Page 83 of My Three Hometown Alphas

I want to thank her for being my friend this summer and filling my days with more joy than I thought would be possible after losing my dad, but for now we’ll settle for this.

“You’re welcome,” she says with a quick nod of her head that makes her look far older than she is.

“Well… now that that’s done, do you want to go visit Sienna at the shelter?” I ask, closing my laptop. During the softball games, Sienna offered for us to stop by the shelter at anytime, so Lyla could come see the animals.

Sienna had leaned in a little closer and whispered that she and I could have a little more girl time then, too.

I hadn’t really planned on making friends here in Aspen Springs with my stay here coming to an end soon, but talking with Hadley and Sienna was just… easy. They made me feel like we’d already been friends for years.

“Yes, I want to see all the cute dogs and cats,” she says.

I can already see her begging her uncles for a pet after this little outing. I chuckle to myself as I put on my Converse and tie them as I lean against the wall.

Miles would one hundred percent be on board with getting a pet. I don’t think he’d care what kind. Owen would be swayed eventually, especially if he knew it was what Lyla really wanted. Will would try to be the reasonable one, but in the end, he’d give in, too.

They love their niece so damn much, and they’d all do absolutely anything to show her that love every single day of her life.

As we load into my car, it hits me how well I know this family. And all the things I don’t know yet, I’m desperate to discover. I let my eyes fall closed, waiting for Lyla to buckle herself in the back seat.

An ache permeates my insides because I know my time being immersed in this family is about to end. I fight the urge to bang my head against the steering wheel and choose instead to enjoy this time with my favorite kid in the whole world.

“You ready back there?” I ask, peeking at Lyla through the rearview mirror.

“Hell yeah,” she says and her face instantly pales. “I mean… heck yeah.”

I can’t help my snort of laughter.

“Don’t tell them, especially Will.” Her eyes are wide.

“I’ll let it slide this one time,” I tell her. “Just don’t say it again.” I’m still laughing quietly as I back out of the driveway.

She dramatically wipes her hand across her brow. “I knew you were cool. Even that first day, I knew it.”

A warmth spreads through my heart. Having her in my corner means more than she’ll ever know.

“So, how long have you been sleeping with Will?” Sienna asks.

I choke, nearly sending my sip of Diet Coke out my nose.What the fuck?

“Umm… what?” I ask, still trying to get my breathing under control.

She laughs, running her hand through her wavy red hair. “I didn’t have confirmation before, but I definitely do now.”

“How do you know?” I ask, genuinely curious.Do other people in town know? Would I even care if they did?

No.I really wouldn’t. The answer comes to me quickly, but it’s true. I wouldn’t care if everyone on the planet knew I was in a relationship with them.

I lean my hip against the railing, watching Lyla run around with a group of dogs in the fenced area behind the shelter.

“The way you looked at each other right before he walked toward the dugout,” she says with a slight smirk.

“You figured that out from a look alone?”

“Mostly… yes,” she says with a shrug. “There’s an intensity in a look like that. The love shines right through.

“Love?” I stutter out, thankful I hadn’t just taken a drink this time. “I’m not in love with them.”

The lie is bitter on my tongue.