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I teased Demi for her soccer team and she pinched my ribs where the kids couldn’t see. In the past she would’ve just punched me lightly, but I understood the need to not do that where they could observe and learn.

There were many Harrington siblings, and with how I was the same age with Bodhi, I hadn’t really had time to develop a close relationship with the youngest ones. Demi and Emery were the last ones I’d really bonded with, because they were five years younger than Bodhi and me. The older we all got, the more the age difference meant, and when I left at eighteen, Demi and Emery were only thirteen.

Fate had decided that Emery was the perfect match for my platonic ride or die, though, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

Going through all of them took a bit of time, and by the time I finally sat down, and everyone started to make sure I had food on my plate—Jerrica, who was closest to the cabinet, had gotten up to get me a setting—I felt something inside me relax.

It was a lot. All of them. After a couple of months of solitude, being here was an assault to my senses but also to my heart. The latter was fine, though. It was a good shakeup that I’d sorely needed whether I wanted to accept that fully or not.

“So Wren, where are you staying?” Jenn asked halfway through the meal.

“I thought about getting a room somewhere in town, but then that would mean one of the guys would have to be there because this one wouldn’t let me go without security”—I pointed at Ville with my fork—“so I decided to stay on their couch instead. At least for now.”

I saw Bodhi shift in my peripheral but ignored him. He could have his feelings; I’d been dealing with mine for decades.

“If you get tired of their, uh, extracurricular activities, you can always come to ours,” Hawk said, a little smirk on his face.

There were snickers around the table. It was obvious that Ville and Emery were still in their honeymoon period but they’d tone it down or at least be more quiet for my sake.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“There’s also my room in the house,” Emery piped up. “In case you get tired of us.”

He was smiling in a way that told me that he wasn’t trying to shoo me away from the cabin before I ever stepped in there, so I grinned back. “I’ll keep that in mind, too.”

After brunch, a lot of the family stayed to play games and just hang out a bit more. Those who had less free time left to do their own thing wherever.

The littles needed a nap, and Hawk was heading back to work, so I asked him if I could come see my horse.

“It’s your horse, Wren. Of course you can.”

Payton barreled into his legs. “Hawkle?”

I saw Crew hide a grin behind his hand nearby.

Hawk looked at Payton. “What’s up, kid?”

“Could I maybe come to see the horses with Wren? Because Shiloh wants to see them too.” There was an unspoken “please” in his tone, which was kind of funny.

Wait, no. The “please” had been in the nickname. I thought only Aria called Hawk that. Payton was a bit too clever sometimes. Crew’s amusement made even more sense now.

Hawk pretended to think about it, tapping his chin with his index finger.

“I don’t need to go,” Shiloh said suddenly from behind me.

When I turned around, he ducked behind Bodhi. He really was skittish, wasn’t he?

“No, that’s okay!” Hawk course corrected immediately. “The more the merrier.”

That wasn’t necessarily true, but if Payton wanted to go see horses—which was rare and probably not true in this case—Hawk would change his plans a little to fit the boys in.

“How about I come with you?” Bodhi rumbled, and I barely suppressed the shiver that wanted to travel down my body.

“Yeah!” Payton immediately went to Bodhi to take his hand.

I ignored Shiloh to follow Hawk outside while the boys put their rubber boots on—I could hear Mal remind them about it and smiled.

“Wanna walk?” Hawk asked as we got into the yard.