Juniper Hill (The Edens)

Knuckles had never looked so magical. This restaurant was meant to be full of people, and not a single table sat empty. From the moment I’d stepped through the door, the noise had swallowed me whole. The clink of silverware. The rumble of conversation. The boom of unrestrained laughter.

The scent of spices and herbs lured me deeper into the space. Roasted turkey. Creamy potatoes. Tangy cranberries. Sage stuffing and sweet cornbread. My stomach growled.

Drake felt the excitement in the air and let out a little squeal, kicking his legs as we slipped past the hostess station.

Some of the people eating their Thanksgiving feast were guests I recognized from the hallways of the hotel. Others were locals, most faces I didn’t know. But someday, like Knox, I hoped to walk through here and know most people by name.

I pushed through the swinging door to the kitchen, expecting chaos. Instead, I was greeted by more laughter as Roxanne, Skip and Knox stood around the gleaming prep table. The teenager who washed dishes was stacking clean plates.

“Am I in the right place?” I asked.

Knox chuckled and came over, lifting Drake from my arms. Then his mouth was on mine, his tongue sweeping across my lips.

I blinked, taken aback by the kiss, but then I lifted my hands to his face to hold on, laughing as he growled and let me go. “Whoa. Now there’s a hello.”

“Hello.” His smile was breathtaking.

Drake latched a hand onto his beard and pulled.

“Hey, boss.” Knox kissed his cheek, then pulled me into his side. “How was the morning?”

“Guessing not as hectic as yours.”

Because daycare was closed for Thanksgiving, I’d spent the morning with Drake. Eloise, best boss in the world, had changed the shifts so I could have today and tomorrow off. I’d be working all weekend, but Knox had volunteered to watch Drake.

I’d spent an hour playing with my son, working on tummy time and rolling over. Then during Drake’s morning nap, I’d cleaned Knox’s house. He’d left just after four to get to the restaurant and prep for the holiday meal.

Knuckles had a single menu today and had been reservation only. Locals who hadn’t wanted to cook and those visiting Quincy had blocked out the day months ago. Every seat had been taken.

“How did everything go?” I asked.

“Good. Easy.” He chuckled as Roxanne and Skip both scoffed.

“This is the first time I’ve breathed since five,” Roxanne said, stripping off an apron as she headed to the walk-in. She came out with three square silver bowls, each covered in clear plastic wrap. “I’m going home to eat myself into a food coma.”

“Thanks for today,” Knox said.

“You bet. See you guys tomorrow.”

Knox waved as she disappeared down the hallway to slip out of the side exit. Then he let me go, handing Drake over, to unbutton his white coat.

“You don’t need to stick around?” I asked, glancing to the door and all the people beyond.

“No, we’re all done. Every table has food. There will be a ton of dishes to wash, but Skip’s family dinner isn’t until tonight so he’s going to close up.” He balled up his coat, taking it to a laundry bin, then retrieved his keys and jacket from his office. “Call me if you need anything.”

Skip lifted a hand. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

“Same to you.” Knox stole Drake again, carrying him as we headed out of the kitchen. Not five steps into the dining room and a man stood from his table of eight, hand extended.

“This is quite the meal, Knox.”

“Thanks, Joe. Appreciate you all coming down.”

“We were just talking about how this will be our new tradition.” Joe glanced my way and Knox put his hand around my shoulders.

“Joe, this is my girlfriend, Memphis. And this little man is Drake.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Joe said, shaking my hand.

“Hi.” I nodded and smiled, hoping the shock didn’t register on my face.

Girlfriend. I’d been a girlfriend before. Never had that status sounded so . . . lasting.

It took twenty minutes to get across the room because every table we passed, someone would stop Knox and compliment him on the meal. Then he’d introduce me as his girlfriend. Over and over. Each time, a shiver raced down my spine.

Until finally we made it to the doors and escaped outside to the snow.

“Let’s just ride together. We’ll get my truck tomorrow.”

“Okay.” I followed his footsteps through the snow to the Volvo in the parking lot.

The storm last week had brought in over twelve inches. It showed no signs of melting. But this early winter was fine by me.

The snow made Quincy even more charming. And in a way, it was like a cocoon, isolating us from the outside world. I still hadn’t heard from my parents, and as the days ticked by, my anxiety ebbed.

Waiting wasn’t easy, but I had plenty of distractions. A baby boy. And my Knox.

We piled into the car and Knox took the keys so he could drive. Then we set out for the Eden ranch.

My knees began to bounce as we pulled off the highway. I sat on my hands so they wouldn’t fidget.

Knox’s fingers drummed on the steering wheel, but unlike me, it wasn’t nerves. Energy radiated off his broad shoulders, and the grin on his face was intoxicating.

“You’re wired.”

“Yeah.” His blue eyes sparkled in the bright afternoon sun. “It’s the restaurant. Today was crazy busy. I’m still riding that wave.”

“You really love it, don’t you?”

“I really do.”

A pang of envy hit. “I don’t love cleaning rooms.”

He took a hand from beneath my thigh, threading our fingers together. “What do you love?”

What did I love? “I have no idea. I was never really given the freedom to decide.”

“You’re nothing but free now, honey.”

“Other than I need money to pay for rent and food. Speaking of which, you haven’t deposited my last rent check.”

“Haven’t I?”

I frowned. “If you don’t cash it, I’m moving into the loft.”

He chuckled. “I’ll cash it.”

“Thank you.” I glanced at Drake in the back and the mirror facing forward so I could see his face. His attention was rapt on the window and the world outside. “Mostly, I just want to spend time with him. More time.”

“You’ve got an Ivy League education. I bet if you started looking, you could find something online. People are working from home more than ever. Hell, if you want, we can turn the loft into an office.”

“Maybe.” That was so tempting. “But not yet. Not until I have some cash reserves built up.”

“I can cover you.”

“Thanks, but no.” My independence was too important.

“You’re stubborn,” he teased.

“Absolutely.”

He brought my knuckles to his lips. “I like that you’re stubborn. But I’d like it even more if you loved your job.”

“I don’t dislike my job.”

“That’s not the same.”

“I know,” I mumbled. “Eloise would not be happy with you if I told her you were trying to get me to quit.”

“Eloise wouldn’t be happy with me for a lot of things where the hotel is concerned.” He blew out a long breath. “My parents have been asking me to take it over.”

“What?” I sat up straighter. “When?”

“It’s been a discussion for a while. I haven’t really wanted to make a decision so I’ve put it on the back burner. But . . . I can’t ignore it forever. Their vision is to have all of the family businesses stay in the family. Griffin has the ranch. Lyla has Eden Coffee. The hotel is the next question mark and they’d like me to take it.”

Knox? Really? “Don’t get mad at me for this, but . . . I’ve always seen it as Eloise’s.”

He gave me a soft smile. “I’ll never be mad when you’re honest. And it is hers.”

“Then why wouldn’t they want her to have it?”

“She’s young. I love my sister’s heart, but there have been times when she’s led with that heart and made the wrong business decision. Mom and Dad just got out of a lawsuit with a former employee. It’s been . . . stressful.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize.” Eloise had told me a lot about her family and the hotel and Quincy in general, but not about a lawsuit. “Do you even want to run the hotel?”

“Not really,” he admitted. “But I’d rather take over than have Mom and Dad sell it.”

I grimaced. The hotel wouldn’t be the hotel without the Edens. Without Eloise.

“If I did it, hopefully nothing much would change. I don’t want to take Eloise’s job. But rather than her answering to my parents, she’d answer to me. And I’d be fairly hands-off, just there to step in for the harder conversations.”

Considering I rarely saw Harrison or Anne at the hotel, I doubted Eloise would mind going to Knox instead. Maybe she’d actually like having someone closer to bounce ideas off of. Still . . . why did this feel so wrong?

“Feels like a betrayal.” He voiced the answer to my unasked question. “Did you know that Eloise was named after our great-great-grandmother, Eloise Eden? It was her hotel.”

“She told me that on my third day.”

“She’s proud. She should be. She’s worked hard.” He waved it off. “Anyway . . . I wanted you to know. Get your thoughts. We don’t have to talk about it today.”

The nerves I’d been battling all morning spiked as we drove underneath a log archway. At its apex was the Eden ranch brand.

“Why am I nervous?” It wasn’t like I hadn’t met Knox’s entire family. His siblings were often at the hotel. His parents were too. Talia was Drake’s doctor.

But today was a family function at Harrison and Anne’s home. And I was the girlfriend joining a holiday gathering for the first time.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. Well, except Eloise mentioned baking cookies. Steer clear of those.”

I giggled as he rolled down a gravel road bordered by barbed-wire fences. Beneath the evergreens that towered over the land, the ground was covered in a blanket of snow. It was peaceful. Serene.

“This is lovely,” I said.

“It’s a beautiful slice of the world.”

I smiled. “It is. But I love your slice on Juniper Hill more.”

“Me too.” He winked and drove the rest of the way while I studied the countryside.

My heart raced when a log house with a wraparound porch came into view. The home stood proudly in a clearing through the trees. Beyond a wide, open lot was a shop building. Opposite it was an enormous barn and stables.

Every roof was dusted with snow. A plume of smoke came from the house’s chimney. A string of vehicles was parked outside.

“Are we late?” I asked.

“No. We’re not eating until later,” he said, parking the car. “But I’m guessing everyone’s been here most of the day, hanging out.”

“Okay.” My fingers shook as I unclipped my seat belt.

My family’s holiday meals were usually short and quiet. We’d sit around the table, staring at our phones through the meal. After our last Thanksgiving, the staff had barely begun clearing the empty plates before we’d all scattered.

Dad and Houston would disappear to Dad’s office to talk about work. Mom would drink too much champagne and go to bed early. Raleigh and I had never been close. Not as little girls, certainly not as teenagers. She loved shopping and traveling with her friends. She wouldn’t do anything to risk her trust fund.

We’d all been our own islands.

Except I was tired of being on an island. Today, I wanted to belong.

Knox climbed out of the car and retrieved Drake. He had the diaper bag over a shoulder and I was still stuck in the passenger seat. He bent, staring at me from his open door. “Need a minute? I can tell them you’re on the phone.”

He’d make excuses while I got my shit together.

“No.” I took one last fortifying breath and stepped outside.

The front door opened as we climbed the porch stairs. Harrison, tall and broad, like his sons, filled the threshold. The bright winter sun brought out the gray strands threaded through his dark hair. “Hope you two are hungry. Anne’s cooking enough to feed a hundred people.”

Knox laughed. “Sounds like Mom.”

“She made me buy all new plastic storage containers at the store so she can send the extras home with you kids. Which means if I want leftovers, I’m going to have to drive to your house.”

“I’ve got leftovers from the restaurant.” Knox clapped Harrison on the shoulder as we reached the top stair. “So you can keep ours. I’ll hide them in the garage fridge for you.”

“Attaboy.” Harrison laughed and pulled me into a hug. “Glad you’re here, Memphis.”

“Thank you for having us.”

“Come on in.” He shifted to tuck me against his side, making the squeeze through the door a tight fit. But he didn’t let me go as he led me through the entryway to the kitchen. It smelled as fantastic as the restaurant. “Make yourself at home. I’m not much for house tours so just poke around until you find what you need.”

Poke around. I hadn’t poked around at my parents’ house and it was the house I’d grown up in.

“Oh, good. You’re finally here,” Anne said as we walked into the kitchen, drying her hands on a towel before pulling me into a hug.

The moment she let me go, Lyla was there to take her place. Then Eloise joined us from the living room with her famous smile, the one that never failed to make me smile in return. Mateo wandered into the room with an older man I’d learned was Harrison’s brother, Briggs. And finally Winslow and Griffin came from a hallway, having just put Hudson down for a nap.

“What are you working on?” Knox asked Anne, walking over to the stove and pulling a lid off a pot.

“Don’t touch that.” She swatted his hand. “I’m experimenting with the cranberry sauce.”

“Want some help?”

“You’ve been cooking all day.” She shooed him away until he stood beside me on the other side of the island. “Lyla and I are doing dinner.”

“Can I help?” I asked. “I’m not much of a cook, but Knox has been teaching me a few things.”

Our cooking lessons were infrequent and infused with foreplay. Whenever I’d stand at the counter, Knox would come up behind me to toy with my hair or drag his palms over my ass. But I’d learned how to make more than boxed macaroni and cheese.

Anne glanced past me to where Eloise was talking to Griffin. Then she nodded to the Ziploc bag of cookies on the counter. “If those accidentally found their way to the trash can in the garage while you went to grab yourself anything from the fridge out there, that would be fine.”

“Are they really that bad?”

Anne and Lyla shared a look.

“Cookie disposal. On it.”

“Thank you,” Lyla mouthed, then went back to peeling potatoes.

The front door opened and shoes stomped on the floor. Then Talia breezed into the room in a pair of teal scrubs. “Hello! Am I the last one to get here?”

“Yep.” Knox moved to kiss her cheek but she ignored him and threw her arms around me for a hug.

The Edens had more than blue eyes and chocolate hair in common. They all knew how to give a hug that made me want to cry.

They hugged without hesitation. They didn’t stiffen like my mother. They weren’t worried about their makeup rubbing off like my sister. They weren’t averse to general human contact like my father and brother.

The Edens hugged.

And with every one, I realized just how lonely my life had been.

“How’s my little Drake?” Talia took him from Knox, kissing his cheek. She’d gushed and fawned over him at his checkup earlier this month. And when she’d declared him perfect, I’d immediately agreed. “Look how big you’re getting.”

“Don’t be a baby hog.” Harrison waltzed into the room and lifted Drake from Talia’s arms. “Come on, buddy. Let’s watch some football.”

Drake let out a string of babble and drool, loving the attention.

“I’m not a baby hog.” Talia reached for an olive from the snack tray on the counter. “Where’s Hudson?”

“Asleep.” Knox plucked up a pickle and popped it into his mouth as Griffin and Winn joined us.

“Hopefully with a nap he won’t be a terror through dinner,” Winn said. “He was exhausted.”

“Because he wakes up before dawn,” Griffin muttered, pulling out a stool. “My boy’s a morning kid.”

“Not mine.” Knox pulled out the stool beside his brother. “Mine’s a night owl.”

The entire room went still as my breath caught in my throat.

Mine. One short word, four simple letters, and if there’d been any doubt that I was in love with Knox Eden, it vanished.

I loved him because he loved Drake.

All eyes were on Knox. Anne stared at him with her hands clasped against her heart.

He simply shrugged and ate another pickle. “Lyla?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell Mom that her cranberry sauce is about to boil over.”

“It is no—oh, shit.” Anne flew into action, ripping the pan off the stove.

A tiny cry carried from the hallway and it didn’t belong to my son.

“So much for a nap,” Griff said. “I’ll get him.”

But before he could go rescue Hudson, Talia flew down the hallway. “No, no, no. He’s mine.”

“She has baby fever,” Lyla said. “Thank God it’s not contagious.”

The room laughed and settled into easy conversation. Griffin and Knox talked about the ranch and the upcoming calving season. Winn told us about the 9-1-1 call that had come in yesterday from a woman who’d mistaken a squirrel in her garage for a burglar. Then her grandpa, Pops, arrived with a small bouquet of flowers for every woman in the house, including me.

I had the bundle pressed to my nose when Mateo returned to the kitchen with Drake on an arm. “Do you need me to take him?”

“Nope. Talia thinks she’s going to be the favorite aunt. But Uncle Mateo is about to steal her thunder.” He tickled Drake. “Isn’t that right, dude? You ever need anything—candy, toys, junk food—I’m your guy.”

Knox chuckled. “This will be interesting to watch.”

My throat closed. My lungs wouldn’t fill with air. I held up a finger and slipped away, finding a powder room down the hallway. I eased the door closed, forcing oxygen into my lungs as I braced on the counter.

My eyes flooded as the door opened again and Knox was there, wrapping me in his arms.

“Your family is . . .” I looked at him through the mirror. “It’s beautiful. It’s so beautiful I couldn’t breathe.”

“Better now?”

I nodded, blinking away the tears. Happy tears. “This is the third.”

“The third what?”

“The third-best day.”

A magnificent smile stretched across his face. “Like I said, honey. I’ll take them all.”

I stood on my toes, stretching for his lips. “Promise?”

“I swear it.”