Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63626 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “Not for the orchard, but because Kit said you love cheese and you can use their milk to make goat cheese. I plan on setting everything up so you can make it from scratch.”
I couldn’t help but laugh, going up on my tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” I said, moving toward Jay to give him a kiss as well, when he shook his head.
“Wait, I mean… well—” Instead of continuing, Banks grabbed one hand, Jay my other, and they led me down the hill, Rye following. They didn’t stop until we were standing in the middle of the orchard. They released my hands, and my heart stopped as all three of them dropped to one knee, each pulling a small box from his pocket.
As one, they chorused, “We love you, Goldie.”
Banks said, “Ever since you moved here with us, we have felt complete.”
“You’ve changed and improved every one of our lives,” Jay added.
“You have given us something we didn’t even know was missing,” Banks said.
Rye smiled as he added, “You’ve given us love.”
“Make us the happiest men on earth. Say you’ll marry us,” they said in perfect unison.
It was more than I’d ever dared dream. I didn’t have to choose. I could have all of them.
“Yes, yes, and yes!” I said, looking at each man as I answered them in turn.
The boxes contained slim bands. Gold, platinum, and a rose gold. One by one, they stood and came to me, slipping the rings on my finger, one atop the other, all separate and yet forming one band. I’d kissed each brother as he repeated that he loved me.
Life had taken so much from them, but I’d done my best to keep my promise. I didn’t allow a day to go by that I didn’t tell them how much I loved them. How special they were to me. How proud I was of the way they were changing their lives. They’d done a wonderful job with the farm, repairing all that could be fixed and building whatever they decided I needed to keep me happy. I’d protested they were working too hard until the night Jay unrolled a large drawing, all the brothers holding down a corner.
“Is that a greenhouse?” I’d asked.
“It is,” Jay answered.
“But you’ve given me so much already. The orchard—”
“Which we’ll need to move inside during the winter,” Banks said.
“Another reason we planted them in pots,” Rye offered.
“And why I wasn’t worried about the goats stealing your fruit,” Jay quipped, a grin on his face. “But, if you’d rather we—”
“No, no,” I said, cutting Jay off. “Perhaps I spoke too quickly. I’d love a greenhouse.”
And I did love it. My beautiful trees lined the side walls. It had a long row of tables down the center filled with growing seedlings, ready to be planted in the ground with the coming of spring.
But of all the gifts they’d given me, none was more precious than the one cradled in Rye’s arms. We’d been blessed with our first child, a daughter, a month ago. We had no idea which of my husbands was her father, nor did we care. In our hearts, in our souls, they all were.
“What took you so long?” I teased when they finally reached me.
“I’m carrying very precious cargo,” Rye said, looking down at our baby.
“And you shouldn’t be running ahead,” Banks chided. “You just had a baby.”
I rolled my eyes and laughed. “If by ‘just’ you mean weeks ago, then yes. But I’m fine, and it is such a beautiful day. I just had to run.”
Jay grinned as well, pulling me to his side and bending to kiss my cheek. “I seem to remember someone getting her ass striped for insisting she just needed to run.”
I felt my body respond, remembering the night I’d climbed out the window, yet pretended ignorance. “Hmmm, I don’t seem to remember that.”
“Then, perhaps a visit to the woodshed is called for,” Jay teased.
“Definitely,” I agreed, reaching up to kiss his cheek. Ever since I’d given birth, they’d tended to treat me as something fragile. It was time to remind them I wasn’t… that I needed my men a bit rough. My daughter’s little coo reminded me of why we’d come, and I turned to look at the others. “Shall we?”
They nodded, and the four of us walked the remaining short distance to our destination. Jay laid the bouquet of lilacs and pink roses at the foot of the headstone as Banks helped me to kneel, the others kneeling as well. Reaching out, I laid a hand on the marble.
“Hi, Kit,” I said softly. “It’s your family.”
Rye had knelt on the opposite side of the grave from me, and I watched his expression. We’d come often to his sister’s grave to pay our respects or to simply sit with her, allowing the peace of the setting to fill us. But today, his face didn’t only show pain. For the first time, Rye appeared at peace. He looked up and caught my eye and I smiled and nodded.