sweeping views of the water behind it and mountains in the distance. Trees framed either side of the property, offering what appeared to be total privacy. Except from the water, of course.
The guys took me on a tour of the rest of the interior, pointing out details that they’d clearly put thought into. Like the reading nook in the master bedroom that would be a perfect place for me to sit and draw. And an extra closet in the hall upstairs that would hold all of the art supplies I could ever want.
Leading me into the laundry room, Leo pointed to the corner. “That’s the perfect spot for a bed, don’t you think?”
I studied the corner he’d indicated. Though the room was nearly as big as my bedroom in Kansas, it wasn’t the best place for even a twin bed. And we’d already discussed using the extra bedroom as a guest room. “For what, a gnome?”
“No, for this little guy,” Tristin said from behind me. “Happy birthday a week early.”
Spinning, my hand flew to my parted lips when I caught sight of the bundle of black fluff in his arms. “Oh my god. Is that—”
“Toto?” His smile was bigger than I’d ever seen it as he deposited the furball in my arms. “Yes.”
I stared down at the adorable face that I would swear was smiling at me. Around his neck hung a gold tag with “Toto” already etched into it. He licked my chin, and I laughed, instantly in love with the newest member of our family.
Forcing my gaze away to look at Tristin, I said, “I can’t believe you remembered.”
“I actually started hunting for a rescue dog that matched your drawing almost immediately. It just took a while. Little dogs with silky black hair aren’t that common.”
Hugging Toto close to me, I stood on tiptoes to kiss Tristin. “Thank you. I love him.”
“You’re welcome.”
We made our way outside then, and I stood on the large deck that ran the entire back of the house, already imagining dinners with my guys out here. Taking the few steps down to the grass, I let Toto go, and he immediately began running laps.
“Looks like Mini Sharpe approves of this house,” Leo said with a laugh. “And, as you can see, there’s plenty of room to play football back here. That’s an important selling point.”
“Mini Sharpe?” I asked. “He already has a nickname?”
“We picked him up from the shelter a few days ago and have been hiding him at Dad’s house. So, I’ve had plenty of time to work on some nicknames.”
“I see.” I placed my hands on my hips, though I kept one eye trained on Toto. I wasn’t sure if he was the kind of dog to run off. “But why isn’t he Mini Gale?”
Leo moved behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist. Resting his chin on my shoulder, he said, “Because there’s three of us and only one of you. Math wins.”
“So, you’d never change your last name to Gale?” I challenged, not fully thinking through the question. I hadn’t meant to suggest anything remotely close to marriage. It had just popped out.
“If it would make you happy, I’d do anything. You should know that.”
Hayle held his hand up, as though he wanted to speak in class. “Let’s think about this for a second. If we changed our last name to match yours, I’d be Hayle Gale.” He grimaced. “Please don’t do that to me.”
I burst out laughing. “Okay, you got me there. Guess you’re stuck as Sharpes.”
Tristin waggled his eyebrows. “Guess it’s a good thing that Thea Sharpe sounds pretty damn perfect.”
I swallowed, and my knees probably would have buckled if Leo hadn’t been holding me up. Clearly, a legal marriage wasn’t in the cards for us. But their comments suggested that they were thinking about this relationship in the long-term. Maybe even better than long-term. Maybe forever.
Leo nipped at my ear. “I have to agree. Thea Sharpe has a nice ring to it.”
As though he sensed my sudden dizziness, Hayle stepped forward and took my hand. “Come on. I want to show you something.”
He led me toward the trees, pointing out a private dock that jutted out from the shore along the way. “So Tristin can get a new boat.”
“A bigger boat,” Leo called from behind us, and I chuckled. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw that he and Tristin were following us, Toto racing between their legs.