“Alex, they were never going to go the distance,” she interrupted softly. “They were kids when they were together. He wouldn’t have left if she was the one. But she’s wonderful. You both are.”
My heart thudded at the admission. “I could say the same about both of you.”
“Well,” Elowyn grinned. “You’re stuck with us now.”
She pulled up in the curved gravel drive in front of the house. I grabbed the dahlia bucket from the back seat and followed her up the porch. Voices filtered through the open windows, someonelaughing, Nolan’s deeper rumble underneath.
The front door wasn’t even fully open before I heard Enzo.
“Sister!”
He appeared in the hallway before I could set down the flowers, pulling me into a hug that nearly knocked the bucket out of my hands. Elowyn rescued it with a laugh as Enzo squeezed tighter.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” I managed, my voice muffled by his shirt.
He pulled back, hands on my shoulders, studying my face. “You look good. Really good. Wyoming is good for you.”
“Wyoming needs a Target,” I laughed. “But this place isn’t bad.”
He grinned even bigger. “I know, right? Something about being up here, and being with a rough and tumble, ranch-bred—”
“Enzo,” Dom called from the living room. “Let her breathe.”
“It’s Alex!”
“You’re smothering her.”
Enzo rolled his eyes but stepped back. “Fine. Come say hi to everyone like a civilized person.”
The living room was full. Nolan sat in his recliner. Bridget was on the sofa with Dom beside her. Finn had claimed the armchair near the window. He stood when I entered, eyes lighting up.
“There they are,” Nolan smiled. “How was Lou’s?”
“Fantastic,” I moved toward Finn, who reached for my hand and dropped a kiss on my lips before ushering me to the chair he’d vacated. “My hair looks amazing, and Lou’s dahlias are incredible. She sent a whole bucket back with us.”
“I saw them,” Bridget nodded as Finn sat on the arm of my chair. “They’re gorgeous. We’re going to need a few vases and then you can spread them wherever you want.”
“When did you guys get in?”
“Just about an hour ago,” Dom stood and pressed a kiss to my cheek, squeezing my arm.
“We were just tellin’ stories,” Finn settled his hand at the back of my neck, squeezing gently. “Dad’s been sharing some gems.”
“Lies,” Dom sat back on the sofa. “All lies and slander.”
“You did get stuck in that tree,” Nolan pointed out.
“I was seven!”
“You were trying to prove you could climb higher than Finn,” Bridget added. “And then you panicked halfway up.”
Enzo leaned forward, delighted. “Wait, this is new information. Tell me everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” Dom scowled.
“He screamed for twenty minutes,” Finn offered helpfully. “Móraí had to get the ladder.”
