Chapter 26

I couldn't rememberthe last time I'd gone bowling, but I think it was sometime in my teens and it'd been with Judah, too. I was terrible at it back then, and I was still horrible.

"What was that?" Ellis laughed and waved his hand at my dismal attempt at rolling the ball. I managed to hit one pin at the side before the ball slid gloomily into the gutters.

The bowling alley was mostly dark except for flashing multicolored lights that blinked in time with the rock and roll that thumped from the speakers on the walls. The lanes were full, and around us were laughing people of all ages. There was a machine pumping out fog farther down and it gave the room a bizarrely competitive atmosphere.

I groaned and shot Ellis a dirty look. "I told you I was shite at this game, kid."

Ellis was nearly pissing himself in laughter, and he leaned against Hilton with his arms around his middle. Hilton wasn't much better with his own giggling, but he managed to hold Ellis up so they didn't both slump on the chairs.

Judah merely smiled and shook his head. "So, you haven't improved, I see."

I flicked my hand at him. "Yeah, yeah. I'm still sucky at this game. Why are we here again?" I shifted to the ball return and waited.

"Because you wanted a family night out." Ellis wiped the tears from his eyes and swiped a hand through his black hair.

"Are we a family?" Hilton asked quietly, almost too faint for me to hear. He sounded unsure, like he wasn't positive if Ellis was making a joke or not, but he wanted it to be true, and my heart ached. They both had become like little brothers to me, and I was glad that Hilton so clearly wanted to be part of our troop.

"Of course we are," Judah answered before I could. He winked at Hilton. "You're both pains in the asses, but you're our pains in the asses. We'll take care of you for as long as you need us."

If I wasn't so in love with Judah already, I might've fallen hard right then and there. I took care of people when I could—it was my love language—and now he was doing the very thing I adored. He'd taken Ellis under his wing, and he was doing the same for Hilton.

"What he said," I whispered, ignoring how choked up my voice sounded. I stuck my fingers into the holes of my ball and headed back toward the lane. I threw the ball down the slick aisle, but it went straight into the gutter halfway down, earning me zero points. I groaned. "I'm bad at this. Bloody hell."

My shoulders slumped and I pouted as I made my way back over to Judah, who rose to give me a hug.

"Nice try, Puffin." He petted down my spine, and I leaned farther into his warmth.

"I'm shockin' at this damned game." I laid a gentle kiss on his neck and let him lead me back to the seats.

"I'll help you next time," Judah said, patting me on the thigh.

"Why do I have a feeling that's going to get sexual?" Ellis nudged Hilton, and they both laughed again, but Hilton seemed distracted. He frowned down at the table between us.

"You okay there, H?" I asked, slipping into a nickname I'd given him quite recently. Every time I said Hilton, I was reminded of the hotel chain. I knew a lot about expectations by now, and by calling him H, I wanted to give him the chance to be who he wanted to be. Free from his surname and what came with that.

He brushed his hair from his face and glanced up quickly, giving me a small smile. His gaze flitted from me to Judah and back again. "I would like to be part of your family, too. I have my own, and my brother sorta tries when he isn't busy being the world's biggest dickhead, but I really enjoy being with you both, and Ellis, too." He gave Ellis a smile. "I guess I feel welcome and like one of you, and you aren't disappointed in me. So, what I'm saying is, I'm glad to be here. With you all." Tears filled his eyes and his bottom lip wobbled.

I stood before I realized what I was doing and got to him in two big strides. I hauled him to his feet and dragged him into my chest for a hug, and he gripped his arms around me tightly. He sobbed, and I let him, because the truth was, I didn't know what he'd been through. Hilton didn't share a lot with us, and when the time came, I'd be ready to listen, but for now I knew he needed comfort. Pressure did crazy things to people my age, let alone someone as young as Hilton. He had his whole life ahead of him, and if I could make it easier, I would.

"We got you, kid. You're right, you are one of us. And we have your back, okay?" I petted his head, and he sighed happily.

"Aye," he whispered teasingly, tilting his head to grin up at me.

"You hear this wee lad, Jude? He's mockin' my brogue," I said, deepening my accent to make a show of it.

Hilton laughed, and so did Judah and Ellis.

"What a bawbag." Judah sounded very New York, and the Scottish slang did nothing to stop that.

"Now you, too? What's the world comin' to?" I shook my head, then winked at Hilton as I stepped away from him. I massaged his shoulder. "You'll do good, H. We believe in you."

"He'll kick ass at whatever he does," Ellis added, jumping to his feet and hugging Hilton from behind. "He's our superstar."

Hilton leaned back against him and sighed happily. "You guys are the best."

"Now come on, superstar. It's your turn." I pointed at the TV with our scores on it, and being that I was the first to go, I was the only one who had points so far—a measly one.

Hilton, as it turned out, was better at bowling than he'd told us. On the first go, he managed to get a strike.

I threw my hands up in the air. "What is this? You're all pullin' my leg. You just want to see me fail miserably."

Judah tugged me against his side and kissed my cheek. "Aw, my sweetheart. I'll put my balls in your gutter if you want. I mean, in the gutter." He played with the bracelet on my wrist, fingers dancing over the shells in a gentle manner that made my heart gallop, and I gave him a soft smile and leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Gross!" Ellis's nose scrunched up, but he laughed again anyway.

Hilton wagged his finger at Judah. "If you're gonna use sexual innuendos with Tav, at least use the right ones. Like this." He picked up his bowling ball that had just come through the ball return. "Oh, honey, watch me put my fingers in the... holes."

I groaned. "That was terrible, H. Absolutely bloody shockin'."

Hilton bowed dramatically before he replaced the ball on the rack with the others and danced his way back to his seat beside Ellis.

Ellis nudged him, and they fell into a fit of laughter. They were both menaces.

Judah shook his head and kissed my shoulder. "Are you sure you want them to live with us?" he teased, and I shrugged.

"I'm seriously reconsiderin' it," I joked in return. I leaned farther into him and sighed. "Ellis, your turn."

He jumped to his feet and did a little excited wriggle that had me chuckling. Tonight he wore a thin black T-shirt that clung to his slim chest and a utility kilt that was black with a deep red tartan pattern on the sides. The kilt had large pockets and a thick belt that wrapped around his waist, and it suited him well, except his getup looked hilarious when finished off with bright red-and-white bowling shoes.

"You're stylin' those shoes, kid," I shouted playfully at him.

He flipped his black hair at me like he was in a shampoo ad and kicked back his leg, baring his naked hairy shins for us. "No one can pull off this look except me."

"You tell them, El!" Hilton hooted, and I wasn't sure what weird reality I'd walked into, but I liked it.

"Oh God." I buried my face against Judah's neck. "These two belong to us now. We're goin' to need the beer I bought today when we get home."

"That Scottish stuff?" Judah's nose scrunched, and I poked him in the abs, earning a deep laugh. "I say this with respect, Puffin, but it's shit."

"Hey now, that's what Dad used to like. He's the reason I buy it. Bonnybridge is sentimental." Despite my protests, I wouldn't make him drink it. I knew it wasn't the best beer, but it came with memories of my dad.

"Damn it!" Ellis's shoulders slumped as he turned, and I glanced around his body to find he'd only hit two pins.

"Is this when I laugh at you like you did to me?" I asked, and he pouted in response.

"No. That would be mean, and you're not mean, Tav." He pointed at me, showing off his black fingernails. "I have another shot yet. You wait."

I waved my hand toward the lane. "Let's see what you got then, kid."

What he had was knocking down the rest of the pins, giving him a spare. I made a face at him when he cheered and winked at me.

"Go gloat somewhere else," I said with a laugh as Judah took his turn. Like Hilton, he got a strike, and I held up my hands in dismay. "I thought you were goin' to miss them for me."

"Oops. I don't like to lose." He tackle-hugged me on the seat, and I smacked his back as he laid kiss after kiss all over my face. With his weight on top of me, I could barely move, but I didn't want to anyway. Happiness like I'd never felt before expanded in my chest.

"Get off, you cheater." I smacked his arse this time, and his laughter ignited the joy inside me until it was a blazing wildfire. He finally moved so I could get up and grab my ball from the rack. I pointed two fingers at my eyes, then him. "I'm watchin' you and your tricks, mate."

Judah snorted and walked over to me. "Let me show you how it's done."

I stared at him suspiciously. "Fine. Come on, big boy."

"Are you two flirting?" Hilton yelled at us, eliciting more giggles from him and Ellis. Was this what it was like to have young adult children? It sure felt like it.

Judah guided me over to the lane and stood behind me. He pressed his chest to my back and nestled his chin on my shoulder. He placed his hands on my hips and rocked us together. "It's all in the hips."

I pressed my lips together to stop myself from making a Happy Gilmore joke.

Behind us, I heard laughter coming from the next lane, and the young ladies sitting there hooted at us. I flushed and tried to ignore the warmth in my cheeks, as well as the extra attention this show was giving us.

He slid his hand down my arm until he curled his fingers around my wrist. "Move your arm with me." He guided me to the end of the lane, and together, we swung my arm. He wasn't doing anything helpful, but I wasn't going to protest having him so close. I couldn't get enough of him. "And release."

I let go of the ball as I swung it toward the lane, and it went flying across the floor... straight into the gutter. "Well, bloody hell."

Judah chuckled. "We tried."

I poked him in the chest. "You just wanted to feel me up."

He cupped my cheek and leaned in to kiss me on the mouth. "Can't deny it, Puffin." His gaze dropped to my chest, where my tight polo shirt strained over my pecs. "I also enjoy watching you bowl in that shirt." He lowered his voice so no one else could hear us. "Maybe when we get home, you can show me how your tits look when you play with some other balls."

I didn't know if I wanted to groan or laugh, so I did both. "Yeah, you win for the puns tonight, sweetheart."

He chuckled and slapped me on the arse as he walked away.

The girls in the lane next to us gave me a thumbs-up, and I shook my head in exasperation at them, causing them to burst into more giggles.

As it turned out, I did get better over the course of the game, but not by much. Hilton ended up winning, smashing out strike after strike. He only missed three strikes, and out of those three, he scored two spares.

By the time we were heading home, all four of us were still on a high of happiness. Hilton and Ellis were in the back seat of Judah's car, chatting animatedly about their scores and some of the funny things they'd done.

A sense of peace fell over me as I shoved my hands in the pockets of my gray jacket. I'd prepared for a lifetime of fighting to survive and a constant plague of worry controlling me. I'd never thought I'd get this kind of future with a family of my own.

"You all right, Puffin?" Judah glanced at me from the driver's seat and reached out to slide his fingers between mine, and I squeezed them in reassurance.

"Aye. I'm just thinkin' about how bloody lucky I am to have you and these guys." I nodded toward the back seat, where it got eerily quiet.

"We're lucky to have you, too," Judah murmured, raising my hand to place a kiss on the back of it. I smiled in response as he pulled the car into the driveway of the house.

Judah stopped the vehicle suddenly, and I glanced in front of us, stiffening when my gaze caught an Audi. Elizabeth stood beside the deep red car, her arms wrapped around herself as though she was cold, and she glared at us.

"Wait here." Judah patted me on the arm, but I shook my head.

"If you're goin' out there, so am I." I glanced at Ellis and Hilton, who were both snuggled in hoodies and staring at me with concerned expressions. "Both of you stay in the car." I didn't give them a chance to make a snappy reply before I was sliding out my door and meeting Judah around the front. He gave me a look that said he wasn't happy that I hadn't listened, but I ignored it as I grabbed his hand and walked up to Elizabeth with him.

"Elizabeth, why are you here?" Judah straightened and his face hardened, and the playfulness he'd shown all afternoon and into the night was gone.

The front light of the house was on, casting Elizabeth in a bright glare that didn't match her energy. She was the darkness.

She stalked forward and stopped in front of us, her attention darting to our connected hands before she focused on Judah. Despite the feminine suit she wore, she appeared ragged with her hair falling out of the usually tightly pinned bun on her head, and she had dark circles under her eyes. "I need you to come back to Dailey Tires, Judah."

Judah snorted. "Please tell me you're joking."

She huffed and ran a shaky hand over her head. "The board and I want you back. Our sales are dropping and the investors aren't happy. We'll pay you double."

He glanced at me in disbelief, and all I could do was shrug in response. I'd expected her to come crawling to him eventually, but she looked haggard and as though she'd been through ten rounds of a cage fight.

"No, Mom, I'm not doing that. I started my own business. You made your choice, and I made mine." He ran a hand over his face.

"Judah, stop this." Her tone bordered on begging, and the more she spoke, the more her hands began to shake. "Your father is ready to leave me. I need you."

He laughed at her and it had a disbelieving edge to it. "I needed you when I was eighteen. I needed you when I found Tav again. But instead of being my mother, you were an enemy. You took away my company, you tried to offer Tav money again to leave, and now you're here, desperate, and I'm not giving in to you. I have no interest in being a part of your life anymore. I cut you off."

"You can't." She took a step forward, but he backed away. "Your father?—"

"That's on you, Mom." He smiled sadly. "You did that. He tried to make you see reason, and you still went behind my back to the board and you all voted to kick me out. Now reap the consequences while I live a happy life with my partner." He dragged me closer and kissed my cheek. "This is my family now." He shrugged. "I don't know what else to tell you."

"What about your friends?" She placed her palms together and pressed the tips of her fingers against her lips. "Brett and Chaz miss you, even though your boyfriend's friends hit Chaz. You need them."

Judah snorted. "I don't need those negative bastards in my life. I have Eric and Michael, the ones who didn't mock Tavish. I don't need Brett and Chaz after how they treated Tav."

She shook her head, more strands of hair falling out. "Do you see what you're doing to your life, Judah?"

"Me?" He laughed maniacally and thrust a finger at his chest. "Me?" Then, he pointed the finger at Elizabeth. "You. You were the one who chose to ruin my job at Dailey Tires, now you can fix your mistake. I'm out of that company and out of your life. Fucking go, Mom."

"Judah—"

"Go!" He waved at her car impatiently. "Get in your car and go."

She took a step back, then another, her shoulders shaking now. Finally, tears fell down her cheeks and she let out a wretched sob. Despite how much she hated me, I almost felt sorry for her. I didn't do anything, though, because she didn't deserve Judah. He was too kind, and she tried to destroy his world because of who he was dating.

She rushed to her Audi and slid in, backing around Judah's Honda and out of the driveway before she sped away.

Judah watched her, and I stared at him, and when he bowed his head, I hugged him from behind.

"I've got you," I whispered, and he leaned against me.

"I know you do."

A few moments later, two doors opened and closed, and then Hilton and Ellis were there, joining in on the hug around Judah. He wasn't okay, but I knew he would be in time, with us at his side.