She and Cole stood outside the hut, staring at each other, nervous energy rippling between them.

“Like I said,” he muttered, clearing his throat. “I’m okay with whatever happens between the two of you. So you...are more than welcome to go in there alone.”

“Absolutely not,” she said back through gritted teeth, snatching his hand as he took a step back and gripping it tight. “This was your insane idea, buddy. There’s no way I’m doing this alone.”

“Tali, the guy’s been waiting to hear that you love him for probably six months. He doesn’t need it ruined by me hovering in the background. It’s just...awkward—”

“Yes,” she agreed. “Extremely awkward. But whatever this ends up being, you’re a part of it, Cole. You both are. If this is going to be our life, it needs to start with all of us on the same page. You’re coming in.”

“All right. I will. But you take the lead, darlin’, I’m running backup.” She tugged his hand, not sure if his hand was sweaty or hers.

“Let’s do this,” she breathed, stepping forward and into his hut.

“Oh,” Hudson said when he saw her enter, with Cole right behind. He propped himself up on his elbows and glanced between the two of them. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she said, hands shaking.

“Are uh, you two taking off?” he asked.

“No,” she said, trying not to glare. Did he really still think they would just go before he was back on his feet? She thought her storm-off had made that clear. “I...we...I need to talk to you.”

“Okay,” he said, clearly trying to sound neutral. “About what?”

She looked at Cole questioningly, but he gave her a small shove in her lower back. “Go ahead,” he murmured. “I’m here if you need me.”

She inhaled deeply and strode forward until she was at his bedside. Slowly, she lowered herself to the floor beside him.

“Everything okay?” he asked quietly. She shrugged noncommittally. Hudson looked to Cole, who shrugged too.

“Well. You’re both being delightfully helpful,” Hudson muttered. “Tali,” he said seriously. “What’s going on?”

She swallowed hard. There was no point dancing around it. She’d been doing so for months, and it had only brought them pain. Cole had given them a chance for a light at the end of the tunnel, but they’d never get there if Tali couldn’t lay it out for him, to offer him this chance to be hers.

He might refuse. He really might refuse, and the thought terrified her, but the alternative? Him staying here among the bears forever, never knowing that she really, honestly loved him with all of her heart? That was worse.

She had to do this.

“Look, Hudson,” she said, looking at him seriously. His eyes were still so staggeringly beautiful, even after all this time. “Before... when we were arguing...about you staying here. About Sheena. You said...that I don’t love you. And the thing is, you were wrong about that. I lied to you, and myself, when I tried to pretend I didn’t. I tried to make you believe it, because I didn’t know what else to do. But it’s not the truth. “

Hudson’s eyes widened, and she saw them flicker to Cole. Although she didn’t turn around to look at him, she was sure he was just standing there, calmly listening, and that was probably incredibly confusing for Hudson, so she charged on.

“I do love you,” she said fiercely. “And I have, for a long time. I tried to fight it, Hudson. I tried so hard.. Because I love Cole too, so much, and I loved him first, and I didn’t...I didn’t know how to cope with it. With loving you both. I know it seems crazy, and maybe wrong, or greedy, but I just...fucking love you both. So much.”

She couldn’t read much in his eyes besides disbelief at what she was saying, but maybe, just maybe, flickering there amid the flecks or green and gold, was something like hope. It gave her the strength to charge on.

“And everything that’s happened in the last few days has only made me feel that more strongly that ever. I almost lost both of you, and it was unbearable. Life without either of you would just be so cold, so empty. It came so close to being reality and made me so aware of what I really want. I want you, Hudson. I need you. You’ve just...become a part of me,” she said, sighing.

She reached for Hudson’s hand, and he jumped with surprise, but seemed too focused on trying to understand what was happening to pull away or shake her off.

“You have, Hudson. You’re in here,” she said, gesturing to her heart. “I can’t keep you out. I don’t want to. I think about you all the time, and you’re so good to me, and to Ella. You make me laugh so much, and you’ve got this whole life in Newcomb, and you love it. I know you do. Your house, and your boat, and your dog, and your hockey. That’s your life. And if a belief that I don’t love you was having any kind of sway over your...decision to stay here instead of coming home where you belong, then it shouldn’t. Because I do love you. And I want you to come home. To Newcomb. With us.”

Hudson stared at her, incredulity in his soft green eyes. “You’re...are you saying you want to be...with us both?”

She inhaled nervously, and shrugged. “It’s not unheard of for bears. According to Cole,” she added firmly, looking at him. Hudson was too.

“I… Well. It’s not,” he said, looking surprised and uncomfortable at being addressed.

Hudson gaped at him.

“So,” Tali said, clearing her throat nervously. “I understand if you want to tell me to get the hell out of here. I know it’s crazy. And probably greedy. And maybe selfish. But I love him, and I love you. Completely. And I just… I hope maybe you can believe that’s possible, and take it into consideration before making any….huge decisions about your life.”

God, she was a sweaty mess of a person right now. He probably should just tell her to get the hell out. He probably would. When he did, she would promptly bury her head in a snowbank and stay there for as long as it took for her shame to disappear. So a hundred years, probably.

“You love us both,” he said quietly, frowning just a little, like he was still trying to get his head around it. She couldn’t do much but nod, and shrug. He locked eyes with her, and seemed to be trying to read her mind. She did what she could to prove her sincerity without words.

Believe me, she said soundlessly. I love you. I love you so much it aches.

When he spoke again, he was looking at Cole. “And you’re...really okay with this?”

She turned to look at Cole, and saw him shrug too before he quietly said, “I love her, and I want her happy. It seems clear she can’t be fully happy without you in her life.”

Hudson still seemed to be in a state of baffled disbelief.

Cole offered a weak smile, and where his tone had just been perfectly frank and sincere, it took on a much lighter sound as he smirked and went on, “Besides, it wouldn’t all be fun and games, man. I won’t pretend there aren’t perks, but the woman can be a real nightmare. You’d have to share equally in the nagging and crazy too. There’s definitely enough of that to go around.”

“Hey!” she shrieked, mouth hanging open in outrage. But she gave up at the sound of Hudson behind her, guffawing with laugher. “It’s not funny,” she muttered, pursing her lips at him.

“Yes it is,” he coughed out, as his laughter had turned into a coughing fit.

She leaned forward, reached around and rub-patted his back until he got it under control.

“Ouch,” he muttered. “Laughing still hurts.”

“Well, I’m glad you could both have a nice giggle at my expense,” she said, glowering at them both.

“I’d imagine that if we go forward with this proposal of yours, you’ll have to get used to it,” Hudson said, gazing at her through those amazing green eyes.

“If?” she prompted. She let the hand that had been patting his back slide down a bit, and moved it so she was resting it by his waist.

He sighed, staring at her intensely. “You know I was putty in your hands even when I thought you didn’t feel how I wanted you to feel. There’s nothing I wouldn’t have done for you, Tali. And now you’re saying that you do feel it...” He swallowed hard. “If it’s what you really want, I’d say it’s a done deal.”

“It is,” she breathed, her chest feeling like it would burst. Her heart was swelling. “Hudson, I love you. Come home.”

“Okay,” he said quietly, and for the third time in her life, she kissed him.

And at last, it was free and soft and perfect. No guilt that she was doing something terrible and wrong, no fear that he was about to be torn out of the world violently in an act of heartbreaking self-sacrifice. Just love. Pure love and contentment. That’s what she put into it, and that’s what she saw in his eyes when she pulled away. Well, that and no small amount of disbelief.

She gave him a sheepish, excited little grin. This was real. This was happening.

They gazed at each other for a bit, and she entwined her hand in his. Then she turned her head slightly and said, “Cole. Come here.”

They’d talked about it. They’d talked about it thoroughly, in detail, but talking was one thing. She wanted to make sure it was really okay. He crossed the room to them, and she tugged him down beside her with her other hand. When he was close, she leaned forward and kissed him too, slow and tender.

Hudson cleared his throat, the redness of his face plain despite all the stubble that almost distracted from it. “Listen, uh. I’m not sure how this whole thing is exactly supposed to work,” he muttered, making a circular motion with his hand that gestured to all three of them. “But I’ll go ahead and admit right now that my body’s still a bit too messed up to be, uh, up for much at the moment.”

Tali let out a short, nervous snort of laughter. “That’s not what I was trying to...Um. I was just...I wanted to say thank you. To both of you. For being the most amazing people I’ve ever known. For being so much more than I deserve and for putting up with...all that I am. I just...I want to you to know how grateful I am. How lucky I feel.”

She was getting choked up. She couldn’t help it. Perhaps if she’d said it to them individually, they might have been touched, but with all three of them in close proximity, it led to a distinct feeling of awkwardness in the air.

Then Hudson grinned and nodded. “Yeah. You are pretty lucky,” he said in that smooth voice of his. He winked at her, and she narrowed her eyes. Not exactly the response she’d been looking for after her heartfelt confession.

“He’s right,” Cole jumped in, a twinkle in his dark eyes. “Super lucky. A human girl with not one, but two ridiculously good-looking shifter men wrapped around her finger? Pretty much unheard of. You really hit the jackpot here, Tuesday.”

Tali squinted at him too.

She had a feeling Hudson was right on the money when he said she’d have to get used to them having a laugh at her expense. She was pretty sure she’d need to really get used to being ganged up on—and not exclusively in the sexy way.

Which would hopefully also…..well...now was not the time to think about that.

Still, although it would certainly be annoying, she was too happy to care. They loved her, and she loved them, and they maybe kind of liked each other now too. She could take a little teasing, if that’s how it needed to be.

She simply shook her head and said, “Idiots. You’re idiots.”

“Yeah,” Hudson nodded. “And you’re the one who decided you had to have not one, but both of us... So what does that make you?”