Chapter 38 Steady Ground
We hadn’t originally planned to stay the night, but after dinner ran long and Patrick got pulled into a private meeting with his dads and uncles, it just made sense. Shannon had already made up rooms for us anyway, like she knew we wouldn’t be leaving right away. No one argued. The house was warm, the beds were comfortable, and waking up to the smell of fresh scones and coffee made it feel like the most natural thing in the world.
I padded down the hall in one of Jake’s oversized shirts and fuzzy socks, hair still mussed from sleep, and found the kitchen already bustling. Shannon stood at the stove, her auburn curls pinned back, humming to herself as she flipped something golden and crispy in a skillet.
Connor looked up from his coffee at the island. “Morning, love.”
“Morning,” I said, voice still rough. “That smells amazing.”
Shannon smiled over her shoulder. “Sit. Eat. You need to put a little more weight on those bones.”
Before I could respond, Jake breezed in behind me and kissed the top of my head. “She’s perfect.”
Shannon gave him a pointed look. “She’ll stay perfect longer if she eats a proper breakfast.”
I sat, grinning into my coffee. Home had never felt like this before, but somehow, it was exactly what I needed.
Drew showed up next, fully dressed and already too put together for how early it was. He kissed my temple and handed me a glass of orange juice before sitting down next to me. Josh followed, his hoodie rumpled and his hair still damp from a shower. He took the seat on my other side and stole a piece of bacon off my plate without asking.
“Rude,” I muttered, swatting his hand.
He just grinned and popped the bacon in his mouth.
Mike wandered in last, stretching and yawning like he’d just run a marathon in his sleep. Patrick was nowhere in sight, which meant he was likely still talking to his dads. That wasn’t unusual. The family always had something going on, some detail to iron out, even if they were working toward legitimacy.
Shannon served up plates one by one, fussing the whole time.
“Josh, sit up straight. Drew, eat more protein. Mike, you look like you haven’t slept in a week.”
“Love you too, Shannon,” Mike said around a mouthful of eggs.
She just rolled her eyes fondly and ruffled his hair as she passed.
After breakfast, everyone slowly trickled into the living room. Shannon brought out a tray of tea and a bowl of fruit like we hadn’t just eaten half the fridge. The house was warm and quiet, sunlight filtering through the tall windows, and no one seemed in a rush to go anywhere.
I found myself curled up on the couch, Patrick’s sweater wrapped around me, half-asleep against Jake’s chest. The fire crackled quietly, and someone had put on music low enough it felt like background comfort. For a while, we just existed in that moment. No tension, no expectations. Just quiet and warmth.
Eventually, Patrick reappeared, dressed and freshly showered, his jaw tense but his eyes soft when he looked at me.
He sat beside me, pulling my legs into his lap and rubbing slow circles against my calf.
“Everything okay?” I asked quietly.
He nodded. “Yeah. Just some follow-up from the Denver meeting. Dad wanted to make sure everything was set before we head back into the city.”
“Anything I should worry about?”
“Not yet,” he said honestly, then leaned in and kissed my knee. “But you’ll be the first to know if that changes.”
We didn’t stay much longer after that. Shannon packed us leftovers, scolding the guys for not visiting more often, and Connor promised to check in midweek. There were hugs at the door, soft reminders to call, and promises to come back soon. As we climbed into the SUV, I glanced back once at the house. The ivy-covered brick, the wraparound porch, the warm yellow light spilling from the windows—it really did feel like something permanent.
Like family.
On the drive home, everyone was quiet, but not in a bad way. Mike dozed off against the window. Josh had his earbuds in and was probably listening to one of his playlists. Jake scrolled through something on his phone, probably hunting for our next movie night pick. Drew sat with his hand resting lightly on my thigh, just enough pressure to remind me he was there. Patrick stared out the window, but his fingers were twined with mine, steady and sure.
Back at the house, Darren was waiting at the door, holding it open with a small nod.
“Welcome home, Miss Emerson. Gentlemen.”
“Thanks, Darren,” I said, smiling as I passed.
“Would you like tea?”
“Coffee, please. We didn’t stop on the way back.”
“Very good,” he said with a faint smile and disappeared into the kitchen.
By the time I made it to the couch and curled up again, coffee in hand and all five boys somewhere nearby, I felt like I could breathe again. We were stepping back into our normal lives, but it didn’t feel heavy or hard. It just felt like moving forward. Together.
Patrick dropped down beside me and opened his laptop, eyes scanning a screen. “Dad says we’ll probably have something midweek. Just a small meeting.”
“Is that code for dangerous?”
He smirked. “It’s code for boring. But I’ll be careful.”
I nodded and leaned into his side.
Outside, snow had started to fall again, thick and lazy like it had no real urgency. Inside, we were warm, safe, and surrounded by everything that mattered.
For now, that was enough.