Page 60 of Knot Convenient

“You know what, for me the only thing that changes is that I admire Summer a hell of a lot more now,” I admitted.

Emmett cocked his head to the side. “Admire her for being a virgin? Dude…”

“That's not what I mean. Think about it. Summer is a young woman who was in school, and she didn't have to, but she took in Milo. She claimed him as her own and has been fighting tooth and nail to provide for him ever since. She didn’t have to take her best friend's baby, but she did it because she loved her best friend and her baby. That loyalty is insane and admirable. That was an extremely selfless thing to do. I already thought she was a damn good woman, but this. I'm pretty sure she's too good for us idiots.”

They were all silent for a moment, the impact of my words hitting them.

Summer…

We thought we had somehow managed to find a good woman, someone who was sweet and caring, but it seems we didn’t know the half of it. She was a hero in my book, and I knew the guys would agree with me.

Tobias looked down at the table with wide eyes. “We so need to buy her more things. Pillows! All the pillows. And fluffy blankets.”

“How about we start with what she really needs,” Emmett countered, and Tobias raised his brows, waiting. “Help.”

Chapter 26

Summer

At this point, I assumed Emmett had told the guys about my… situation. I was embarrassed to think about it, but we needed to discuss it. There was no way I wasn’t going to be having sex with these guys in the imminent future, so conversations needed to happen. I was just grateful that the initial bomb drop had come from Emmett and not me.

“What’s your plan for the day?” Noah asked, sticking his head around my door. It was the weekend, so he wasn’t wearing his usual teaching clothes. Instead of a button-down and slacks, he wore jeans and a sweater. I had to admit I liked how it looked on him, heated thoughts blooming in the back of my mind.

“Nothing concrete right now, other than taking a shower. How come?”

Noah smiled. “I’m going antique shopping. Edie wants some new dressers for her place, so I have been volunteered for the job. Do you want to come? You can pick out some things to personalize your space, and there’s an amazing coffee shop nearby.”

“I won’t say no to an iced coffee,” I said, smiling. “And I’ll be happy to help you look!”

Relief washed over Noah’s face. “Oh, thank God. I was hoping you’d say yes, because honestly, I don’t know why they volunteered me to go look at furniture. I don’t know a side cabinet from a bedside table.”

My brows rose as I smirked and crossed my arms. “What makes you think I’ll be much better?”

Noah cocked his head to the side. “Desperation and hope? Also Edie is far more likely to be kind if you picked them out,” he admitted, making me burst into laughter at the sincere expression on his face.

“Fair enough. I’ll come with you, just let me shower first.” I stood up from the bed, dragging my feet a little.

“Do you want me to take the little man downstairs and get him his bottle?” Noah asked, grinning over at Milo.

I stilled for a second before turning to him. “I-I mean, if you’re willing to. You don’t have to. I can⁠—”

Noah waved off my concern, stepping farther into the room and scooping Milo out of the playpen next to my bed. “I’ll be happy to. Isn’t that right, little man? I like your sweater!” he complimented, and Milo cooed as if he understood him.

It took me a moment to accept his help. It had been me and Milo for so long that getting support from someone else felt odd, even though I desperately needed it.

Still, Noah carried Milo down the hallway, keeping up a conversation with him, even though Milo only spoke in garbled babbles. It was adorable.

Left on my own, I had a luxurious few minutes to shower in peace. Usually, whenever I took a shower, I had to either have Milo in the bathroom with me in his playpen or have a baby monitor in case he stirred while he was napping. I’d been forced to hop out of the shower dripping wet a few times. I’d gotten used to making them extra short, but with Noah and the others helping, I could actually take my time.

What a concept.

After the shower, which was hot and incredible, I got dressed in a nice, springy dress and actually styled my hair. It wasn’t up in a half-dry bun today. Oh no. I took full advantage of the time I had, constantly praising the guys in my head for being there to help me. It was the only way I could get around the “mom guilt” for what felt like being selfish.

Which I knew was absurd.

A little makeup and perfume—who even was I?—and I was out the door, jogging happily downstairs as if I’d just been to the spa. It was incredible how much a little self-care time could change things. It made me think of that “it takes a village” saying. I’d been sorely without a village of any kind for a while. Having one now was…kind of a miracle.

As I slipped into the kitchen, following the sound of Milo’s coos and Noah’s voice, I found the two of them grooving in the kitchen while the baby finished his bottle. I couldn’t stop the massive grin on my face, even if I’d wanted to.