Theirs to Keep

Instead, we were opening all new ridiculously-polished hallways. Repainted and refinished ballrooms, parlors, and libraries. Lushly decorated rooms complete with modern amenities for guests who wanted the best of both worlds.

And we’d done it all together.

Oh we’d taken some time to stop and smell the roses. A ski weekend at Killington. A five-day trip to Santa Monica, to soak up some of that lovely California sun. But we always returned here, to get straight back to work. To keep the finish work flowing on Southhold manor, while making sure the guys’ construction company — placed temporarily on autopilot — was still running itself.

Except of course, for the week we spent in Saint Kitts.

I glanced down at my finger, and the ring that sparkled there. Three trillion-cut diamonds, arranged in a perfect triangle. One for each of the loves of my life. Representing the three of them.

My heart melted, thinking back to that one legendary night. The night a few months ago, where the guys had taken me for a walk along the beach.

The night where they’d dropped to their knees in the surf, and asked me to marry them.

Of course I’d said yes — in fact, I’d jumped so quickly we almost lost the ring! I knocked it clear out of the redwood box they’d presented it to me in. Together we’d scrambled desperately on our hands and knees, combing the sand before the surf could sweep it away.

Luckily Camden had a good eye, or good enough fortune to come back up with it. Hearts racing, pumped with adrenaline, they’d slid it over my trembling finger…

Then we raced back to our beachfront bungalow, where the gu

ys took turns making love to me as their fiancé for the very first time.

Followed almost immediately by the second time. And the third time after that.

It was a miracle we survived that trip, considering the sheer amount of raw unchecked sex that took place indoors and out. It was perhaps the one time we didn’t think about Southhold at all. The one time we could actually focus on each other, and not worry about anything else in the whole wide world.

But now…

“Ah, good you’re here!”

Ryan looked up from the front desk, where he stood beside a pretty young brunette with her hair pinned back in a ponytail. A year ago that brunette had been little more than a girl named Sarah, the manager we’d hired to oversee the eventual opening and operations of the place. Now she was a little bit more than that, because Ryan and Sarah had been dating for at least ten or eleven months now.

And things between them were only getting more serious.

“Roderick said to keep you here,” Ryan told me. “He wants to go over some last minute things before the dinner party starts.”

“It’s his speech, isn’t it?” I smirked.

“Maybe,” Ryan shrugged.

“Definitely,” Sarah chuckled, adding a little bit of an elbow. “Don’t lie to her!”

“Fine,” Ryan resigned. “He wants you to hear his speech again.”

“For the four-hundred and thirteenth time,” Bryce said flatly.

“Yeah. He says he changed a few things.”

“Whatever.”

“I told him not to even make a speech,” said Ryan, “but you know Roderick.”

“Oh we know Roderick,” Bryce rolled his eyes. “If there’s a podium — any kind of podium — he’s jumping right on it.”

“Yeah, well this is more of a captive audience,” I quipped. “Still though, this could be good for us. The more information he gives on the manor, the better it is for everyone.”

Sarah nodded and her ponytail bobbed with her. “The more publicity the better.”

I wandered away, despite their warning to stick around. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts for a moment. To really savor the accomplishments of the last two or more years, and to bask in the glory of a job well done.