The back door opened, and Holden stepped out. “Hey. Room for one more?”
“Holden!” Becket pulled him into a hug. “It’s good to see you, man.”
“You too.” When they parted, Holden eyed the grill. “Smells good.”
“Pot roast wasn’t enough,” Becket said. “Mom decided we needed chicken as well. I heard you’re living here now.”
“I sure am. Just got a place.”
“Damn, that’s pretty official.”
Holden lifted a shoulder. “Well, I tried moving back to Minnesota when the team was honorably discharged, but I can’t be there. That’s my past. So I thought, what the hell, this town has all my favorite people, I’ll try here.”
“Pretty good decision if you ask me,” Jesse said.
Becket dipped his head. “Me too.”
The small smile slipped from Holden’s mouth. “Plus, an extra set of eyes around town can’t hurt while this asshole ex of Aspen’s is around.”
Becket turned to Jesse, all humor gone from his face. “Still no word on his whereabouts?”
“No.” His fingers tightened around his beer. “He was staying with her mother, but he’s left now.”
“What the fuck?” Holden cursed.
“Yeah, my thought too.”
“We’ll find him,” Becket said, voice low. Every so often, the deadly former SEAL became obvious in his brother. This was one of those moments.
“I know we will. I just worry about what will come before that.”
Over the last few days, a pit had formed in his gut, like his body knew something was coming. And that something felt dark and dangerous and made him want to chain Aspen to his side.
He turned to Holden. “I need a change of subject. Tell me about your new place.”
They remained outside, chatting until the chicken was cooked. Over the meal, his family talked and laughed, and Aspen slotted right in as if she’d always been there. And it felt so damn good. And it felt right.
When he and Aspen finally climbed back into his truck, he’d just turned it on when she turned, touching his thigh. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Sharing your family with me.”
Another reason to love his family. They put that radiant fucking smile on her face.
He leaned over and touched a gentle kiss to her forehead before whispering, “Everything that’s mine is yours.”
When he lifted his head, it was to see tears in her eyes.
“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked quietly.
“Anything.”
“I think you’re healing all the damaged parts of me.”
His heart gave a huge fucking thump. “No one should have hurt you, Aspen. You deserved better. And I will spend the rest of my lifegivingyou better.”
She tugged his head down and kissed him. A deep kiss. One where her tongue slipped between his lips and tangled with his. A kiss that weaved itself around his heart.
