AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It wasn’t easy to keep my jaw from dropping open. She was quiet and looked thoughtful. She wasn’t demanding I do as she said while she spouted off orders.
“Who wouldn’t want four hot men all to themselves?” Rose asked loud enough to earn a glare from both her husband and our mom. Dad looked a little green around the gills. He’d put the beer down and wasn’t drinking any hard liquor…yet. There was still hope.
I couldn’t help it. The worry and stress from announcing this to my family came to a boiling point. Rose’s envious joke was the breaking point. I started laughing.
Mom looked confused so I waved at her. “Sorry. I’m still not kidding. I’ve just been worried about telling you.” Tears were streaming down my cheeks as I gasped out my explanation.
Everyone was looking at me like I was nuts, my guys included. I pulled myself together, wiping the backs of my hands over my cheeks.
“As long as they make you happy, Pumpkin,” Dad said, giving the men behind me a fierce glare. It was painful for him to give four men his blessing, but he was doing it for me. “Then we don’t care who you choose to love.” He wrapped his arm around Mom’s shoulders and squeezed in a non-subtle gesture.
“We don’t,” Mom parroted.
This time there was no chance of stopping my jaw from dropping. I didn’t miss the fact that my sisters’ did as well. “What? But you’ve always been so vocal about-”
“Everything in our lives,” Daisy interrupted, sounding unamused.
Hearing her say that and seeing Rose’s nod of agreement made me realize that I might not have been the only one who’d been unhappy being smothered by our mother’s brand of overprotectiveness over the years.
“I just want what’s best for you all,” Mom argued.
Dad nudged her, quieting her. He rarely stood up and took charge, but when he did, he did so completely. “Welcome to the family,” Dad said, stepping forward to shake hands with my men. “Figures it would take four men to keep you from being a spinster,” he told me with a laugh.
Punching him playfully in the arm, I laughed along with him. He pulled me into a hug and everything clicked perfectly into place.
I introduced everyone and then Dad, my brothers-in-law, and my guys all moved over toward the grill, leaving us women alone to speak. I wanted desperately to go over with them, but I needed to get this out of the way.
“I know I’ve always pushed you girls,” Mom said, sounding forlorn. “But your father is right. I’ve only ever wanted what was best for you.”
“Oh Mom,” Rose said and sighed, patting her shoulder. “We know that.”
“I owe you all an apology if I came off too strong.”
“If?” Daisy said with a laugh. She swallowed it when Mom gave her a sharp look. “I mean, thanks. That means a lot.”
It did. It also made me realize I’d finally found my place amongst them. A place that wasn’t on the outside looking in.
“I especially owe you an apology,” Mom told me. “I tried so hard to make you into what I wanted that all I ever did was push you away. That was never my intention.”
A new tear slid down my cheek, but it wasn’t from laughter this time. I stepped forward and hugged my mother. My sisters wrapped their arms around us in a group hug.
“Can we maybe start over?” I asked.
“Yes!” they all answered in unison. We all laughed together then and it felt like a ten-pound weight had been lifted. Not only did I have the men of my dreams, but somehow being with them had allowed me to repair a bridge with my family.
The sun was sinking below the horizon and I watched in amusement as my mom and Keller debated fiercely, while Rush and Torque played with my sisters’ kids.
Alden was holding me in his lap while he spoke quietly with my sister Rose. Daisy was quietly taking it all in just as Dad and I were and I smiled at her.
Looking over at my father, I caught his grin. “What?”
“You look happy, Pumpkin. That’s all I ever wanted for you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
Who would have known that I’d be destined for four military special forces guys and them for me? But that’s how it seemed to work out. All our families were on board. And we were making our own family, the way we wanted to. Could a girl be any more happy or fulfilled?
EPILOGUE
