227

God, I swear, I would’ve licked ice cream off that man’s ass,” Mom exclaimed with a whistle. “Can you believe my luck? First time out in over a year, and we run into Ryder Reynolds.”

“Mom, that was not Ryder Reynolds,” I said, trying not to gag at her ice cream comment, though I couldn’t help but giggle at her antics. “He was working at an ice cream truck. Do you really think Ryder Reynolds is going to be working an ice cream truck?”

“You never know,” she said with a dreamy sigh. “Best day ever.”

I couldn’t argue. It really was a good day. Mom’s doctor had suggested we go out for a few hours. Their holistic approach to her health focused not just on her physical but also on her mental well-being, and a few hours of sunshine and fresh air had done wonders.

As Sarah drove us into the Waverly Place parking lot, we sat in silence, soaking up the warmth of the sun in her convertible. None of us wanted the afternoon to end. It had been so wonderful to get out with Mom that the thought of not being able to do it again for another week made me want to cry.

“Alright, stop pouting and get me inside,” Mom commanded. “If I miss dinner, you’re both getting a good ass-kicking.”

I laughed, realizing Sarah and I had both been sulking a little. We helped Mom into her wheelchair. “Do you think the police have ever had to investigate a case of sexual harassment at the ice cream parlor here?”

“You’d be shocked—and maybe disgusted—to know how often it happens here,” Sarah replied, pointing to Mom. “Exhibit A.”

I grinned and waited for Sarah to lock the car. “I’ve got a feeling I’m going to need to keep a really close eye on you when you’re out of here.”

“Once I get out of here, you might not see me for a month,” Mom said with a wink. “I’ve got some booties to call.”

Sarah fist-bumped Mom and then looked concerned as we neared the entrance. “What the hell is going on in there?”

I was too distracted by my mother’s comment about “booties” to notice at first. “Mom, you can’t say that to me. And you need to be cleared by your doctor before you start going wild. Also, make sure the guys you sleep with get cleared too. Last thing I need is a call telling me you killed a guy during sex.”

“I plan on sleeping with much younger men, for your information,” she replied, wagging her finger at me. “Besides, I never interrogated you about your sex life when you had one.”

I scoffed, wishing she had. Maybe I wouldn’t have made some of the stupid choices I had, like sleeping with Jaxon, Lucas, and Ryder. Condoms never crossed my mind back then.

“Holy shit,” Mom suddenly whispered, her voice quickly drowned out by a distant roar.

I followed her gaze and stepped inside, trying to see what had caused such a commotion. There was a crowd of older women gathered in the lounge area, and it wasn’t a small crowd. “What’s going on? Did Clint Eastwood come to town or something?”

“Clint Eastwood? Really?” Mom shot me a look of disbelief.

I carefully pushed Mom into the building, trying to see past the mass of people. “This is crazy. I didn’t even know some of these women could leave their wheelchairs.”

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Mom said, a grin spreading across her face. She nodded toward the crowd. “I caught a glimpse through the crowd. You’ll want to see this.”

Before I could even ask what she was doing, Mom took off, wheeling herself faster than I’d ever seen her move. I was so happy about her sudden mobility improvement that it took me a second to realize she was charging straight into the crowd. I cursed under my breath and rushed after her. “Mom! What are you doing?”

“Move it! Out of my way!” Mom yelled, definitely running over a few toes along the way. “Move it or my daughter will kick your ass!”

I gasped. “Oh my god, Mom!”

Just then, Sarah appeared out of nowhere, giving Mom’s wheelchair a little push to help clear the crowd. She grinned at me. “She’s doing great, huh?”

I almost tripped over a pink, jeweled cane, but before I could fall, a pair of strong arms caught me. Mid-air, I noticed a few things: The crowd of women had formed a perfect circle around the sitting area, but the area itself was empty—except for Mom and Sarah, standing like they were on stage. Sitting on that stage, however, were the three men who had starred in my fantasies more than I’d ever cared to admit.

Well, not sitting. Jaxon was standing, having caught me as I nearly toppled over. His familiar scent hit me, and I had to close my eyes to fight back the wave of longing that crashed through me. My body was betraying me, completely at odds with my mind and heart.

“Alright, you old perverts! These men are already taken! Go back to your rooms and mind your own business!” Mom’s voice rang out. When no one moved, she tried another approach. “If you leave now, I’ll have them take off their shirts later.”

I quickly extracted myself from Jaxon’s hold, stepping closer to Mom. Wrapping my arms around myself, I watched as the crowd dispersed, vanishing like they’d never been there. The promise of shirtless men had done the trick. Part of me almost wanted the crowd to stick around—facing the three of them alone was way more daunting.

“Margot,” Ryder said my name softly, almost reverently, and a shiver ran through me at the sound of it.

“Well, you three finally showed up.” Mom crossed her arms and grunted. “Took you long enough.”

I just stared at her, dumbfounded. “Mom.”

“What? They should’ve been here from the start,” she shot back, not budging. “I’m not going anywhere. If you think you’re going to win my daughter back and not have me listen in, you’re wrong.”

“Same here,” Sarah added, flashing me an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”

“That’s fine. You should hear everything, so there’s no confusion later,” Lucas’s stern voice cut through. My eyes automatically went to him, but his expression didn’t match the harshness of his tone. His eyes were full of worry.

I looked between the three of them, my heart racing. I had to turn away, the weight of their presence and what they were about to say making me want to curl up and hide.

“I can speak for Ryder and Jaxon when I say that we’ve wanted you for more than five years, Margot. I’ve dreamed of a reality where you’re mine far longer than I should’ve, especially considering you were with Braxton for three of those years. What we had at the lodge was everything we could’ve ever asked for, and more. Having you as ours changed something inside me, Margot. I don’t care about anything else anymore. All I want is you. You’re all I think about. You’re all I dream about.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “We messed up. We should’ve never left you. I don’t know if it makes a difference, but the thought of you with another man tore me apart. I didn’t stop for one second. I just ran. I’m more sorry than you’ll ever know. Leaving you behind is my biggest regret.”

Sarah nudged me gently. “Breathe.”

I took a shuddering breath, gripping the back of Mom’s wheelchair as if it could hold me together. My body felt like it was on the verge of breaking down.

“I don’t want to live without you,” Ryder said, his smile softening his words. I gasped, unable to stop the shock that escaped me. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to end it all. I’m just really motivated to make things right with you. I’m done with the constant traveling, done with not knowing where I’ll sleep at night. I want to wake up every day knowing I’m coming home to you, Margot. I’m sorry we ran. I’m sorry it took Constance to point out what we should’ve known from the start. Don’t blame our hearts. Our hearts are yours. They always have been.”

Jaxon took a step closer. “I’m a real asshole without you, Bubba. I’ve missed you. Every damn day, I’ve been angry at myself for not stopping to think for a second, angry at these two for not being smarter than me, angry at the world for just moving on like everything’s fine. We know you, Margot. We know your heart. If we’d stopped and thought for even a moment, we would’ve laughed at Braxton. You loved us. You gave yourself to us completely. No woman who loves like that would ever cheat. I’m just hoping you love us enough to forgive us.”