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ALEX

“ G et up,” I tell my brother, hoping that my authoritative tone will get him moving.

Kellan has been taking longer and longer to get out of bed in the morning. He used to be the early bird among us. The devil, they say, is in the details, and in our case, our demon has been settling in, all cozy and eager to pull us deeper under.

“No,” Kellan grumbles, pulling the pillow over his head.

“Come on, man,” I insist, yanking the pillow off his face and tossing it across the room.

“Why? There’s no rule that says I can’t sleep an extra half hour,” he mutters from under the pillow.

“This isn’t like you, Kel.”

“Do not go there. I’m tired, that’s all.”

“This is more than simple fatigue, Kel. Come on—we have a full day ahead. We need to keep moving.”

I’m met with silence.

“Fine.” I concede. Unless I physically drag him, he isn’t going anywhere. Watching him wallow hurts, but there’s nothing I can do. I leave the room and flick off the lights behind me.

I run into Oscar in the kitchen. He’s coping in his own way, which means hyperfocusing on every little detail.

“Did you know that our electricity bill went up from last month?” he asks, holding up his cell phone to prove his point.

I glance at the numbers on the screen but shrug. “And?”

“And?” Oscar fires back. “Just because we’re comfortable doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be mindful.”

“You can’t possibly be serious right now…” I stare at him, trying to decide if he’s joking.

“I’ll have to call them to get to the bottom of this. Unless you want to do it.”

“You’re serious about this? Fine. Knock yourself out,” I say, reaching for the orange juice.

For a moment I pause and inhale the bright scent of freshly pressed oranges. A phantom note of champagne drifts in, and suddenly I’m back in that hot tub on a snowy Swedish balcony, mountains looming and solemn pines standing guard.

And I can almost feel my fingers brushing through her hair…

“How’s Kellan?” Oscar asks.

“No better than you or me. It’s taking us longer than I’d hoped to shake this off. That’s not like us.”

“It isn’t. You’re right about that,” he says, letting out a heavy sigh as he sets his phone aside. “And this… this is just exhausting. If this was any other woman, we wouldn’t be wallowing like this.”

I give him a long, heavy look. “Maybe we were wrong. Maybe she wasn’t the one. Maybe we just need to accept the fact that it didn’t work out and move on.”

“Brother, I’m in no mood for rebound hookups, if that’s what you’re suggesting,” Oscar says dryly. “We all really fell for her. It’s painful, but maybe we just need to let ourselves grieve for a moment.”

“Is that what this is?” I mutter, pouring myself a glass of juice and taking a seat at the kitchen counter. “Maybe I’m focusing on Kellan because I don’t want to deal with myself. Maybe it’s just easier for me to look at him and say, ‘why can’t he just get over her?’”

“Everyone grieves in their own way.”

“Aren’t you the sage—stop saying ‘grieve,’” I say, my tone sharp. “It’s not like she’s dead. We did everything we could to try to explain ourselves, but she chose not to believe us. If anything, we should be angry.”

“Angry at Makayla?” Oscar asks, making sure he caught my meaning.

“Yes.” I nod. “She’s the one who ran out on us without even giving us a chance to change her mind. She obviously doesn’t trust us.”

“Be careful. Anger is also a sign of grief, although it’s perfectly natural.”

“Since when did you become a therapist?” I mutter.

“All right.” Oscar steps into my line of sight. “If you want to get over her, let’s do something crazy. Let’s go to Vegas. We’ll blow some cash on the slots, get drunk, and maybe meet an adventurous woman.”

I straighten. A weekend in Vegas actually sounds appealing, if only for a heartbeat. It’s been a while since we hit Sin City, and that change of scenery might be just what the doctor ordered for the three of us.

“Not the worst idea you’ve had,” I admit. “But Bryan might need us for the upcoming trade commission. It’s a major move for the company.”

“I’ll handle Bryan,” Oscar promises. “We’d only be gone for the weekend. He can do the prep work without us. Besides, he’ll probably be relieved not to face our sulking faces for a few days.”

“Granted. It’s not like our friendship is anywhere close to resuscitation, anyway…”

“People need time, Alex. We have to be patient. And we cannot ignore our own needs in the process.”

I scratch at the stubble sprouting along my jaw—a devilish detail that forces me to admit I’m not doing okay either.

“What did our lawyers say?” I ask Oscar. “Any news?”

“They’re moving forward with the motion to dismiss and prepping a countersuit on our behalf,” he says, a smile spreading from ear to ear.

“That’s the best news I’ve heard so far,” I mutter. “At least there’s that.”

“Remember what the PI told us when we first put him on Melanie?”

I shoot him a sour look. “Don’t?—”

“He said we need to be patient. Lo and behold, our patience is finally being rewarded.”

Shaking my head slowly, I get up and turn away from him. “For someone who mere seconds ago was freaking over a household bill, you’re so fucking zen all of a sudden.”

“My despair ebbs and flows.” He chuckles dryly. “I have my moments.”

I can’t help but laugh. At least he’s self-aware.

The front doorbell rings. My brother and I exchange curious glances.

“Are we expecting anyone?” I ask.

“No.”

By the time I reach the front door, I rifle through my memory—maybe one of us ordered something and forgot. But when I swing the door open, every thought screeches to a halt.

Makayla stands on the porch, wrapped in a camel-brown wool coat beside a suitcase. Her hair tumbles around her face, giving her a wild edge.

“Holy crap.” I yank her into a desperate hug, needing to know she’s real.

“Alex,” she whispers, hugging me back.

I can’t believe I have her in my arms again. It feels like a dream. I hold on as long as I can, until Oscar wanders over to see what’s taking so long.

“Who’s…” His voice fades as his eyes widen. “Kay…”

Finally, I ease back and absorb every inch of her, making sure I’m not imagining this.

“It’s good to see you again, Oscar,” she says, her voice soft and sweet.

He opens his arms. “Come here.”

She melts into his embrace in that sweet, signature way that always makes my chest expand and my breath hitch. I want to stroke her hair. I want to bury myself within her and never come out again. Just looking at her now reminds me how badly I’ve missed this marvelous creature.

“Is Kellan here?” Makayla asks.

She glances around, clearly searching for our third brother. I snatch up her bag—a pointless but chivalrous gesture meant to welcome her.

“Yes,” I say, forcing myself to move. I set her suitcase beside the couch and hurry to Kellan’s bedroom to deliver the unbelievable news. “Kellan! Kellan! Get up!”

“I told you I’m not getting up!” Kellan yells even before I enter his room.

I shove the door open, stride to the bed, yank the pillow off Kellan’s face, and toss it across the room. He sits up with a furious frown.

“What?!” he demands.

“She’s here,” I say, breathlessly watching the pain in his eyes melt into sheer excitement.

“Where?”

He leaps from the bed and beats me out into the hall before I can even answer.

By the time I return to the front room, Kellan has picked Makayla up off the ground and is spinning her around. She laughs and clutches at his shoulders for balance, her hair bouncing playfully around her face as Kellan swings her through the air.

“What are you doing here?” I ask when Kellan finally sets her down.

“It’s good to see you guys again,” she says, slowly inching away from us.

I don’t know what to make of this, but I take it one breath at a time. “How about some coffee?”

“Maybe later,” she says. “I need to tell you something. Can we sit?” She gestures to the sofa and sinks onto it.

“Of course,” Oscar replies.

I sit next to her, while my brothers settle in the two armchairs facing us from across the coffee table. The air thickens with a new tension. Unspoken expectations pulse between us, and I dread the disappointment that might follow.

Whatever brought her here, she’s in front of us—and that’s all that matters right now.

And she’s smiling. It’s all that matters, at least in this moment.

“I want to apologize for running out on you,” Makayla begins.

“No, no, no,” I hurry to say.

“No, really,” she insists, holding up a hand. “I should have stayed and talked to you about the whole thing. Instead, I took Melanie at her word and ran away. But in my defense, I thought I overheard you guys saying that you slept with her.”

“We did,” I answer before my brothers can stop me.

“But it was long ago,” Kellan interjects.

“I know that now,” she sighs, lowering her gaze. “Your past is yours and yours alone. I should’ve thought twice before holding it against you.”

I lean forward, beckoning her to meet my gaze. “Kay… it meant nothing, and it spiraled into something we couldn’t control, let alone fix. Melanie is wildly unpredictable, and back at the resort we had no idea how to handle her. We were afraid of losing you—and we did.”

“Callie and Bryan came to visit me at my vineyard,” Makayla continues. “And Callie explained everything to me. She has proof that Melanie was blackmailing people. It wasn’t just you; apparently there are at least three other people who are paying her money to keep quiet.”

I exhale, feeling vindicated at last.

“I’d like to say I’m shocked,” Kellan mutters.

Oscar’s frown deepens. “Melanie played her cards well, just not as well as she thought.”

Makayla nods. “Her biggest problem is thinking she’s smarter than everyone else and immune to consequences…”

“You’ll be happy to know we’re taking legal action,” I say with a half smile. “The stunt she pulled at the resort breached our?—”

“Non-disclosure agreement, yes,” she cuts in. “I read that, too. And I support your decision. If you need me to testify in court, I’m your gal.”

An uneasy silence settles. Sunlight floods the living room, filling my chest with fragile hope, and for the first time in weeks I can breathe.

“So, you believe us?” Kellan asks.

“I don’t know what happened between you and Melanie, but yes,” Makayla assures us. “I believe you. I believe that you didn’t sleep with her recently, and that for whatever reason, she’s been playing everyone.”

“Maybe she’s always been the troubled type, hiding in plain sight. Pretending to be in perfect control of herself until she lashes out and shoots herself in the foot,” Oscar muses.

“Callie says their parents often bailed her out of trouble. That could be why she kept thinking she could get away with her miserable whims. but… whatever the reason,” Makayla says, “I’m just glad I know the truth and that she won’t be able to manipulate me anymore.”

Kellan nods slowly, his gaze sweeping over her. “Good. We’re glad to hear that.”

“Does that mean you’re sticking around?” I ask, maybe a little too eager.

Oscar shoots me an amused glance. “What my brother is trying to say is—would you like to stay here with us for a while?”

“If that’s okay with you,” she answers. “I thought maybe we could start over.”

“Start over?” he replies, raising a curious eyebrow.

Makayla giggles softly as she looks at him. “Or pick up where we left off before everything went to hell. Either way works for me, as long as we get to be in each other’s lives, Oscar.”

“Sounds good to me,” Kellan says.

“I mean, we’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” she adds. “Who knows, I might even entice you to come up to my vineyard and check it out.”

Pride swells as I grin at this spectacular woman. “Your vineyard?”

“Well, I just planted the saplings. It’ll be a while before the place looks like a real vineyard, but yes,” she says.

This is the best news I’ve heard in a long time.

I draw a deep breath and rest my hand on her knee. My touch alone elicits a subtle tremor from her. “Kay, you belong with us,” I tell her. “These past few weeks have been very hard on all of us, and we’ll do whatever it takes to make things work.”

“I’m relieved to hear that,” she whispers.

She leans back in her chair, clearly tired from her trip. But I’m not letting this angel rest just yet, so I get up and pull her into my arms. “You said we have a lot of catching up to do,” I remind her, making her laugh.

Yet as soon as our lips meet, all bets are off.

And our lives begin again.