A few hours later, Embry and River escorted us as I drove Orla and Lida to Cam’s beachfront cottage. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to take your car?”
Orla exited the Toyota, a leather overnight bag slung over her shoulder. “As funny as it would be to see you and Nash crammed into Willow’s Fiat, you’re safer in mine. And you can leave it there if you take my advice and cut loose when Willow’s gone.”
“I’m not ditching your car at a festival.”
Orla pursed her lips, amusement dancing in her eyes. After a beat, she pressed that wicked mouth to the Gemini tat on my neck. “I’m just saying you have choices, honey. That’s all.”
As she spoke, Cam opened his front door and ventured outside on bare feet, relieving Orla of her bag. “You two eat anything except each other yet?”
Orla thumped him. “Shut the fuck up.”
“No breakfast for you then.” Cam swaggered back inside, leaving the door open. Embry and River followed. I sent Lida with them and it was my cue to go, but something held me back.
Fuckin’ hell, everything did... the urge to kiss the shit out of her as if her big brother wasn’t watching us from his window. A need to tell her I loved her, in case there was the tiniest, slightest chance she didn’t already know.
Screw it. I hauled her against me. “I’m going to miss you today.”
“Stockholm syndrome?”
I kissed the quip away, cupping her soft face in my rough hands. “Not even close. I’ll miss you because I love you.”
A spark of surprise lit her gaze, and it shouldn’t have. She meant as much to me as Nash did. I wanted her as much. Fuck, Ilovedher as much.
I wrapped her long hair around my hand, tugging her ever closer. “You don’t believe me?”
Orla nuzzled my cheek. “Oh, I believe you. I’m not sure what I did to get this lucky.”
She pulled back before I could answer, hair unravelling from my loose hold, and walked away, stopping only when she reached the open door to her brother’s house. “And in case it isn’t clear,” she called back, “I love you, Locke, and I’m grateful for every minute I get to have you in my life.”
The door closed behind her. I stared at the solid wood for a full minute before the other loves in my heart stirred me to move.
I got back in the car and drove to my ex-wife’s house, a trio of bikes trailing me the second I left Cam’s driveway.
Saint.
Mateo.
Ranger.
They swarmed me, only easing off at the top of Kara’s street.
She waited on the porch. “You’re on time.”
“Sarcasm, Kay?”
“Mild surprise. Can you blame me?”
“Not at all. Where’s Nicky?”
“Still asleep. I caught him on his X-Box at three in the morning.”
“That kid needs a job.”
“He’s thirteen, and I’d rather he was playing games than be out there raising hell. And on that note, no drugs today.”
I blinked. “What? Are you out of your mind?”
Kara flinched, taken aback by the sharpness I’d spent a thousand fuckin’ years swallowing down. “It’s not an unreasonable request. I know what festivals are like.”
