Chapter 27

Colter awoke later that night and immediately sensed Summer was not between him and Bridger. He sat up and patted the bed next to him. It wasn't very warm. She'd been gone from his arms for a while.

"What's wrong?" Bridger murmured as he rolled toward Colter. "Where's Summer?"

Somehow, Colter knew she was not in the bathroom. He yanked the covers back and climbed out of bed before rushing out of the bedroom.

Bridger was on his heels. "She wouldn't leave the house, Colter. I'm sure she's here somewhere."

When they entered the great room, Colter scanned the dimly lit space and finally found her. His heart nearly stopped beating.

Bridger set a hand on his back, breathing heavily.

The room was never fully dark because it had floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. There was no need for curtains because no one could see in through the tinted glass.

Summer turned toward them from where she sat at the piano and smiled. "I couldn't sleep. I'm sorry if I scared you."

She looked like an angel. She was wearing nothing but one of their white T-shirts, and the city lights shone through the thin cotton, illuminating the curves of her body.

Colter swallowed hard as his cock grew.

Bridger had the same view, and his breath hitched.

Summer turned back to face the piano, set one delicate finger on middle C, and pressed down. The sound rang out through the large space like a choir of angels. Just the one note. She lifted her fingers and smoothed all ten tips along the keys.

Colter didn't dare move. He wasn't even sure he could. Bridger didn't either, except to lean his head on Colter's shoulder.

Suddenly, she played. Colter didn't recognize the music, but it drew him in and held him captive. It started sad and gradually turned into the most beautiful love song he'd ever heard. When she finished, he couldn't move. He couldn't even breathe.

Without looking toward them, she started playing it again. This time, she sat up straighter with tremendous confidence. She reached for the pedals with her bare foot—and then added lyrics.

Colter thought he'd died and gone to heaven.

Bridger was trembling next to him. "My God," he whispered so softly only Colter could hear.

She sang a song about two lovers who met just once and then kept missing each other. They would show up at the same locations but on different days or weeks or years. Finally, they collided into each other as they both arrived at their favorite coffee shop. They reunited and never spent another day apart again.

It was the sweetest song Colter had ever heard. When she was done, he took Bridger's hand, and they slowly moved toward her.

"I have no words, honey."

"That was the most beautiful piece I've heard, baby," Bridger added. "I didn't recognize it. Who wrote it?"

She smiled at them. "Me."

Colter nearly tripped over his own feet. When he reached her, he swept her off the piano bench and into his arms.

She giggled as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

Bridger pressed his body against her from behind.

"Have you written a lot of music, baby?" Bridger asked, his lips coming to her neck.

She shrugged. "I guess."

"Was the music in your apartment when you were abducted?" Colter asked, a knot forming in his throat at the tremendous loss he was visualizing.

She shook her head. "It's in a storage facility. I don't have the keys, of course, but…"

Colter smiled broadly. "I'm sure we can work something out, but no one would've been paying for it."

"I prepaid for ten years. I was eighteen. I didn't want music in my life anymore, but I didn't want to shut the door on it forever. So, I packed it all up, locked it away, and put it out of my mind." She nuzzled his neck. "I think I want it back now."

"Oh, baby," Bridger murmured. "We'll make that happen."

"I never want to perform," she said firmly. "I hate being on stage. Don't ever ask me."

"Never," Colter promised. "There are so many other things you can do with your talent if you want."

Bridger nodded his agreement. "The options are limitless. You could write for other people, teach, and record albums without an audience. So many things. Or nothing at all. If you want to keep your talent to yourself and play for no one but us, that's your prerogative. We won't pressure you, baby."

She purred between them. "It felt good," she whispered. "I don't know what I want to do, but it felt good. I think I'm done being angry with my parents. Something snapped in me today. I feel free. I feel so loved by so many people. I have friends for life. I have two of the most amazing men who will never let me down. I love you both so much." She looked from Colter to Bridger.

"I love you, too, honey," Colter said.

"And I love you, too, baby," Bridger added.

"Take me back to bed and show me how much," she demanded. "We got interrupted this morning."

Colter set his palms under her bare bottom and turned to stride back to the bedroom. No way would they deny her. They would never be able to deny her anything in this lifetime.

Summer Haskell was theirs forever and always. Colter might not have cared for Bridger's crazy grandfather, but the man had had no idea what a gift he'd given the two of them when he'd purchased Bridger a woman.

Summer was the best gift he'd ever received, and he would never take her for granted.