AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you asking us to move in with you?”
Bray laughs, her face lighting up. “Yes, I am. I guess I didn’t really do that right. Or really smoothly at all. I’ve been thinking about it for a bit. These past few weeks have shown me how much I love having you guys with me all the time.”
“Yes!” Grayson yells, jumping out of his seat. “I’m totally in. My commute to work will be so much shorter.” Bray laughs at his joke, shaking her head at his antics.
“Well, I’m in too.” Mason adds. “Our lease is up next month anyways, it’s perfect timing.”
We all voice our agreement, even Tucker. His face now relaxed, the worry lines from before faded now that he knows his part in all of this as well. It’s odd thinking about all of us living together again. That’s something that hasn’t happened since we were young. The rest of dinner we talk about what rooms we’ll use, any redecorating that Bray wants done before we all move our asses in here. The happiness from before is back and stronger than ever. Our little ragtag group has decided on forever and I already know I’ll never regret it.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Brayleigh
Since we kind of all decided to take this relationship to the next level of moving in together, things have been getting more and more serious between me and my Wilds. It’s been a week since Mom gifted me the ranch and as scared as I was when she dropped that little bomb on me, it’s been amazing. I mean, it hasn’t been that long but I can already tell that things are off to a good start.
Colton has taken over the staff and general ranch management duties and he’s amazing at it. Grayson loves doing the hands on work so he’s become more of a supervisor in the fields with the other workers. Old Hank took his retirement this week, his grief over Dad getting to him more than he wanted to admit. I made sure he left with his whole retirement package as well as an added thank you bonus. Working the books and payroll has given me quite the insight into how well Dad had this place going. We’re incredibly fortunate that everything was just kind of handed to us on a silver platter.
That doesn’t mean that it’s not going to take a lot of work to keep this ranch successful, it just helps that we don’t have to build it up. I can see everyone shining in this new environment we’ve created. The house has become a place of love and laughter again. I loved my home growing up but with only three of us it seemed empty with how big it is. We have more than enough bedrooms and we’re talking about making the master into a main bedroom with a wall to wall bed for all of us. The guys will all still have a room of their own to go to but this way they can choose if they want to sleep with me or alone.
Mom had Aunt Patty come and pack up her stuff to bring back to her place until Mom’s new condo is ready. I told them I would handle Dad’s stuff, placing it in our attic storage for now since I can’t bear to get rid of it. It’s only been a month since he’s been gone. Some days it feels like it’s been forever and others it feels like yesterday. I still cry when I see something of Dad’s or find a random note written by him in the office. The hurt comes out of nowhere, suffocating me for a bit to remind me it’s still there.
Today is the final fitting for Piper’s wedding dress so we’re headed back to the shop. Piper has been keeping conversations light and happy the whole drive, her normal joking self trying extra hard to make me laugh. I’m not going to lie, I appreciate the hell out of her for it. I couldn’t have asked for a better best friend. I apologized for being so distant since the day I found out my dad passed, but she wouldn’t have it. She’s too good for me.
“Ugh,” I groan as we stop at a red light. “My stomach has been doing flips all night. I thought I was over whatever it was but it doesn’t feel like it.”
“Those boys not cooking the food properly?” Piper jokes but her eyes check me over with concern.
“I don’t think that’s it. They all seem to feel fine,” I say as another wave of nausea rolls over me. “I just hope it’s not the flu.”
“Maybe you’re pregnant like me.” Piper laughs, my own soon joining hers. God, imagine if that was the case. The guys would probably lose it.
“Ha. Right.” I brush off the joke but something nags the back of my mind.
Piper starts in on a story about her flower person as we make it to the seamstress shop. Piper is definitely showing at this point, her little bump not okay with being hidden anymore. I catch her hand rubbing it subconsciously as she talks now and it makes me smile. One day, I’ll have that as well. Maybe sooner than I think.
I try to keep my mind focused on Piper’s story but I can’t help but do my menstrual math in my head. I definitely have been slacking on my birth control lately and when I’m with the guys we tend to get a little too preoccupied to bother with condoms. I honestly can’t rule out that I’m pregnant and now it’s going to bother me until I can check. I’m almost certain I’m at least a week and a half late on my period.
Oh, shit. What if I’m pregnant?
Piper seems to notice my thoughts are elsewhere. She gives me a funny look as we enter the shop, her eyes telling me we are going to talk about wherever my mind just went. I have no idea how to tell her that I might also be pregnant. Knowing Piper she’ll be ecstatic and declare our children best friends already, yet I still have a sliver of fear that she may think I’m trying to steal her spotlight.
Martha gets Piper in and out of the shop quickly this time around. The dress fits perfectly, the flowing bottom showing her bump in the best way. She looks incredible in the dress and I know Josh will be in tears when she walks down that aisle.
“Okay, spill.” Piper grabs my arm after she puts the dress in the car. “What’s on your mind?”
“Well, I’ve been thinking about what you said earlier. You know—” I gesture towards both of our abdomens. “The baby thing? My mensies math is making me nervous.”
“Oh my god.” Piper stares at me stunned, her eyes filling with so many emotions I can’t quite catch them all. “Drug store. Now.”
We both jump in the car so I can drive us to the drug store a couple streets over. Pulling into the parking lot, I barely have the car in park before Piper is rushing me out. We head to the feminine aisle, straight to the pregnancy tests. Piper grabs three different kinds, informing me we’ll need to double check any results that come up just to be sure. She walks me to the check out, throwing them down on the counter in front of the woman working.
“Hey girls.” The cashier just happens to be a girl we did not get along with in high school. Madison Hiller was a bitch with a capital B. “I’m guessing these aren’t for you.” She points at Piper’s showing bump.
“That’s really not your business,” Piper snaps at her. She hands over her card before I can protest.
Megan sneers at her, turning her attention to me. “Do you even know who the father is? I heard you’ve turned into quite the slut, dating five guys. I guess it would be hard to tell since they’re brothers.”
My face goes red, both from anger and embarrassment. I don’t even know how to respond to her rude and frankly inappropriate comments. I mean, I knew we would get comments about our relationship, I just didn’t think it would be this blunt. Megan just keeps going too, her words making me see red.
