He cheated i chose two firefighters novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78

The machine whirred to life.

The first contact made me tense, but the pain wasn’t what I’d built it up to be. Not easy, but manageable–more sharp heat than agony. I couldn’t stop watching as he mapped the outline.

He worked the infinity in a silvery tone, then wrote the names in delicate script that looked impossible coming from those massive hands. He outlined the lettering in that same silver, filled it with a gray- white shade, and somehow gave the whole thing a glossy, dimensional look–like it caught light. The little dot accents looked like tiny diamonds.

When he moved into the bracelet links, the linework turned almost airy–fine and shimmering, still

silver, still jewel–like.

When he finished, he wiped my wrist clean and smoothed on clear gel.

“No wrap needed,” Hale said. “Keep it clean. Pat it dry. Keep using the gel. When it starts healing and peeling, do not pick. It’ll itch–don’t scratch. Just gel it.”

“I won’t,” I promised. I stared at my wrist again, stunned. “Thank you, Uncle Hale. It’s gorgeous.

Seriously.”

He nodded like the praise mattered, even if he pretended it didn’t. “You’re welcome, Scar girl.” Then his eyes sharpened. “I think I’ll call your daddy tonight. Have a little talk,”

“You do that,” I said, “but don’t mention Milo and Jace. That’s mine to tell. I’m calling my parents later too–need to make sure they’re really coming for Thanksgiving.”

“Fair.” He pointed at me. “And don’t disappear on me. Now that I know we’re in the same city, I want

dinner at least once a month.”

“Twice,” I shot back. “On our days off. I’m working at the fire station with my guys–I’m the chef.”

He looked at Milo and Jace. “They’re lucky. I love you, Scar. And you two–treat my girl like the queen

she is.”

Milo didn’t hesitate. “Easy. She’s our queen.”

Jace’s eyes turned wicked. “Our queen,” he agreed, “but my princess.” He punctuated it with a filthy

wink in my direction.

My cheeks went hot again. I blew him a kiss anyway.

Hale made a face like he was in pain. “Stop. I don’t want to see any of that. Tattoo’s done. It’s on you

< Chapter 78

boys now–take my girl out and feed her.”

1 hugged Hale tight. Milo and Jace shook his hand.

Walking out, it hit me all over again: Uncle Hale was here. In my city. The man who’d been as steady as a second father–there when I was born, at my first day of kindergarten, at my graduations, there whenever my dad’s work pulled him away. My father had always known Hale loved my mother. My mother never seemed to notice; she treated him like family, like my dad’s brother. And my dad–he didn’t resent it. He trusted Hale. Trusted that if anything ever happened, Hale would hold the pieces

together.

Sometimes, if I didn’t know better, I might have thought my dad would even share her.

But I did know better.

My mother loved my father with a ferocity that didn’t leave room for anyone else.

And lately, I’d been thinking that kind of love might be what I had with my guys.

They took me out for surf and turf. Steak, lobster, Caesar salad. They made me try oysters, and to my

surprise, I liked them. After dinner we ended up at the beach, shoes off, sitting in the sand with the

waves breathing in and out nearby.

We planned Thanksgiving–me bringing pies for sure, and Milo talking me into homemade rolls too. I

told them I needed a shopping run after work tomorrow. They’d be stuck at the station, so when I got

off I would be taking the truck.

Then the conversation shifted, quieter but heavier, toward us. Where we wanted this to go. We

admitted the obvious: we hadn’t known each other long.

But we were in it anyway.

All the way.

We didn’t care what anyone thought. We weren’t hiding. I was going to move in with them.

On the walk back to the truck, we passed a little stall selling cheap beach trinkets. Jace stopped so

abruptly he almost yanked us off course.

“I want us to have something we share besides ink,” he said.

He picked out three rubber rings–two black and one white.

“These are our taken rings,” he declared, serious as a vow. “We wear them all the time. I’m buying

extras in case we lose one or it breaks on a call. Promise rings, basically.” His voice softened. “I love you both with my whole soul. Will you wear them so everyone knows we’re committed?”

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I clapped and bounced like a kid. Jace laughed and slid the white ring onto my finger first, then placed

a black one on Milo.

Milo grabbed the last ring from Jace’s hand, then took my hand too, and together we pressed it onto Jace’s finger.

“We love you too,” Milo and I said at the same time.

We kissed–messy, happy, inevitable.

Hand in hand, we walked the rest of the way to the truck. I couldn’t get the grin off my face.

This weekend had been intense, emotional, and at points downright awful.

But it ended exactly how I needed.

I was loved.

And I loved again.