Page 14 of Stuck with my Mountain Daddies (Men of Medford #4)

CHAPTER TWELVE

Beckett

The storm had pretty much broken two days ago, but inside the cabin, the air was heavier than ever.

It wasn’t the weather. It was her .

Riley Brooks.

The influencer with the sharp tongue, the glossy hair, the eyes that burned hotter than she probably realized.

She filled the space like wildfire, and no matter how much I told myself to ignore it, I felt the heat.

Asher flirted without apology, throwing grins like confetti. Garrett watched from the corners, quiet but not blind.

And I kept my damn distance.

Or at least, I tried.

But now, sitting by the window sharpening my knife, I could hear her laughter floating down the hall, mingling with Asher’s. It scraped something raw inside me. A feeling I didn’t like looking at too closely.

Muttering a curse under my breath, I set the blade down. This was getting out of hand.

I pushed up from the chair, shoulders stiff, and stepped onto the porch where the cold air slapped me in the face like a wake-up call. A second later, I heard the door creak open behind me.

“Beckett?” Garrett asked.

I turned, and sure enough, Asher followed him out too, shoving his hands in his pockets, eyes dancing like he knew exactly why we were all standing here.

I guess it was time. Time to really deal with this.

“Alright,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. “Let’s get this over with.”

Garrett shot me a look, the one he saved for when Asher and I were two seconds from setting something on fire. “Look, we do need to talk about this.”

Asher leaned against the porch rail, smirking. “We all feel it, Beck. Don’t act like you don’t.”

I bristled. “Feel what?”

Asher snorted. “ Her .”

The word hung in the air, simple but sharp.

I stared out over the tree line, jaw ticking. “She’s just passing through. Doesn’t matter.”

“Bullshit,” Garrett said, his voice quiet but sure. “You’ve barely spoken two words to a stranger in years, and now you’re pacing like a dog when someone’s at the door every time she’s in the same room as you.”

I exhaled hard, shoving a hand through my hair.

“She’s complicated,” I muttered. “She doesn’t belong here. She’s not for us. She has a whole life in LA.”

Garrett raised a brow. “Is that how you really feel?”

Asher chuckled, shaking his head. “Man, you’ve been walking around like you’re immune, but it’s written all over your face.” He pushed off the rail, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “Whatever you’re scared of, figure it out. Because you’re not the only one circling.”

I wanted to tell them to back off, to mind their own damn business. But the words stuck in my throat.

Because the truth was, they were right.

Riley wasn’t just a storm blowing through my life. She was the one making me question everything I’d built to keep myself safe.

In just a few short days.

It really was wild.

“It isn’t unfamiliar territory,” Garrett said finally, breaking the silence like an axe to wood. “We’ve been here before.”

I didn’t look at him. I kept my eyes on the tree line, the wind stirring snow off the pines like it was trying to erase everything we didn’t want to say out loud.

“Yeah,” Asher muttered, voice unusually quiet. “We remember.”

Nobody said her name. Didn’t have to. The scars were still there, even if we pretended otherwise.

“Last time we all liked the same girl, it went off the rails,” Garrett went on, his tone level but heavy. “I’m not looking for a repeat.”

“Yeah, but Riley’s not like her. She’s a tourist,” I reminded him. “We can’t think long-term with her.”

Asher’s brows lifted. “Didn’t say we could. But if we’re thinking about sharing…”

I shoved my hands into my pockets, shoulders tight. “She’s not what I expected. That’s all I’m saying.”

Garrett snorted, but his face stayed serious. “It’s not just you. She gets to all of us.”

“Yeah?” I needed him to tell me more. It wasn’t often I saw Garrett like this.

He didn’t flinch. “She looks at me like I’m not just the guy who fixes things. Like there’s more to me than the toolbox.”

“Hell,” Asher muttered. “We’re doomed.”

Garrett crossed his arms. “We don’t need to overthink it. We enjoy the time while it lasts. If it turns into more, fine. But let’s not pretend we know how this ends.”

“No lies. No jealous bullshit,” Asher added, a little too quickly.

I shifted my weight. “What if she doesn’t want this? Any of this?”

“Then we back off,” Garrett said without hesitation. “But if she does…”

“We don’t waste it,” Asher finished. Not quite grinning now, just steady.

Silence settled again. Not heavy like before. Honest.

Garrett looked between us. “So. We clear?”

Asher nodded. “Clear.”

I hesitated, then gave a single, tight nod. “Yeah. Clear.”

Asher let out a long breath, tipping his head back to stare up at the snow. “You know Lucy’s gonna lose it if she finds out, right?”

Garrett huffed out a quiet laugh. “Yeah. She’ll probably come storming up here with that little death glare of hers.”

“She won’t get it,” I muttered. “Hell, I’m not even sure I get it.”

Asher shrugged. “She’ll think we’re screwing around. That we’re bored. Stirring up trouble for the hell of it.”

Garrett rubbed a hand over his beard, eyes narrowed. “She’s protective. Especially when it comes to Riley. That’s not gonna change.”

“Not that we’ve even done anything,” I added quickly. “We’re just talking.”

“Exactly,” Asher said, voice quieter now. “It’s nothing. Until it’s not.”

Garrett nodded slowly. “We don’t owe anyone answers. Not yet.”

“But if this turns into something,” Asher said, “we’d better be damn sure it’s worth explaining.”