Kennedy's Redemption (The Protectors 3)

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“Wait just a damn minute!” Kennedy yelled at them as they walked into another room.

The house was stunning. If she’d been able to describe her dream house, this would have been it. The sheer creativity and love that had gone into every swirl and dip in the banisters and pillars on the porch left her breathless. It was just gorgeous. The marble staircase centered in the middle of the foyer was perfection.

She couldn’t wait to see the rest of the house and surrounding buildings. But first, the off-handed invite to live with them.

“Creedence!” She yelled again, following them into what she now knew was the kitchen. “Linc—Holy shit,” she whispered in awe. It was a chef’s wet dream. Stainless steel appliances everywhere, white marble counter tops. Peeking back out to the foyer, yup, same white as the stairs.

Heavy oak cupboards adorned the upper half of the entire room. There was a pantry in the corner between the fridge and stove. It matched the color of the cupboards, only it had glass paneling throughout.

She was so focused on taking it all in that she forgot what she was giving them trouble for and nearly missed the Viking stove. Six burners, natural gas, and the most stunning piece in the entire room. She’d always dreamed of having one. She might not be the best cook in the world, but she loved doing it. Having access to that was almost enough to say yes to their crazy idea.

“There’s something else we’d like to show you, Sunshine,” Linc told her softly, breaking her out of her lust for the stove.

“What?” She wondered.

Creed opened a drawer and pulled out a cloth that had been there and told her, “Close your eyes.” When she did he placed it over her eyes, tying it in the back and whispered, “It’s a surprise.”

They each grabbed one of her hands, leading her out of what she assumed was a patio door from the sounds of it. The smell of pine hit her nose making her wonder if there were trees close by. As they walked down a few stairs, she nearly tripped. Thankfully, they were paying attention and she did no more than collide with one of them.

“Hang on, Sunshine,” Creed said from her left. Feeling a back to her front and arms grabbing the back of her knees, he told her, “Hop up and hang on.” Climbing on his back, she loved the way he held her thighs so tightly. She lay her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the way his back muscles felt moving against her body. It was oddly erotic. With every step her core would rub against his lower back, slowly arousing her.

After a minute of walking he finally started to slow down, letting her slide down his back.

She waited for their surprise with anticipation. Hands on her shoulders had her jumping just as she heard a scratching sound. “Okay Sunshine, look,” Linc whispered, removing the cloth from her eyes.

At her new-found sight, she saw a small red barn like you’d see in one of those western shows. She didn’t understand at first until Linc pushed her to walk forward and he started explaining.

“We thought this would make an awesome art studio for you. Whether you used it to teach others or just for yourself, it would give you the open space you like and the privacy you want.”

The tears were instantaneous. No one in her life had ever done something so thoughtful for her. She was amazed and humbled by their selflessness and caring for what she wanted. These men understood her far better than anyone in her entire life. With simple words and thoughtful gestures, they showed her time and again how much she meant to them.

“It’s yours whether you live with us or not, Sunshine. We want you to have something just for you. Something you can count on,” Creed explained when he saw her tears. Little did they know it was all joy. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so happy in her entire life.

“Why?” She was still baffled by the way they treated her. Sometimes she felt unworthy of so much devotion. But this? This was the most amazing gift anyone could have ever given her. It felt like they knew her better than she knew herself, and that scared her.

“You don’t get it, do you? You’re truly stunned by how much you mean to us,” Creed stated. She didn’t have anything to say because it was true. “Sunshine, we knew you were meant to be ours the minute we laid eyes on you. It sounds corny as fuck, but it’s fact. Our world aligned with finding you in that cabin.”

“It wasn’t ideal the way we came together or what you’d been through, but no matter how many times we tried, we couldn’t shake you from our minds. There is nothing we wouldn’t do for you, Kennedy. We’ve been in this world too long not to know a sure thing when we’ve found her. And baby? You’re our sure thing.” The fact that Linc could finish Creed’s thoughts and tell her the same thing in a different way had her finally believing she was worthy of them.

“It’s all so much, though. An entire building just for me? Who does that?”

“Us,” they replied together.

She couldn’t help but laugh at them. She’d gotten to know them fairly well over the last few weeks, and she had a feeling such huge gestures weren’t the norm for them. Which meant she was doubly blessed to have them in her life.

She’d been so broken when they’d found her. Only going through the motions of life, but not fully participating. She finally felt like she could start living again.

Eighteen

“If I were a man, this stove would give me a boner.” She marveled at how amazing the stove was again. Now, she was finally going to be able to cook on it. Hearing coughing behind her, she turned to see Linc struggling to breathe after choking on his drink and Creed doubled over trying not to laugh. “What?” she asked.

“Boner,” Creed said like it was the funniest thing in the world. She still didn’t fully understand until she turned back around and what she said hit her.

Gasping, she whipped back around to face them. “I said that out loud?” Horrified, she wanted to run away.

“Yeah, Sunshine, you did. And I fucking loved it. Linc may never recover again, though,” he said shooting his brother a worried glance before slapping him so hard his back bowed. But he finally stopped choking.