Page 64 of Reviving Kendall

“What’s the truth pretty lady?” Logan asks turning all the attention back on us. “Are you with any of them?”

If the guys aren’t ashamed to tell them about us, then I’m damn sure not going to be, no matter how it makes us look. I meet his eyes as I confess, “They weren’t lying. I’m theirs.”

My guys are smiling at me, especially Lucas. Telling them the truth, I’m waiting on the shoe to drop, and people to start throwing accusations around. What I get is not what I expect.

“Mom!” Leo yells, “Lucas has a girlfriend!”

I see Lincoln out of the corner of my eye smile and shake his head as all of the brothers crack up, Lucas included.

“You don’t have to yell, Leonard,” a female voice says, walking around the corner. “I’m right here, and well aware that your brother has a girlfriend, even though I fail to see how that’s any of your business.”

“Buurrrn,” Logan says slapping him on the arm while the others crack up again.

She walks over and pulls me into an unexpected hug, “Sorry if my boys are pestering you. They seem to lose their manners around pretty girls. I’m Elaine. You can call me Lane or just mom like the rest of the crew here.”

I smile at her as I say, “Kendall. Nice to meet you.”

Walking around the kitchen and pulling things out of a couple of the cabinets, she says, “Nice to finally meet you too, honey. Lucas talks about you non-stop. It’s nice to be able to put a face with his Kendall.”

Her words make me smile, and I realize I must look like a fool standing in the middle of the kitchen grinning like the Cheshire cat. I can’t stop my face from going pink as I see all of the guys’ attention on us. Trying to distract myself as well as not to be rude, I ask if there’s anything I can do to help. She just turns me down, and says company doesn’t cook or clean, then smacks Leo and Lathan on the back of the head for being rude and not offering me one of their chairs.

Oh, I love this woman as much as I love her house and almost as much as I love her son.

Grant

To say that I’m shocked that none of the other families show up besides Ryleigh and Cynthia is an understatement. They don’t even stay that long. Cynthia gives some excuse about having some company thing for Teagan’s dad, but I honestly just think that the country life makes her uncomfortable. Ryleigh leaves with her. I doubt her reasons are the same though. Especially if the look that she throws Logan is any indication. Oh, I’m definitely getting the inside scoop on that one later.

Now with seven of the guys out in the yard playing some weird version of football, and Lane in the kitchen cleaning up with Lucas’s dad, I sit on the porch swing and laugh at the antics going on in the yard in front of me. I offered my services in the kitchen, but neither of them would hear of it.

Lincoln walks out the screen door and makes his way over to me. I motion for him to take the seat next to me, and we swing in silence for a few minutes just watching the guys.

“It’s true isn’t it?” he asks.

“What?” I reply.

His head tilts toward the yard where Mav and Lucas have teamed up on Lathan trying to take him down, “That you’re all together.”

I nod even though he’s not looking at me, “Very much so.”

He turns to me and those eyes that are the same shade as Lucas’ focus on mine, “How do you do it? Not sex or anything, just balance them all.”

If it was one of the others asking, I’d question their motives for wanting to know, but there’s something about Lincoln. Some sadness that he tries to hide from the world. I guess it takes one lonely soul to recognize another.

“It’s not so much balance,” I tell him honestly. “We’re all together almost every day anyways.”

Looking at me like he’s trying to figure out how to say something, he finally points at his chest as he says, “But do you have enough here for them? Can you honestly say that you love them all the same?”

Without a second thought I say, “Yes, I can. They’re all different in their own way, which makes it easier. But there’s no rule saying that your heart is only big enough to fit one person.” It takes me a few minutes into the conversation, but I eventually get a feeling that Lincoln is asking for more personal reasons. “You shouldn’t give a shit what society thinks,” I say slipping up and letting my sailor mouth come out. He doesn’t seem to get offended, though, as he just smiles at me and I continue, “You can’t help who you love. If it’s there, then it’s there, and if people can’t deal, then you don’t need those people in your life.”

He nods and looks to the floor, “I came out to everyone when I was fifteen. My parents, and even my brothers, have been nothing but supportive. They don’t treat me any different, which took a ton of pressure off.”

“I bet,” I agree softly. “You’ve got an amazing family.”

The smile he shoots me lights up his face, “Yeah, I got really lucky in that department.”

When it falls, he looks out to the yard again, “I fell in love with this guy a year or so ago. We dated for about four months before he told me that he was bi and has a girlfriend.”

“People suck, Lincoln,” I tell him.

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