29. Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

RILEY

T he sun dipped below the horizon as I hauled the final box of books into my new office. The bright gold and orange rays filtered through the tall windows lining one side of my office. The five acres surrounding our farm-style home bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. It had been almost nine months since Justin's dad had been arrested and we were finally moving into our new home.

The last year had been full of ups and downs. Following his arrest, Raymond confessed to all of the killings and revealed the location of Laura's body, his first victim. It had been a solemn day when the FBI forensics team exhumed her from the shallow grave he had dumped her in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Colton and I had sandwiched Justin between us, his hands gripping our tight as they uncovered her body. We had given her a proper burial on a cold winter day at the back of our land. A beautiful headstone with a marble bench beside it. Justin visited her often and still struggled with the grief. For so long he thought his mom had just abandoned him but the closure was helping and Colton and I kept a close eye on him.

Banging echoed from the stairs just outside the office door and I could hear some muffled cursing. Through the french doors, I could see Colton and Justin struggling with a large box between them. They set it down at the base of the stairs, grunting.

"I swear, you have more stuff than Riley and I combined." Justin snarked. "I didn't even know your attic could hold that much stuff."

"Hey, this isn't stuff, these are treasured memories," Colton argued. I hid my smile behind a book as I sat cross legged on the floor, sliding books onto the custom bookshelves Justin and Colton had built for my office. This was a familiar argument between the two of them the last two weeks. Colton was definitely the pack rat of the three of us, always keeping things "just in case". Justin was definitely the minimalist of the group while half of my belongings were books.

"I'm just saying that you could have downsized a little bit," Justin teased. "Do you really need six spatulas?" Justin had taken to counting the things in Colton's house as we moved them over.

Colton shot him a mock glare before swiftly closing the distance between them. Backing Justin against the wall, he planted a quick, firm kiss on his lips, leaving Justin momentarily dazed.

I laughed out loud. "Now you know what it feels like," I teased through the open doorway.

Justin narrowed his eyes playfully at me. "Careful there sweetheart, that sass is going to get you in trouble."

I smirked at him, "Promise?" I asked sliding another book on the shelf. The books I had written were proudly displayed on the top shelves around the room. My open laptop sat on the handcrafted oak desk. Since moving to Kentucky, my productivity had soared, fueled by love and an endless stream of support from my guys.

Laughter floated from the kitchen as Momma A and Forrest unpacked the dishes. They still lived in Florida but came up to visit often, taking advantage of our multiple guest rooms. Ryan and his partner were visiting next week and Jessica and Jake stopped by regularly. The house, with its warmth and sprawling spaces, was already filling with memories, a tangible representation of the life we were building together. It was hard to believe that only a year ago I was living in a cold, empty condo in Minneapolis. And now I was living a happily ever after that I had only previously read about in romance books.

"Sweetheart, where do you want this?" Justin called, holding up a quirky lamp I found at a local antique shop that had somehow survived the move unscathed.

"Just on the desk!" I replied, sliding the last book of this current box onto the shelf. I got to my feet and stepped back, surveying my handiwork. It was finally coming together. .

A strong arm slid around my waist. "It looks great." Justin pressed a kiss against my temple.

"Thanks," I tilted my head towards him, lifting up on my tiptoes and brushing a kiss across his lips. "What's next?"

As the evening wore on, the unpacking slowed, and the house began to feel like a home. Agnes and Forrest left for the bed and breakfast and some ‘quality alone' time. We gathered in the large dining room, where boxes served as temporary chairs and a plank of wood acted as our table. Our custom table was being finished at the guys' office this week. Pizza takeout boxes littered the table as we talked about our plans for the house. There were rooms yet to be filled, gardens to be planted, and walls waiting for pictures that would tell our story.

"Who knew moving could be so exhausting?" I said, leaning my head on Justin's shoulder. "I mean we're just down the road."

"Tell me about it," Justin agreed, kissing the top of my head gently. "I've been in the same place since college. It's crazy how many things you're able to stuff into a closet that you didn't even realize you had. But it's a chance to start over, a new beginning. A really, really good beginning."

Colton raised his slice of pizza in a toast. "To beginnings. And our new home."

We clinked our slices together, laughing as the cheese stretched and snapped back. After dinner, as twilight turned to deep night, we found ourselves on the large front porch. Colton had strung up some temporary lights, and they cast a soft glow that made the wood underfoot seem to shimmer.

I nestled into the porch swing, a blanket draped over my legs. Justin sat beside me, his arm around my shoulders, while Colton leaned against the railing, looking out over the fields.

"This is it, huh?" Colton mused aloud. "Our own little slice of heaven."

"It feels like a dream," I confessed, my voice soft. "I keep thinking I'll wake up in my condo back in Minneapolis."

"But you won't," Justin said firmly. "This is real. All of it. And there's no one else I'd rather be here with."

We fell into a comfortable silence, where words were unnecessary. The night grew deeper, and stars began to pepper the sky, each one a silent witness to our contentment.

After a while, Colton pushed off from the railing and sat on the other side of me, taking my hand in his. "We should plant a garden," he said suddenly. "A big one. Vegetables, flowers, maybe even a little orchard. And definitely some bamboo." He winked at me.

I laughed. "Going to build a bamboo house?"

"A bamboo tree house at least. " Colton said, and we all laughed again.

It was easy here, in this moment, to imagine the years stretching out before us, filled with similar nights—quiet, peaceful, complete. I had no doubt that it wouldn't all be sunshine and roses. I was still working on communicating and letting the guys in. Justin was still worried he was going to turn out like his dad and Colton watched us like he was worried we would disappear. We would fight and make up. We would face challenges and judgment. But as we sat together under the starry sky, it was clear we could handle anything as long as we were together. In the quiet of the countryside, under a blanket of stars, we had found our forever. And it was just the beginning of our happily ever after.