Cricket (Cricket Kendall Book 1), page 36
“Told you that you guys looked cute.” Theo reaches forward to ruffle my hair. He glances over at the ice cream counter where the line is finally empty. “Ready to get some ice cream?”
Brennan and Erin follow us over, and Brennan enthusiastically introduces me to his mom behind the register. She’s really sweet, and she tells me Brennan has been talking about me nonstop the past week. Cas pays for our ice cream. Theo pushes two tables together so we can all sit together with Erin, Brennan, Ariel, Keira, and Ralph. Theo still pulls me down to sit in his lap instead of grabbing one extra chair.
Erin and Brennan talk nonstop, which I totally love about them. I can tell they’re more comfortable talking to the guys too. I try to get Ralph and the other girls involved in our conversation, but they mostly stay quiet and watch us.
When I’m finished with my ice cream, Theo gives me a wicked smile. “I think you’ve got some ice cream on your face.”
I raise my hand to wipe it off, but Cas slides really close to us and sloppily licks my cheek. He pulls away and gives me a lopsided grin. “Got it.”
I give him a look of disgust and Theo huffs. “Damn it, Cas. I was going to do that.”
Cas smirks and smashes his ice cream cone against my other cheek. “There you go, all yours.”
Theo snickers and licks it off me, just as sloppily as Cas did.
“Ugh, you guys are so fucking gross.” I make a face at Erin and Brennan, who are trying to hide their giggles.
Cas, Theo, and Hollis snicker. The guys finish their ice cream, and Cas smiles uncharacteristically at Erin and Brennan. “You guys are gonna sit with us at lunch again tomorrow, right?”
Erin, Brennan, and I grin excitedly at each other, and they agree right away. We sit talking for a little longer before we leave to go back to Aurora’s.
When we get back to the bookshop, it’s busy. Paisley’s with a customer, and Luca’s behind the register. I’m glad I have a reason not to talk to either of them right now. The guys follow me upstairs to the living room.
“The TV down here is bigger,” I say. Bigger is an understatement. I only have a laptop in my room to watch movies. Still, I would totally be down for snuggling between the three of them in my bed if they were up for it.
Cas sits down on the big couch first, smiling up at me with his dimple showing. “What do you want to watch?”
“And don’t give us any crap about not caring.” Theo wraps his arms around me and nuzzles the top of my head. “We want to watch something that makes you happy.”
They must not realize I’m happy already, just being with them. When the four of us are together like this, nothing else in the world matters. Not rumors at school, people judging our strange relationship, and not the mates the guys may or may not meet someday. I lean against Theo and hum in content.
“Have you guys seen Moonrise Kingdom?” I ask. It’s one of my absolute favorites, and I think it’s something they’ll like.
“Never heard of it,” Cas says, flipping on the TV and pulling up Amazon Prime. He types in the movie’s title, and I bite my lip to hide the giant, cheesy grin on my face. Hollis sits on the opposite end of the couch from him.
“You okay?” Theo whispers into my hair.
“Yeah.” I nod and lean back enough so I can look up at him. His amber eyes are soft, and his lips are curved up in the slightest smile. “Do you guys mind if I go shower really quick? I promise I won’t take long.”
Normally, I wouldn’t care about smelling like chlorine, but I know it probably messes with the guys’ noses. Besides, I really love when they sniff my hair. I’ll never admit it to them, and I still think it’s weird. But it’s also one of the cutest things ever. I love how affectionate they are with me.
“Take as long as you need, little witch.” Theo kisses the top of my head and slowly pulls away.
I head upstairs and hop in the shower. I know the guys will wait patiently as long as they need to, but I hate keeping them waiting. They’re being so sweet. I probably overreacted at the barbeque with their families. Next time I go over there, I’ll have to apologize for being such a drama queen. Still, the attention from the guys is something I can’t complain about.
After my shower, I change into a comfy pair of cotton shorts and a tee shirt. Basically, one step away from pajamas. When I get downstairs, another cheesy smile takes over my face. Theo’s sprawled across the loveseat with Stella lying on his chest. Hollis and Cas are in the same spots, and the title screen for Moonrise Kingdom is up on the TV screen. All the lights are off, and there’s a tray of snacks and drinks on the coffee table.
“In case you get hungry again.” Cas smirks playfully.
I giggle and hesitate before sitting down. There’s space between Cas and Hollis, but I don’t want to leave Theo out. How am I supposed to choose between them?
“Sit with Hollis and Cas, little witch.” Theo growls, the sound rough and sexy.
For once, I’m glad he’s making the decision for me. I grin at him, silently promising myself to snuggle with Theo the next chance I get, and I squeeze between Cas and Hollis. They press closer, twining their fingers through mine and leaning in to sniff all over my hair, neck, and face.
“So much fucking better.” Cas sighs, making me giggle.
Hollis places his free hand on my thigh, gently brushing his thumb over my skin as he growls softly. “Are you feeling better? We hated seeing you so upset earlier.”
I look up and meet Theo’s eyes, still smiling like an idiot. He’s smiling at me too, his soft gaze running over every inch of me. The longer he watches me with Hollis and Cas, the more he seems to relax. I flush when I think about the conversation we had, about him and the guys sharing me. Right now, I can’t deny how amazingly wonderful that sounds. If every moment could be this simple, if we could always be this happy, I’d never have anything to worry or complain about again.
If only they didn’t have mate marks…
Pushing the thought from my head, I snuggle closer to the guys and sigh in content.
“I definitely feel better. This is perfect.”
Character Guide
Main Characters
Cricket Kendall
Theo Ashbrooke
Hollis Wakefield
Cas Seymour
Hawthorne and Margot Ashbrooke’s Pack
Hawthorne Ashbrooke - Alpha, Theo’s Uncle
Margot Ashbrooke - Female Alpha, Hawthorne’s Mate/Wife, Theo’s Aunt
Holden Ashbrooke - Beta, Hawthorne’s Brother, Theo’s Dad
Calla Ashbrooke - Holden’s Mate/Wife, Theo’s Mom
Sumner Wakefield - Hollis’s Dad
Violetta Wakefield - Hollis’s Mom
Atticus Seymour - Cas’s Dad
Althea Seymour - Cas’s Mom
Rylan Ashbrooke - Hawthorne’s Eldest Son, Theo’s Cousin
Elsa Ashbrooke - Rylan’s Mate/Wife
Evangeline “Eva” Ashbrooke - Rylan and Elsa’s Daughter
Rory Ashbrooke - Hawthorne’s Daughter, Theo’s Cousin
The Kendall Family
Emerson Kendall - Cricket’s Brother, (also the gay twin, for those who can’t remember!)
Killian Kendall - Cricket’s Brother, Emerson’s Twin
Aurora Kendall - Cricket’s Aunt
Stella - Cricket’s Familiar
Side Characters
Brennan Sanders - Cricket’s Friend and Classmate
Erin Holt - Cricket’s Friend and Classmate
Jack Bailey - Brennan and Erin’s Best Friend
Luca – Emerson’s boyfriend, works at Flora & Feathers
Sara - Cas’s Ex-Girlfriend
Other Minor Characters
Ezra Wakefield - Hollis’s Brother
Colette “Lettie” Wakefield (née Seymour) - Ezra’s Mate/Wife, Cas’s Older Sister
Eloise “Ellie” Seymour - Cas’s Younger Sister, lives with her Mate’s Pack
Kit Barringer - Ellie’s Mate
Paisley - mean girl, worked at Flora & Feathers, obsessed with Hollis
Sabrina - Paisley’s Best Friend
Nadia - Paisley’s Best Friend
Chloe - artsy girl, in some of Cricket’s classes
Katy - works at the coffee shop near Flora & Feathers, dating Chloe, Luca’s Best Friend
Xavier - Ralph’s Best Friend, in Cricket’s chemistry class
Ralph - Xavier’s Best Friend
Keira - Ralph’s Girlfriend
Ariel - Ralph’s Sister
Acknowledgments
I am so ridiculously happy and humbled to see this book published. While Cricket may not be my first published book, it is the first book I ever wrote. I’ve always been a voracious reader, but I never seriously considered writing anything until I discovered the reverse harem genre. My best friend, Kelly, introduced me to The Curse of the Gods, and I was instantly freaking hooked. I spent about nine months secretly writing the first three books in Cricket’s series, and I never planned on showing a soul. Because, who the hell would want to read something I wrote?
After finally admitting what I’d been spending all my free time doing, Kelly begged and begged to read it, and then she begged me to post it online for other people to enjoy. So, I made a Wattpad account, posted all 450K words of the first draft mess that was Cricket, and somehow found the most amazing readers in the universe.
Cricket has made me the writer I am now. I’m confident as fuck because of this book, I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had because of it, and it even got me a spot in the Wattpad Stars program (which is very fancy and exclusive). It’s surreal to see the first book of this series polished and edited and published for the whole world to finally see. These characters are basically my children at this point, and I’m not even mad that I’ll probably be writing about them for the rest of my life.
So, thank you to every single Cricketeer out there. Whether you were one of my very first readers on Wattpad, whether you discovered Cricket after it hit a million views, or whether you’re a brand new Cricketeer after stumbling across this book on Amazon. You’re all amazing and special and I love the crap out of you.
Thank you to Kelly, obviously. Without you, Cricket and her boys would still be hiding in my brain and on my laptop.
Thank you to Taryn for being my first-ever critical reader, and for loving Cricket so much. Thank you for always making me a better writer, even when I keep using the same stupid words over and over and I know you probably want to smack me. You’re one of my best friends, and I think it’s amazing that we met the way we did. And how could I forget? Thank you for writing the very first Cricket fanfiction EVER!
Thank you, Danielle, for being one of my most devoted readers and for helping make this book the very best version it could be. And thank you for letting me give you future spoilers! Gah, you make me so excited to keep writing about these characters!
And lastly, thank you to my hunky husband, David. Because of you, wolfy-penis will forever be an inside joke with our friends. And I love that. Also, thank you for that time we went to your work’s Christmas party when your older, intimidating lady-boss came up to me and gushed about how much she loves reverse harem. I’ve never been so caught off guard or flattered. I love that you’re not embarrassed about what I write. And yes, I totally get inspiration from you, you little brat. I love you.
About the Author
Willow Hadley is a self-published author who primarily writes reverse harem romance. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, David, their doggo Annabel, and two demon-familiars (aka cats), Stella and Elsa. She started writing in early 2018, and she joined the Wattpad Stars program in 2019. She loves character driven stories and fluffy books that give you a warm, fuzzy feeling. She’s also obsessed with Disney movies, and her favorite candy is licorice.
Cricket is her second published book.
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Other Books by Willow Hadley
Smile Like You Mean It
After Charlotte’s father died, her mother changed. She became cold and distant, and Charlotte slowly withdrew into herself. She spent years feeling lonely and insignificant, and rarely spoke more than a few words to anyone. One night, after a traumatic incident instigated by her mother, Charlotte is arrested and taken to juvie.
A year later, Charlotte’s being released from juvie for the second time. Instead of an awful group home, her social worker brings a welcome surprise: Charlotte’s long-forgotten uncle, Arthur, who is all too eager to help her after everything she’s been through. When Charlotte learns that Arthur has a step-son her age, she’s even more apprehensive. How could he not resent having a stranger thrust into his home and family?
To her surprise and relief, Sebastian is kind and friendly. He and his four best friends—Grayson, Remy, Liam, and Elliot—make Charlotte feel welcome. They never make Charlotte feel badly about her past or her anxiety. They make her feel seen. As she gets to know the boys, she realizes they each have their own issues and demons they’re fighting, and she forms a unique bond with their group.
It doesn’t help that they’re ridiculously attractive. How could Charlotte not fall in love with all five of them?
Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited.
Willow Hadley, Cricket (Cricket Kendall Book 1)
