I grin back, but mine’s a little more misty-eyed.
Didn’t expect to find so much happiness in a disaster of a kitchen, holding a chicken and smiling at a little boy while also sneaking glances at his mama’s ass, but here I am.
Happy.
Content.
And hoping it can last.
“Should we go for a hike today after breakfast?” Emma says to Bash. “With Jonas too? And have a picnic by the secret lake?”
“Secwet wake!” he yells. “Pantakes!”
“Pancakes at home.Thenwe’ll pack up for a hike.” She glances back at me again. “If you’re up for it.”
Yep, that’s my heart about to burst out of my chest. “Always.”
Yolko Ono clucks softly again.
I pet her head.
She doesn’t try to bite my finger off.
Actually, she purrs again.
This version of my life?
I like it. And I sincerely hope it can last.
34
Emma
The secret lakeis showing off today.
It’s glittering under a bright blue sky. There’s a soft breeze coming off the water, rustling the pine needles and bringing a scent of ponderosa pine with them.
Butterscotch.
I haven’t smelled them in almost three years without thinking about Jonas. He still smells like butterscotch too.
White fluffy clouds drift by overhead while we sit in the shade of a willow tree, and all is peaceful as Bash drifts off to sleep on the picnic blanket.
We’re not the only people out here, but everyone else is local. They’re friends.
While they give me a second glance after realizing exactly who Bash and I have hiked out here with, they all play it relatively cool and leave it atnice to meet youwhen I introduce Jonas. They also give us a wide berth, picking spots far enough away around the two-acre lake to give us privacy after introductions.
I know Sabrina has dirt on every single one of them, but I also know that when I request that my friends, neighbors, and acquaintances here please respect our privacy, they will.
Sabrina and Laney aren’t the only people around here who feel like they need to take care of me, andtaking care of meinvolves making sure I never go viral again.
Plus, the security guy trailing us at a distance is a little scary.
And not just because he saw me half-naked waving down a bear that he was ready to take out last night.
Bash sighs hisI am dead to the world, completely fast asleep for my napsigh, and I smile down at his little face. “Sleep well, little one,” I whisper.
“Two speeds,” Jonas murmurs with an amused smile as he, too, watches Bash sleep. “Stop and go.”
