Camden

 

The snow outside was coming down in a flurry of hurried flakes. The best part of winter in Michigan? Baseball’s off season. Mom and I still had to work for the team, of course, and the guys did everything to stay in shape but gone was the constant motion of games and travel with only two days off a month max.

​

My parents’ tree was enormous, but it had to be to fit in the living room. It was beautiful, you couldn’t deny that but I much preferred the smaller tree in the living room of Jenner’s house—excuse me. Mine and Jenner’s house. I’d moved in after his first road trip. Sure, my brothers weren’t happy about it because we’d just gotten together but that was their problem.

 

We were all now living with the people we loved and my parents were officially empty nesters for the first time.

Jenner and I had decorated that tree together. That was what made it special. We traveled up to Frankenmuth to go to the biggest Christmas store in the world to pick out a special ornament. That was going to be a tradition if I had anything to say about it.

 

“Camden!” Amity called out but there was already humor in her voice. “I think that pie in the oven is going to burn.”

 

“Oh shit.” I hurried over there and pulled the apple pie out just in time. I’d made it at home and waited to bake it here.

 

Most of the time, Mom brought private chef’s in for large gatherings like this but all of her future daughters-in-law and I decided that we got this. We were cooking dinner.

 

And the men were cleaning after because we all much preferred the cooking to the cleaning.

 

Amity was right. It was going to burn if I’d left it in there any longer. We all had varying levels of ability when it came to cooking but the food would be edible.

 

“You ladies at a breaking point?” my brother, Brooks asked as he came into the kitchen. “Kelsie really wants at that paper.”

 

A round of agreement flowed through the kitchen. There were still things cooking but they needed the time so we could open presents before having dinner. All of us had Christmas morning at home before coming here.

 

Now, because the guys and I, have no money issues, we set a price limit on the gifts for each other. We’d always done that because it made the whole thing harder. It meant you had to know the person you were buying for. It was easy to drop a ton of money on something like a car but we liked the challenge. The run did not apply to our significant others or our parents.

Though our parents already gave us our gifts.

​

They were taking all of us to a private island for a week before spring break. Including any of the partners’ parents. So that meant Monroe’s dads, Amity’s dad and girlfriend, and Jenner’s parents. Everly wasn’t interested in hers going and neither was Harlowe..

 

It’ll just be us, Caribbean air and no worries. I was so excited.

 

“Did anyone hear what Camden got Jenner?” Harlowe asked as she harnessed her crawling baby. Kelsie had gotten more beautiful as time went on. Everyone said some version of no. “She got his very first bat from his parents, had it engraved and mounted so he can hand it on the wall at home. How sweet is that.”

 

There was a round of agreement of the sweetness level but Amity said, “Damn. I wish I would’ve thought of that.”

 

I snickered. It was a good idea. I was just glad that his parents still had it. “Yes, yes. I was proud of myself when I got the idea.”

 

“What’d you engrave on it?” Silas asked.

 

“Sorry you suck so much,” I answered right away to a round of laughter. “No. Just like his name and the date of his first game. That kind of thing.”

 

Jenner gave my shoulder a squeeze as I dropped onto the couch next to him while everyone else got situated around the room so Brooks could pass out the gifts under the tree. He did it quickly so that he could sit on the floor with Harlowe and Kelsie. Kelsie loved ripping paper but she wasn’t coordinated enough to do it on her own.

 

That little girl had a literal pile of gifts. My bet was that she’d lose interest before they got through a quarter of them. No bother. They could take them home and finish later.

 

Every once in a while there was a squeal at something someone opened.

 

“Camden!” Monroe exclaimed. “I didn’t tell you about this so you’d buy it.” She ran her hand over the Mac that I’d gotten her.

My brother absolutely would’ve bought it for her but she’d said something in passing one day about how she thought hers was on its last leg and then I knew exactly what I had to get her.

 

“Well, you said there was a specific one you wanted and they were in short supply.”

 

“Thank you.” She reached up from the floor to hug me. Was it over budget? Yeah. It was. But it was something she really wanted.

 

When I got to my last gift, I furrowed my brows. I’d already gotten one from everyone so that should’ve been it.

 

“Who is this from?” I held the small box in my hand. “There’s no name on it.”

 

“Me,” Jenner’s deep rumble came from beside me.

 

“You? You already gave me your gifts.”

 

He shrugged. “Forgot one.”

 

The room fell silent as the moment passed between us. “Jenner. This is a small box. That’s not a funny gift.”

 

He snorted. “It’s not meant to be funny. Open it.”

 

This was a ring size box and by the way my brothers were scowling at him, they knew what was inside too.

 

“Jenner,” I said softly then glanced around the room. The women were all fighting smiles. “Maybe I should do that when we’re alone.”

 

“Open it,” he said again so I took a deep breath and opened the box then let out a sigh and my head hung.

 

Inside the black box with the velvet was an incredibly gorgeous pair of crystal drop earrings that when put on the ear sill

look like ivy climbing the lobe. They weren’t ridiculously expensive but I’d wanted them so badly.

 

Just because I had money didn’t mean I bought everything I ever wanted. Then I turned the box to show everyone. The guys burst out into laughter.

 

“They’re beautiful,” I told him then leaned in to kiss him quickly. “Thank you.”

 

“You suck, Jenner,” Harlowe told him. “I thought that was going to be a ring then Camden and I could plan our weddings together.”

 

He chuckled. “Listen, I’d marry her right now if I thought she’d say yes.”

 

I shook my head and held back a grin not wanting him to know how much I loved these right now because I kind of like it when we grouped together to give any of the guys hell.

 

“Well, I’m glad it’s earrings,” Silas said.

 

It’d been a while and he’d gotten used to us together but I didn’t think he was fully comfortable with his best friend and me being together.

 

“Like I said.” He ran his hand down my back. “I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

 

“Maybe you should,” I said, surprising even myself.

 

The laughter died down. “What?”

 

“Maybe you should,” I repeated.

 

“Camden Briggs? Are you saying you’ll marry me?” Jenner hadn’t moved. Like this was just a normal conversation we were having.

 

Turning so that I was facing him, I shrugged. “I’ll marry you.”

 

His hand slipped around my neck to pull me to him for a long kiss. When he broke it, he whispered, “You better not be fucking with me.”

 

I grinned. “I’m not fucking with you. I’ll marry you if you want me to. Don’t let Harlowe bully you though.”

 

From behind me, Harlowe snickered. I’d recognize that sound anywhere.

 

He ran his tongue over his bottom lip then looked over at my brothers and said, “I guess I’m getting married guys.”

 

And pandemonium ensued.

​

I didn’t think today would end this way. But as Jenner pulled me into his arms, and unspoken promise of the future, I realized—maybe this was the only way it ever could’ve happened. Messy, unexpected, and exactly right.

 

After rounds of hugs, veiled or not so veiled threats from my brothers, Jenner said, “I already have a ring at home so when we get there…” He’d give it to me but probably after we were naked.

 

“You... what?” I asked as he pulled me back into his arms.

 

He smirked. “Bought it after you moved in. Just waited for a time when you indicated you were ready.”

 

I swallowed hard. “And you just… held onto it? No pressure?”

 

“Baby,” he said, his voice soft. “You were always going to be ready. I just needed to wait until you realized it.”

 

Well… damn. If I wasn’t sure before, I was now.

 

“All right,” Dad said loudly. Even he and mom had give us hugs or a handshake for Jenner from Dad. “Why don’t all of you just plan to get married next off season and we can get them all over with.”

 

The only problem was the Silas, Urban, and Cobb hadn’t proposed to their girlfriends. Amity sighed. “Sounds good to me.”

She didn’t get the entire sentence out before Silas swept her off her feet.

 

Now I doubted that we’d all actually get married the same off season. Hell, who knew which couples even wanted a wedding.

 

Once Amity was back on her feet she said, “You know. The private island sounds good to me. One of you could get ordained. I never wanted a big wedding anyway.”

 

Silas dove in for another kiss.

 

Maybe the week before spring training was going to be more exciting than we thought.

 

I wanted a wedding. Not a big one but I wanted the dress and the party. It didn’t surprise me that Amity didn’t. Harlowe could take it or leave it. Honestly, she’d told me that she’d do whichever Brooks wanted because she didn’t even have anyone but me to invite. She didn’t care if her parents were there and honestly, would’ve probably preferred that they didn’t.

After all, they’d only seen Kelsie twice since she was born and that was akin to people looking at an animal in the zoo.

Her parents sucked.

 

But whatever happened, I was marrying Jenner Greene. Something I never thought possible.

 

Were we rushing? I didn’t think so.

 

Did I care if we were?

 

Not even a little bit.