Page 25 of Nica (Texas Boudreau Brotherhood #17)

The guilt twisted deep in Gabe’s stomach again. “We know. And we’re sorry about that. Sorrier than you can imagine.” He took a deep breath. “If keeping our relationship secret was the only way I could be with Nica, I’d do it all over again.”

The barn fell silent except for the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.

“That’s a hard thing to argue against,” Heath said finally.

“It’s the truth.” Gabe met each of their gazes.

“I love your sister more than I’ve ever loved anything in my life.

And she loves me. The only thing we did wrong was not trust you all enough to tell you what was happening.

But we had our reasons, and frankly, they weren’t any of your business until we decided to make it your business. ”

“She’s our sister,” Brody muttered. “That makes it our business.”

“No,” Gabe said firmly. “She’s your sister, but she’s my wife. And she was an adult capable of making her own choices long before I came into the picture.”

The brothers exchanged glances, some of the fire going out of their postures.

“We just…” Chance ran a hand through his hair. “We want what’s best for her.”

“So do I. Every single day.”

“You hurt our parents,” Joshua said, but the accusation had less heat now.

“I know. I would never deliberately set out to hurt Ms. Patti or Douglas. I admire them. They are two of my best friends in this town. And I’m sorry things turned out the way they did.

If I could go back and handle it differently—tell them first, ask for their blessing—I would.

But I can’t change what we did. I can only promise you that I will spend the rest of my life making sure Nica never regrets marrying me. ”

The silence stretched again. Finally, Gage, one of Ms. Patti’s Lost Boys, spoke up.

“Y’all planning on having kids?”

The question caught Gabe off guard, and he shook his head. “That seems to be the question everybody’s asking, not that it’s anybody’s business but ours. If Nica wants them, then the answer is yes.”

“She does,” several brothers said in unison, which might have been funny under different circumstances.

“You better understand something,” Rafe said, stepping closer to the chair.

“Those kids are going to be Boudreaus. And Boudreaus don’t run off and get married in secret.

” Rafe cut his gaze toward Dane, who had the grace to shrug, a faint pink shading his cheeks.

“At least most of us don’t. Boudreaus don’t shut their family out of the biggest moments of their lives. ”

“I understand.”

“Do you?” Antonio leaned in from the other side.

“Because this family—we’re loud, we’re messy, we’re all up in each other’s business.

There are eleven brothers plus three honorary ones, two parents, and now you and Nica.

And I wouldn’t be surprised if more Lost Boys show up.

They seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days.

So, be prepared, Doc, because when something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. ”

“I’m starting to figure that out,” Gabe said dryly, testing his restraints.

“This can’t happen again,” Joshua spoke up, pointing a finger in Gabe’s face. “Whatever y’all got going on, whatever decisions you’re making—we’re family now. That means no more secrets.”

Gabe looked around the circle of men again, seeing less anger now and more worry. More love for their sister and their parents.

“We want her happiness,” Lucas said. “And if you’re what it takes to make her happy, then I guess we’re stuck with you.”

“Gee, thanks,” Gabe muttered.

“But you hurt her,” Ridge spoke up again, his quiet voice carrying easily through the barn, “or you hurt our parents again, and this little conversation is going to seem like a church social compared to what comes next.”

The threat hung in the air, and Gabe nodded slowly. “Understood.”

Ridge studied him for a long moment, then nodded to one of the other brothers. “Cut him loose.”

As the zip-ties fell away, Gabe rubbed his wrists and worked his shoulders, trying to get feeling back into his arms.

“One more thing,” Brody said as Gabe stood up.

“Mama’s planning a reception. A real one, with the whole extended family and probably half of Shiloh Springs.

You’re going to smile and dance with your wife and pretend like you’re grateful for the party, even though we all know you’d rather have a root canal. ”

Gabe couldn’t help but smile at that. “Actually, I think I’d like that. I already promised your momma and dad that they could hold the biggest party Shiloh Springs has ever seen. Nica deserves a celebration.”

“She deserves a lot of things,” Liam said. “Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t.”

The brothers began filing out of the barn, but Rafe lingered.

“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly, “she seems really happy. Happier than I’ve seen her in a long time.”

“She makes me happy too.”

“Good.” Rafe clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Because you’re family now, whether you like it or not. And in this family, we take care of each other.”

As the last of the Boudreau brothers disappeared into the night, along with the Lost Boys, Gabe stood alone in the barn, rubbing his wrists and trying to process what had just happened. His phone buzzed with a text from Nica: Where are you? Getting worried.

He smiled and typed back: Just having a talk with your brothers. On my way home.

Brothers? All of them? came her immediate reply.

All of them.

OMG. Are you okay?

Gabe looked around the empty barn, then walked outside, chuckling when he realized he didn’t have a way home, since he’d been snatched out of the parking lot, and his truck was still parked there. Guess that was one more gotcha from the Boudreau brothers.

I’m fine , he texted back. We understand each other now.

And surprisingly, he thought they actually did.

Smiling, he pulled up an app and arranged for a ride to pick him up and take him home…to his wife.