I nodded, letting out a heavy breath. “I feel the exact same way.”
Dylan glanced at Red and Cash before returning his attention to me. “Come live with us in Sunville. I can fix up the cabin, add a couple of extensions to the property. I’ll build you your own private office to work out of and a nursery from scratch. There’s plenty of space in the backyard for our kid to run around.”
“But the locals—”
“Have already forgotten about us,” Cash assured. “And even if they do have a problem with us, who cares?”
“What about the UFC? Your dreams?”
“Fighters can be fathers, sweetheart,” Red said. “We’ll make the time to be there for the baby. Whatever it takes.”
“I won’t be ready to return to the circuit for a couple years,” Cash added, patting the thigh of his bad leg tenderly. “The injury’s been hard, I won’t lie. But now that I know we’re expecting, I see it as a blessing.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You do?”
“I get to spend the first couple of years raising our kid,” he said with a wide smile. “I’ll be there for every minute of it. The sleepless nights, the diaper changing, the first steps… I want that way more than I want to win a championship belt.”
Tears of pure joy blurred the edges of my vision. I could feel Cash’s excitement, Dylan’s confidence, and Red’s unwavering affection. They made it seem so simple.
I found myself smiling, so warm and wistful I couldn’t even put my thoughts into words. “Okay,” I said, a little giggle bubbling past my lips. “Okay. Let’s do this. Let’s be together.”
The guys beamed as we began walking back toward the crowd, arms around each other’s shoulders, huddled tight.
“One more thing,” I said as the music quieted down, “how did you know I was here?” I had to find out. My reporter brain was going haywire not knowing the answer.
“I called them!” It was Winona, shouting from her folding chair. She raised a cupful of lemonade, said, “Cheers, you four! Or should I say, five?” and took a sip in our honor.
So that’s where my phone had disappeared to.
I grinned at her, grateful for my sister.
Even for her snooping.
The final song of the night ended. The summer sky had grown dark. Glittering fireworks erupted above us as we embraced under the night sky.
Cash, Dylan, Red, and me.
A family.