Only Mine (Honey Mountain #5)(55)

Being home was always the best. I’d missed my sisters so much. I’d only been home for a few hours because Wolf had managed to steal the morning by having his way with me after breakfast and then again in the shower.

The man had a ravenous appetite.

One that rivaled my own.

I couldn’t get enough of him, so this break would be good for me. I needed to get my head on straight.

My Bluetooth rang in the car that Wolf had waiting for me when I landed, and Siri announced it was my cousin, Hugh. We’d gone to college together and had always been close. His dad was my mom’s only brother, and we’d grown up spending summers with him and his four siblings.

“Hey, how’s the restaurant going?” He’d just opened a sports bar in Cottonwood Cove, not far from San Francisco, and I owed him a visit.

“Good. Crazy busy—you know how it goes. I wanted to see if you’d be around next week. I’ll be in the city for a few days, and I thought we could hit Karaoke King and get some drinks.” It was our favorite bar when we were in college, and let’s just say that karaoke and I were one. You put that mic in my hand, and I will deliver.

“Yes. Let’s do it. I could go for a little Hammer time,” I said because “U Can’t Touch This” had been my go-to song back in the day.

He chuckled. “Of course, you can. You’ll have everyone on their feet per usual. Congrats on signing with the Lions. Ledger told me it was official, so we can celebrate.” Ledger was an architect, and he’d helped my cousin design the bar.

“Of course, and we need to celebrate your opening. I can’t wait to come see it. I’m back in Honey Mountain this weekend to trick-or-treat with the kids.”

“All right. Text me when you’re back, and we’ll meet up next week.”

“I will. Love you, cuzzy.”

“Love you, too.” He ended the call, and I drove toward my sister’s house.

I’d already been by the firehouse, which had been my first stop. I couldn’t wait to see my dad. Thankfully, it had been a slow day for him, and I helped him make lunch for all the guys. My dad grilled me about Wolf, as he’d seen me pull up in the sexy black convertible my boss-slash-enemy-slash-lover had rented for me. I felt a tinge of guilt because I’d lied when he asked if anything was going on there. Because the truth was… it was temporary. There was no sense in complicating it by discussing it.

I knew better.

I’d then gone over to Charlie and Ledger’s new place, and they were making huge progress on the home they were building. They were nauseatingly cute together, the way they were so invested in one another and this house, and I freaking loved it. The structure was framed, and drywall was already going up. They were hustling to get as much done as possible before the temperature dropped. It was already chilly in Honey Mountain, and I’d been grateful that I’d grabbed my favorite winter coat to bring with me, and I’d need to wear tights under my costume if I wanted to survive trick-or-treating.

We’d then gone over to Ash and Jace’s new house, which they’d moved into while I was away. They’d fully renovated this old farmhouse, and it was gorgeous. Ashlan was an incredible decorator, and they were still waiting on a few final pieces, but for the most part, the house was done. She’d spent most of her energy decorating both of the girls’ rooms, and I swear my baby sister was born to be a mother. They were also busy planning their wedding, and she was getting ready to release another book. I loved seeing her in her element.

Now, I was heading over to Vivi’s so I could see my niece, little Bee. Her name was Beth Everly, named after both my mother and my oldest sister, and they called her Bee. It was so fitting because that little girl had a way of spreading sweetness everywhere she went. I was rarely a softy, but when it came to Bee, Jackson, Paisley, and Hadley—I was a pile of mush. My nieces and my nephew literally owned my heart. A heart I didn’t even know had a soft spot until they came into the world.

Charlie and Ashlan were on their way over to Vivi’s now, too, and Everly was meeting us over there as well, as she and Hawk had come home for Halloween. Hawk didn’t have a game this weekend, so they were happy to have the break away from the city. We were having a little sisters’ dinner, just the five of us, and, of course, Bee, Jackson, Paisley, and Hadley would be there, as well. Jace and Niko were both working, Hawk was helping his parents with some work around the house, and Ledger was having dinner with his grandmother.

I loved girls’ nights with my sisters. We could say anything. We’d laugh our asses off, and it would be the perfect distraction as my mind kept wandering back to Wolf. It didn’t help that we’d been texting nonstop since I’d landed. The man could sext with the best of them. He had a dirty mouth and a dirty mind—that is something I could appreciate in a strong man like Wolf Wayburn.

I walked up the cobblestone path to the front door and turned the knob, knowing it would be open for us. Of course, that would piss off Niko; the man was ridiculously protective over his girls, but this was Honey Mountain, and I’d never been big on locking my door either.

“Hello?” I called out, and the cutest human on the planet came waddling toward me, with brown, wild curls bouncing on her head and her chubby little arms straight out, waiting for me to scoop her up, which is exactly what I did after I dropped my purse on the floor and ran toward her. “I missed you, Bee.”