Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94072 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
“Have you heard from Bryan and Callie yet?” I ask my brother.
“No, but I think they planned to grab breakfast with Melanie,” Kellan mutters, scanning the lobby. “I don’t see her anywhere…”
“I feel like we’re dodging the boogeyman.”
“We sort of are.”
It isn’t until we’ve gone through the patio doors and hiked halfway up to the chair lift that I begin to relax. Once we’re on top of the mountain, it won’t matter what’s happening down in the lodge.
Since Makayla’s not with us, we can head over to a more advanced run. We catch the first available chairlift and have plenty of time to hash out everything we left unsaid last night.
“Do you think we might have a future with Makayla?” I ask. “Her connection with Oscar is undeniable at this point. And I’m starting to feel like she’s after more than just a good time.”
“I’d like that option,” Kellan admits. “She’s something else. And she keeps exceeding any and all of my expectations.”
I chuckle softly, nostalgia unfurling as a blanket of white snow and thick evergreen pines scrolls beneath our dangling skis. “Do you remember when she snuck into Bryan’s backseat that one time, and we drove halfway to the asylum before we realized she was there?”
My brother smiles. “The haunted asylum. One of our many Mystery Van adventures.”
“Boy, were we reckless and way too adventurous for our own good.”
“It was clean fun, if you think about it. Other guys our age were balls-deep in coeds and cocaine. We were touring the state, looking for haunted spots to explore. What did Makayla call us? Oh, right. The Nerdy Chads.”
“She always found a way to tag along, that brave, equally reckless girl…”
“Bryan wanted to take her back home, but you convinced him to let her come with us,” Kellan recalls. “I think Oscar was more afraid of that place than she was. Pretty sure that was the year he officially stopped celebrating Halloween.”
I pause to study our surroundings for a moment. We’re suspended high above the ground. The ski slopes carve a zigzag path up the mountain, bordered on each side by a quiet, ancient forest. The view is breathtaking, giving my mind room to wander. Lately, my thoughts keep drifting toward the future.
“So, a future with Kay,” Kellan says, circling back to my original question.
I know my life is forever entwined with my brothers, but maybe it’s time to bring a partner into our orbit. A woman meant for the three of us. The idea has never felt crazy to me.
“I just feel this intense connection to her, and the sex only amplifies it,” I say. “I want her on a deeper level, and I know I’m not the only one.”
“You’re not. But… slow down,” Kellan says. “Makayla is incredible—beautiful, funny, bold, enthusiastic—and, yes, we have history with her, but we’ve only just reconnected. It’s way too early to jump the gun.”
“I don’t want you to make sense,” I say, exhaling sharply. “Maybe I’m not explaining it right—it sounds logical in my head.”
“No, I get it. I feel the same way.”
“Feel,” I echo, tasting the word. “Yeah—feel. It feels right, Kel.”
I’ve never felt this way about any woman we’ve shared—or any I’ve dated solo.
“I’m not saying you’re wrong, just that we need to tap the brakes,” he says.
“Remember back in high school when I dated a few girls on my own?” I ask. He nods. “Makayla was always the one I wanted to know better, but because she was Bryan’s little sister, I never made a move.”
“We all dated separately at one point or another.”
“You’re not hearing me—it’s like fate,” I insist. “We orbited each other for years, then drifted apart. Now we’ve crossed paths again—older, wiser.”
Kellan smiles broadly. “Or so we like to tell ourselves.”
“Fair enough. Even so—after all these years, that can’t be a coincidence.”
“Of course it’s not a coincidence,” Kellan scoffs. “Her brother is getting married.”
I draw a deep breath, realizing he’s not ready to follow me down this rabbit hole. Maybe he’s scared—maybe just cautious. Either way, it’s too soon for him.
“Speaking of Bryan, do we know when he’s going to propose?” I ask, veering off topic.
“He didn’t give me any specifics,” Kellan admits. “I hope he’s planning something soon, though. It would help to have at least one secret off our plates.”
“Right?” I agree. “That dinner last night was horrible.”
He lets out a dry chuckle. “We can agree it wasn’t Bryan’s secret proposal that made dinner so awful.”
“Melanie is going to be a problem if we’re not careful.”
“Don’t I know it…”
The chair lift reaches the top and drops us off. We ski over to the start of the slope and gaze down at the lodge in the distance below. This is the moment where I put everything out of my mind and focus solely on making it down smoothly and in one piece.