“You ready, Jackie?” he asked. He looked me over and frowned. “You’re looking kind of pale.”
Of course I looked pale! I had just flown halfway across the country with a woman I didn’t know because my family was gone. On top of that, I was going to have to live with twelve kids, all of whom were boys! This wasn’t exactly a top-ten day for me.
“I’m fine,” I said, muttering my automatic response. “Just a little nervous, I guess.”
“Well, the best piece of advice I can give you ’bout my boys”—he began while unbuckling his seat belt—“is their bark’s worse than their bite. Don’t let ’em scare you.”
How was that supposed to be reassuring? George was watching me, so I nodded my head. “Um, thanks,” I said.
He gave me a small nod and then got out of the car, leaving me alone to compose myself. As I stared out the windshield, quick images started to flash before my eyes like the pages of flipbook: my parents in the front seat of our car teasing one another, my sister in the backseat singing along with the radio, the flicker of another car, and the wheel spinning out of control. Then twisted metal, red. It was the nightmare that had been keeping me up since the day my family died. Now, apparently, it was here to haunt me during the daylight hours as well.
Stop! I screamed to myself and squeezed my eyes shut. Just stop thinking about it. Gritting my teeth together, I opened the door and hopped out of the car.
“Jackie!” Katherine called. Her voice drifted through an open door at the back of the garage, which led to what must have been the backyard. Slinging my carry-on over my shoulder, I emerged into the sunlight. At first, the only thing I saw was her standing on a pool deck, waving at me as the sun glared into my eyes. But then I saw them in the water. They were splashing and goofing around—a completely shirtless bunch of gorgeous guys.
“Come here, honey!” Katherine said, so I had no other choice but to join her on the deck.
I climbed up the wooden steps, hoping that my clothes weren’t rumpled from the flight, and unconsciously moved my hand up to smooth out my hair. Katherine was smiling at me as two young boys stood next to her, clinging to her pants. Must be the youngest set of twins, I decided before turning to face the rest of the group. Much to my discomfort, everyone was staring at me.
“Boys,” began Katherine, breaking the silence, “this is Jackie Howard, the friend of the family your father and I told you about. She will be staying with us for some time, and while she’s here, I want you all to try your best to make her feel at home.”
That seemed like the opposite of what they wanted. All the boys were staring at me like I was a foreigner invading their own personal country.
The best thing to do is to make peace, I told myself. I slowly raised my hand and waved. “Hi, guys. I’m Jackie.”
One of the older boys swam forward and pulled himself out of the pool, making the muscles in his tan arms bulge. A spray of water flew in all directions as he shook his messy bangs out of his eyes, just like a wet dog would, only sexier. Then, to finish it off, he ran his fingers through his sun-bleached blond hair, combing it back into golden white streaks. The boy’s red swim trunks hung dangerously low, flirting between inappropriate and just enough room for imagination.
I took one look at him and my heart fluttered, but I quickly pushed the stirring feeling away. What is wrong with you, Jackie? I screamed at myself.
His gaze flickered over me casually, and the water droplets caught in his eyelashes sparkled in the sunlight. He turned to his father. “Where’s she going to stay?” he questioned, ignoring me as if I weren’t there.
“Cole,” George responded in a voice that was meant to reprimand his son. “Don’t be so rude. Jackie is our guest.”
Cole shrugged. “What? We’re not running a hotel here. I, for one, am not sharing a room.”
“I don’t want to share either,” another boy complained.
“Me either,” someone else added.
Before a chorus of complaints rang out, George held up his hands. “Nobody is going to have to share or give up their room,” he said. “Jackie will have an entirely new room.”
“New room?” Cole asked as he crossed his arms over his bare chest. “Where’s that?”
Katherine shot him a look. “The studio.”
“But, Aunt Kathy!” one of the other boys started to say.
“You did have a bed moved in there while I was gone, right, George?” she asked, cutting off one of her nephews.
“Of course. Not all of the supplies have been moved out, but it will have to do in the meantime,” he told his wife. Then he turned to Cole and gave him a look that said “knock it off.” “You can help Jackie move her things,” he added. “No complaining.”
Cole turned back to me, his gaze unnerving. My skin blazed like a bad sunburn where his eyes touched my body, and when they lingered too long on my chest, I crossed my arms in discomfort.
After a few tense seconds, he shrugged his shoulders. “No problem, Dad,” he said.
Cole cocked his head and offered me a smirk that said “I know I’m hot.” Even with my limited knowledge of boys, a twisting in my stomach told me this boy in particular was going to be a problem. Maybe if I could learn to deal with him, the rest wouldn’t be as bad. I risked a quick glance at the other boys and my shoulders slumped. The scowls plastered across most of their faces were not a good sign. They seemed to want me here as little as I wanted to be here.
Katherine and George disappeared into the house, leaving me to the wolves. I waited awkwardly on the deck for Cole to help me with my luggage. He was taking his time, slowly drying off with a towel that had been flung over one of the many pool chairs. I could feel the boys watching me, so I kept my eyes focused on one of the swirled knots in the wooden deck. The longer Cole took, the more intimidating the staring became, so I decided to wait for him in the garage.
“Hey, wait,” someone called as I turned to leave. The screen door slid open, and another boy stepped out of the house. He was the tallest of them all and probably the oldest too. His golden hair was pulled back into a short ponytail, and the few strands that weren’t held back had curled up around his ears. His strong jawline, thick chin, and long, straight nose made the glasses he was wearing look small compared to the rest of his face. His forearms were toned and his hands looked rough, most likely from years of working on the ranch.
“Mom said I needed to introduce myself.” He crossed the deck in three long strides and held his hand out for me to shake. “Hi, I’m Will.”
“Jackie,” I said and slipped my hand into his. Will smiled at me, and his tight grip crushed my fingers just like his father’s had.
“So you’ll be staying here for a while? I just heard,” he said, jabbing a finger over his shoulder and gesturing at the house.
“Yes, it seems so.”
“Cool. I don’t actually live here anymore since I’m in college, so you probably won’t see me much, but if you ever need anything, just let me know, okay?”
By now, all of the boys had climbed out of the pool to dry themselves off and someone snorted at Will’s comment.
I did my best to ignore it. “I’ll make sure to remember that.”
Will, on the other hand, did not. “Are we all playing nicely?” he asked, turning toward his family. When no one responded, he shook his head. “Have you idiots even introduced yourselves yet?” he demanded.
“She knows who I am,” Cole said. He was sprawled in one of the plastic lounge chairs, hands tucked casually behind his head. His eyes were closed as he basked in the sun, a smug smile playing on his lips.
“Never mind him. He’s an ass,” Will said. “Over here is Danny, the ass’s twin.” Although there was no mistaking they were brothers, Cole and Danny were far from identical. Danny closely resembled Will, especially in height, but he was much skinnier and his chin was
covered in scruff. He looked rougher than Cole, less pretty boy.
“That’s Isaac, my cousin,” continued Will, pointing to a boy who stood out due to his midnight black hair. He had the same facial features as the other boys, but was clearly from different parents.
“This is Alex.” A younger-looking version of Cole pushed his way to the front of the group. Since getting out of the pool, he had pulled on a baseball cap, his blond hair curling over the edges, but he was still without a shirt and was sporting a horrible farmer’s tan. I gave him a nervous nod, and he nodded back.
“Lee, also my cousin, is Isaac’s younger brother.” Will gestured to another boy with curly black hair, which desperately needed to be cut. His face was blank, but his dark eyes flashed with anger when I acknowledged him, so I quickly looked away.
Next, Will introduced me to Nathan. He was a scrawny teen, but I could tell that when he grew, he would be just as attractive as his older brothers. His sandy blond hair looked brown since it was wet, and hanging from his neck was a guitar pick on a silver chain. Then there were Jack and Jordan—the first set of identical twins. They were both wearing the same green swim trunks, which would have made it impossible to tell who was who, except that Jack was wearing glasses.
When Will introduced Parker, I realized that I wasn’t alone. She stepped forward, and I understood why I hadn’t realized there was another girl before now. Parker was wearing an orange T-shirt and swim trunks, both heavy with water and clinging to her skin. Her hair was cut into a short bob—nearly as short as some of her brothers. I thought back to the list I made on the plane and remembered that Parker liked tackle football. Maybe that was why I’d assumed she was a boy.
“Hi, Parker,” I said excitedly and offered her a big grin. It was nice to know that there was another girl in the house.
“Hi, Jackie.” Parker said my name as if it was something funny and the smile slipped off my face. She leaned down and whispered something to the two boys I had yet to meet—the youngest set of twins. A wicked grin crept onto both of their faces.
“And finally we have—” But before Will could finish introducing me, the pair shot out from the line of Walters and bulldozed into me like I was football player. I thought I would be able to keep my balance, but my knees buckled and I fell back—straight into the pool. I paddled back up to the surface, sputtering and gasping for air. I could hear most of the guys laughing.
“Got ya!” cried one of the twins as he stood at the edge of the pool. He was a cute little kid who still hadn’t lost his baby fat. Freckles covered his face and his yellow hair curled all over. “I’m Zack and that’s my twin, Benny!” When he pointed next to me, I looked over to see an exact replica of the smiling kid break the surface of the water.
“Zack, Benny! What the hell is wrong with both of you?” Will demanded. “Someone get Jackie a towel!” He stuck out a hand to help me up, and soon I was dripping on the side of the pool. It was too early in spring to be swimming. How are they not freezing? Someone handed me a red Power Rangers towel, and I quickly wrapped it around myself to cover the now see-through white blouse I was wearing.
“I’m really sorry about that,” Will said, before shooting the youngest twins a glare.
“The only thing I’m sorry about is that he gave her a towel,” someone said. I whipped around to see which boy it was, but they were all standing together silently, trying to keep the grins off their faces. Taking a deep breath, I turned back to Will.
“It’s fi–fine,” I said, my teeth chattering, “but I’d like to change into something dry.”
“I can help with that,” another voice joked. This time the boys couldn’t contain their laughter.
“Isaac!” Will snapped. He glared over my shoulder at his cousin until the boys quieted down. Then he turned back to me. “Your bags are in the car?” he asked. Shivering from the cool spring air, I was only able to nod my head. “Okay, I’ll start unloading and someone can show you to your room.”
As Will retreated off the deck, I felt myself shrink. My only friend so far had just left me with the enemies. Taking a deep breath of air, I gulped and turned back around. The Walter boys looked at me, their faces vacant. Then, everyone started to grab their towels and clothes lying around on the deck before heading back into the house without another word to me.
Only Cole was left. An awkward thirty seconds passed before his mouth jerked up into a half grin. “Are you just going to stare at me, or do you want to go inside?” he asked. Cole was hot—his damp hair had dried in a dreamy, I-just-had-sex kind of style—but his overconfident attitude made me clam up.
“I want to go inside,” I mumbled quietly.
“After you.” He flourished his hands and bowed.
Taking a deep breath, I gazed up at my new house. With its yellow shutters and rude additions that must have been added onto the house with each new Walter child, it was nothing like the penthouse back in New York. Throwing one last glance at Cole, I sucked a mouthful of air into my lungs and stepped inside. This might be where I have to live and I’m going to try to make the best of it, I thought, but it will never be my home.
Chapter 2
“About earlier,” Cole said as he led me through the cluttered house. “This whole you-moving-in thing kinda came out of nowhere. Caught me off guard.”
“I get it,” I told him. It wasn’t exactly an apology for his unfriendly behavior, but hopefully it was the reason behind most of the boys’ unenthusiastic reactions toward me. “You don’t need to explain.”
“So my mom said you’re from New York.” He paused at the bottom of the staircase to look at me.
“Yeah,” I answered, and suddenly my stomach bottomed out. What else did he know about me? The accident…had he heard? If there was one good thing about moving to Colorado, it was that nobody knew who I was. I could go back to just Jackie, not the girl whose family died. I didn’t want the boys to know. What if they acted funny around me? “Did she tell you guys anything else?” I added, trying to sound nonchalant.
He paused then, and it was all the confirmation I needed. One small moment of hesitation, and I knew he knew about my family.
“Not much,” he recovered quickly, and a smile slipped onto his face with such ease that the upward curve of his lips almost looked genuine. “Just that the daughter of her friend was moving in. You’re pretty much a mystery girl.”
“I see.” The thought of all the Walter boys knowing about what happened made my mouth dry, but at least Cole was making the effort to act normal.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t even know how old you are.”
“Sixteen.”
“Are you always this shy?”
“Shy?” I echoed in confusion. What did he expect? It wasn’t like he had been the president of my welcoming committee. Besides, the fact that he practically had abs down to his toes didn’t help calm my nerves.
“Never mind,” he said, laughing, his eyes dancing in amusement as he shook his head at me. “Come on. I’ll show you upstairs.”
We started up the steps, which was more difficult than it sounded. Stacks of books and board games, dirty clothes, a deflated basketball, and a pile of movies made reaching the second floor without knocking anything over harder than completing an obstacle course. Next was the maze of hallways that I knew I would get lost in. They seemed to twist and turn in strange places as if there was no real floor plan. When we reached the farthest corner of the house, Cole finally stopped.
“This is where you’ll be staying,” he said, pushing open a door. Putting my hand on the wall, I searched for the light switch. We found it at the same time, our fingers fumbling over each other’s in the dark. The contact sent a pulse down my arm, and I ripped my hand back in shock. Cole chuckled, but the lights flickered on and a warm glow lit up the room, making me forget my embarrassment.
“Oh wow.”
Every inch of the wall was painted in vivid colors. A mural of a tropical rain forest started on one end of the room, and by the time it wrapped around to the other side, it transformed into an ocean filled with sea creatures. One half of the ceiling was painted to look like the night sky and the other daytime. Even the wooden panels on the ceiling fan had been decorated. I stood, mouth open, and gaped at my new room.
“This was my mom’s art studio,” Cole said.
A large desk was painted as brightly as the rest of the room. On top was a collection of glass jars and coffee mugs that were filled with paintbrushes, charcoal pencils, and markers. A sketchbook was open to a rough-draft sketch of the painting on an easel in the middle of the room. Light brushstrokes covered the canvas, depicting a scene that I recognized from my drive from the airport—the rolling hills of Colorado.
“It’s amazing,” I said, brushing my hand over the edge of the canvas.
“Yeah, she’s kinda awesome with art stuff.” There was an edge to his tone.
Then I noticed a small shelf holding more art supplies that was pushed over to the edge of the room so my single bed could fit inside, and I realized why the boys were upset when Katherine mentioned my sleeping arrangements.
“I’m taking her space.”
“She doesn’t have much time to paint anymore,” Cole said, stuffing his hands into the back pockets of his trunks. “Twelve kids and all.”
In other words: yes, I was.
Before I could respond, Will dropped one of my suitcases onto the floor, surprising both of us with a thud. “Come on, Cole,” he said and straightened back up. “Jackie’s got a ton of bags that we need to bring up.”
“I’ll help as soon as I’m done changing,” I offered, not wanting them to do all of my work.