JUNE
The sun is starting to set by the time Seth and I make it back to town. My body is pleasantly exhausted, the kind of tired that comes from emotional release, from crying and then being held, from letting someone see you fall apart and trusting them to help put you back together. Not to mention, being railed by a hunky cowboy who knows how to bring me to orgasm.
“Mind if we stop by my office for a minute?” I ask as Seth navigates Carter’s truck through the familiar streets. “I just… I need to see it.”
He glances over at me, understanding in his blue eyes. “Of course.”
Sweetwater Creek Realty sits on the corner of the main road, next door to the Wildflower Bakehouse & Café. It’s a small building with just three rooms and a bathroom in the back, but it’s mine. Or it was mine. The thought sends a fresh pang through my chest.
Seth parks in front, and once I’m out, I unlock the front door and go inside. My hands tremble slightly as I switch on the lights.
The familiar scent of vanilla candles and old paper finds me, the combination that’s become synonymous with this space. I breathe it in, letting it settle in my lungs, trying to memorize it.
The office is exactly as I left it. My desk sits near the window, cluttered with files and sticky notes and the vintage typewriter I bought at a flea market because it looked professional and quirky. A plush armchair in deep burgundy faces the desk, the one where clients sit while I walk them through listings and contracts. The walls are covered with framed photographs of properties I’ve sold, interspersed with travel brochures showcasing gorgeous locations around the world. Places I’ve dreamed of visiting someday.
A small couch sits against the side wall, upholstered in worn leather that’s softened with age. I drift toward it almost unconsciously, sinking down onto the cushions and pulling my knees up to my chest. I’ve been keeping up to date with any emails on my phone, so I know I’m all caught up, but sometimes just sitting here calms me. Except, I’m now going to lose this place.
“June?” Seth asks softly.
I shake my head, wrapping my arms around my legs. “I just need a minute.”
He doesn’t push, just stands there, watching me, waiting.
The tears come before I can stop them.
“This is me,” I whisper, my voice cracking. “This place, this business, it’s everything I’ve worked for. Everything I thought I was.” I press my forehead to my knees, shoulders shaking. “And my parents are just… selling it. Without asking me. Without involving me at all. They’re selling my entire life to a man who’s trying to destroy this town, and I don’t even get a say. Geez, I’m sorry. I know you already saw me crying today over this, but I’m struggling to accept it.”
I feel the couch dip as Seth sits beside me. Then his arms are around me, pulling me against his chest, and I let myself collapse into him.
“I’m trying so hard to be okay,” I manage between sobs. “But it hurts so much to know that everything I thought I had, who I thought I was, means nothing to them.”
“Hey.” His voice is low, rough with emotion. “That’s not true.”
“It feels true.”
He holds me tighter, one hand stroking my back in slow circles. His lips press against the top of my head, and his heartbeat thumps beneath my cheek.
“You’re amazing,” he murmurs against my hair. “You took a dream and made it real. And just because this place is being sold doesn’t mean you can’t do it again.”
“I don’t know if I have the energy to start over.”
“You won’t be.” His hand moves to cup the back of my head, fingers tangling gently in my curls. “What’s different now is that you have us. And if you want to open another office, here or somewhere else, we’ll help you do it. We’ll be there every step of the way.”
I pull back just enough to glance at him, my vision blurry with tears. “You mean that?”
“I mean everything I say to you.” His thumb brushes across my cheek, wiping away the tears. “I’m sorry your parents did this to you, put you in this impossible situation. But you’re not alone anymore, June. You never will be again.”
I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on.
We stay that way for a long time. Him stroking my hair, pressing kisses to my temple, murmuring words of comfort and reassurance. The mating mark on my breast hums with warmth, a constant reminder of the bond between us.
This is what it means to have a pack, I realize. What I’ve been missing my entire life without knowing it. Not just romance or attraction or even love, but belonging. Being claimed and cherished and protected. Having people who will catch you when you fall, who will hold you together when you’re breaking apart.
I press my face deeper into his chest, breathing in his scent and calming slowly.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “For not letting me fall apart alone. I just wanted to come in here, feeling like I’m going to lose it soon, and… I don’t know.”
His arms tighten around me. “Taking care of you isn’t a favor, June. It’s a privilege.”
