autumn receiving her fair share of hugs, we made our way into the waiting room and were met by a haggard-looking Justin coming down the hall.

“Autumn!” The man didn’t stop until he reached his daughter and yanked her in for a tight hug. “Finally.”

Zane’s eyes sliced to mine, his brow raised in question.

I knew what he saw, Autumn hadn’t flinched. Not when the guys had crowded around, not when the women hugged her, and certainly not when her father embraced her.

Normal, easy, onward.

Autumn talked to her parents weekly, she talked to Emerson multiple times a week. Most of the time she knew what was going on with the guys before I did. They exchanged pictures, texts, and video calls. No one would guess that just seven months ago, they hadn’t talked in almost a decade. Those two were tight.

“Hey, Dad.”

“They’re waiting for you,” Justin told her.

“Me?”

“I was kicked out. She wants you and your mom in there with her.”

Autumn looked up at her dad and smiled.

No, she fucking beamed.

Beautiful.

She turned back to me, rolled up on her toes, and brushed her lips against mine.

“Be back,” she muttered.

“I’ll be here.”

That earned me another broad smile that made my heart clench.

Then she was gone.

The room went silent, Justin openly gaped at me, the women were all grinning, the men looked pensive.

“Thank you,” Justin croaked, his voice thick with emotion. Then he was gone, too.

“Never thought I’d see that,” Brooks started. “Not from her and especially not from you. Pleased as hell for you, brother.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat, wondering when I turned soft. Then I realized I didn’t give the first fuck what I was as long as I had Autumn.