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Reason, or at least reality, came back with a painful snap, along with the sense of worry exuding from the two men.

“I’m… sorry,” I hiccuped.

“We waited too long,” Luka grumbled.

Burton scoffed, his hand moving up and down my back. “Yeah, I figured that much out for myself when Petal about fainted when he spotted us.”

“What,” another hiccup, before I continued, “what are you talking about?”

Both men’s eyes turned my way and their expressions matched. Concern, fear, and a devoted fierceness I loved.

“What triggered you, Petal? When you walked in and spotted us, what about the situation made…”

I reached out and cupped his face, shaking my head at the hurt I’d caused, mirrored in his green eyes.

“I thought, and have from the beginning, that you two are perfect. A contrast, yes, but… I guess I’m still working on my insecurities. Sometimes the negative thoughts push in and tell me I’m not worthy of, well, anything.”

Luka settled me on the couch next to him, but cupped his hand around my waist, never severing our connection. He glanced back and forth between us until a sudden determination came over him.

“We’re going out on a date.”

There was no tamping down the thrill that ran through me at his words, which was surprising. But being out with both of them on a date sounded as close as I would get to a fairy tale.

Especially when Luka continued, “There’s a suit upstairs on the bed for you, but the rest will be a surprise. Is that okay?”

Choked up, I nodded before I kissed them both on the lips.

“Um,” I started.

“Go, Petal. We’ll be here.”

Nodding, I darted upstairs, curious about the night ahead of us.

Why the date?

How we became us wasn’t usual, but then again, I wasn’t missing out because there weren’t formal dates as we got to know each other.

We melded our lives together with little fuss.

Burton and Luka showed me every day how integral I’d become in their lives, despite my self-destructive tendencies and thinking the worst. But if they wanted a night out with me, I would not say no.

I jumped in the shower, needing to be clean for the night ahead, and by the time I dried off and dressed, that’s when excitement fluttered in my belly. There was nothing I wanted more than to spend the entire night without distractions, only the three of us.

Halfway down the stairs, a wolf whistle broke the silence and, without my permission, my cheeks heated. They flared into an inferno as Luka growled, circling around me in a predatory way and Burton stepped closer to finger my tie.

“Wow, Petal. Just… wow.”

“You look devastating, Sunshine. Are you ready?”

On the drive to the restaurant, the car was silent as my mind wondered, thinking about what was to come. I settled in my seat as I thought back on my reaction to seeing both of them decked out for a special night they planned with me, maybe even for me. Guilt swamped me, but also a determination to move past my damaging childhood.

When I purchased Phoenix Rising, I didn’t immediately quit my job as a realtor. I worked for a few months, selling nothing, but putting in the appearance so my father wouldn’t get suspicious. Arthur oversaw the renovation; who was I kidding? I gave him detailed instructions and sketches, and by the end, it looked how I wanted it.

Until the moment these two men walked in and captured my attention, I thought my life was complete. A whole man who ran his own business, happy with his place in the world.

Burton and Luka had both shown me how happiness had nothing to do with sacrifice or pain. I wasn’t selfish when I pursued my dreams by opening my bakery. I did not tie my dreams to my father, and that was more than fine. At that moment, I realized I needed to come to terms with my past, once and for all.

When we sat on the patio, Burton asked, “What are you thinking about?”