“That’s going to be a hard sell for everyone, sweetheart.”
“I know,” I said seriously. “Let’s go make breakfast and we can all talk about it.”
I was surprised to find both Jack and Boone already in the kitchen, the two of them already changed and freshly showered. I guess I didn’t realize how long Hunter and I had been up there together.
“Morning,” Jack said, passing me a delicious plate of three orange pancakes that had candied nuts and whipped cream adorning them. “Pumpkin pancakes for their namesake. Sweet and delicious just like you.”
I groaned. “I thought we agreed that making me blush on purpose was off limits.”
“Pretty sure that was all you, baby girl. I for one, enjoy making you blush,” Boone said, snagging me and pulling me onto his lap before reaching over and putting my plate back in front of me.
“Kiss,” I said, turning back to my bear of a man before repeating the same action to Jack.
The four of us started devouring breakfast, the rations of bacon and sausage disappearing at an alarming rate as well. I didn’t realize how hungry I’d been and it wasn’t until I was full that I knew I’d delayed the conversation for as long as I could.
“Is something wrong with the food?” Jack asked, his brow furrowed.
“Not at all,” I assured him. “I just need to talk with you all and speaking from experience on how the last time I left the house went, I’m not sure it’s going to go over well.”
“I might have strong armed that one,” Hunter admitted.
“But we agreed with it,” Boone countered, resting his chin on my shoulder. “We haven’t discussed it all together but if that’s a boundary, we’ll respect it, Autumn. We just wanted to make sure you were safe.”
“I know,” I said with a nod. “You guys really didn’t try to interfere until Peter showed up.”
“And is Peter still in town?” Jack asked.
I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. But this isn’t about Peter. It’s about the city, and the orchard andus.”
Boone purred behind me, his woodsy scent rising to meet the hint of struggle in my voice.
“How long do you need?” he asked, the words surprising the shit out of me.
“Just the night.”
“You can use my old apartment if you want,” Boone offered.
“Just like that?” I asked, concerned about his anxiety.
“Just like that.”
“I can pack you up some food to take since there probably isn’t much there,” Jack said, nodding as he turned away, refusing to meet my eye.
“You’re not going to fight me on this?” I questioned looking at all of them.
“I know what it's like to need time to sort your thoughts,” Boone said first. “You’ve always made plans for your life, I wouldn’t expect you not to make one now that you’re reassessing what you want in life. You’re not leaving us, Autumn. I know that in my heart. If I thought for a single second that were the case then my actions might not be as noble as they are now. As long as you text us when you get there and let us know when you’ll be home, it’s up to us to handle the rest on our end.”
“He’s right,” Hunter agreed. “We might not always be perfect, but we’ll always be there for you, Autumn. Even when something you need might not be what we necessarily want. I think I speak for all of us, when I say we want you here with us.If this is what it takes for you to be able to come back to us with a clear path forward then so be it.”
Hunter came up to where I sat on Boone’s lap, giving me a coffee flavored kiss, before walking out of the room.
“Let me know before you head out, please,” Boone said, his arms tightening around me as he placed a kiss on my ear. “Don’t worry about me, baby girl. Everything is going to be fine. I’ll give the two of you a moment.”
As Boone left the room, Jack still didn’t turn to look at me, busying himself with cleaning up the kitchen from the feast he made.
“Let me help you with that,” I said, rising out of my stool to join him. “You know you don’t have to go through all this trouble, right? As much as I love your cooking, a girl can stomach a bowl of cereal every now and then.”
“You’re worth more than a bowl of cereal,” Jack said, still not facing me as I helped grab the dishes and started loading them into the dishwasher.