AllFreeNovel
Share Us
SILAS
“Yo! I’m home, where y'all at?” I call out, walking through the front door.
“In the kitchen!” one of the twins, I think Orin, yells back. I head that way, kinda nervous about telling them I volunteered all of us to take three young kids fishing. I find all four of my brothers in the kitchen.
“How did it go man? You’ve been gone all day and wouldn’t answer your phone,” Callum bitches.
“Sorry, a lot happened. First we found her a brand new Chevy Tahoe, and second her ex-husband tried to kill her and their daughter multiple times. Her old car was a death trap, and it's been like that for months! I don’t know how she got it here in the first place.” My words cut off as anger slams into me all over again.
“What the fuck?” is all Callum is able to get out before my rant continues.
“Plus, I got to meet the kids, and the oldest, Arden, straight up told me to my face that ‘if I’m mean like their daddy was I can leave.’ I was so fucking shocked that a five year old would stand up to a grown man like that. Lochlan, the four year old, wants to see the firetrucks so I said we will set something up, and y'all the little girl Vivian is gonna have me completely wrapped around her finger.” I pause to take a breath and they just blink at me like I’ve lost my mind.
“Damn,” Orin says with a shocked laugh. “That’s a lot to unpack.”
“Y’all have no idea. Isla wasn’t even shocked! Fair warning though, Vivi is apparently terrified of men. It seems their dad never wanted a girl, because to him women were useless.” Unsurprisingly, four matching growls come from my brothers. I knew they wouldn’t like that.
“I’ll never fucking understand people,” Callum seethes. And he doesn’t even know the full story yet. Hell, I doubt I even do, but I know enough. I grab a drink and take a long swig before dropping the next bomb.
“That’s not all,” I continue. “It seems the cunt of a dad wouldn't do anything with the boys outside. Arden asked if we could teach him and his brother to fish, so get y'alls fishing shit together cause we're going over to Ms. Emma’s tomorrow and taking them. I stopped at the bait shop and got everything we needed, plus three small poles; one Spiderman, one PAW Patrol, and a princess one.”
Thinking out loud now, more to myself than to my brothers I say, “Vivi is two so I don’t know if she will even like to fish.”
“Okay, well how about we buy some bubbles, coloring books, and maybe some fingernail polish stuff? That way we can take turns playing with her and fishing with the boys?’’ Orin suggests, looking around at us. That’s one thing I appreciate about my brothers. They’re problem solvers and don’t even bat an eye to fix a situation.
“Text Isla and ask what her favorite color and thing to do is,” Bodie instructs as he sets the pasta he cooked on the table. “She deserves something for herself. I don’t know what she’s been through, but I know a survivor when I see one.”
“Okay, yeah that way we can make it special for all of them. I told Isla, if she will let me, I want to be in the kids' lives. I’m telling you, I fell in love with them instantly. They are us as kids, they just got safe way before we did. They need to be shown what a good man, or men, look like, and honestly I think y'all will be wrapped around their fingers the same way I already am. Isla’s too, really; they are all amazing,” I tell them as I take out my phone to text Isla. From the smirks on their faces, I’m not being subtle in my feelings at all. They can see right through me.
“What did you find out about the ex, other than him being a piece of shit? Is he going to be a problem?” Odin asks, shifting into cop mode.
“He’s dead, thankfully. Apparently there was a police officer that actually tried to help get her away. He stayed around and I guess he found out that Isla’s ex was trying to kill her and Vivi and intervened by plowing his truck into the car the dickhead and his dad were in; all three of them died.”
“You’re telling me that asshole was planning to murder his wife and daughter, all because they were women?” Odin grinds out.
“Yup, seems like it.”
“I’m fucking glad that dickface is dead or I’d kill him myself,” Callum says, pacing.
“Did she text back?” Odin asks, as I’m checking my phone.
“Yeah, she said that Vivi likes yellow and pink, and she loves playing tea party and dress up.” I reply, chuckling.
“So we need to go buy things for a tea party and some fingernail stuff?” Orin asks, grabbing his keys. “Who’s coming with me?”
“I will,” Odin says, standing up. “I wanna grab something for the boys too.”
“Okay, while you two are gone, me, Bodie, and Callum will get all the fishing stuff loaded in the truck. Are we taking mine or yours tomorrow, B?” I ask.
Bodie looks spaced out for a minute as he thinks. “Let’s take mine since it's bigger, but before everyone gets going, I have to ask… are we all wanting to pursue something with Isla?” Glancing between me and our brothers, he waits for an answer. He’s never been one for beating around the bush and I appreciate that he’s getting it out in the open now.
Callum speaks up, “Well me and Orin haven’t met her yet, but if she's as amazing as y'all say, I can get on board. I know last time we tried to date separately and it went up in flames that we agreed we would try and find one woman. Plus she has kids, and we all know I’m a sucker for kids.”
“I agree, I’m willing to give it a shot, if that’s something she’ll even be interested in. And on that note, bro, let's go spoil some kids,” Orin says walking out, his twin right behind him like a shadow.
“Okay, then it's settled then. Come on losers, let's get everything ready so we can win over our girl and make those kids’ day,” Bodie says, stacking the last of the dishes into the dishwasher so we can get ready.
Let's hope we can win over the girl, because I don’t think I’ll ever forget that kiss.
