“But you knew the plague was fake. Why’d you come back? If you’d have told us what was going on, I would have never forced you here.”
She shrugs and moves her hands down to trail over my biceps. “I missed my dad. And the three of you intrigued me. I wanted to see where things would go,” she says, her blue eyes fixed on my unsure gaze. “I want you to know, if you want to leave, there’s no hard feelings. I understand, believe me. Endstone drives me crazy, so I get wanting to get the hell away from it.”
I think about everything she said and let out a long breath, my thumbs tracing slow circles over her exposed skin where her shirt has ridden up. “Ten minutes ago, I would’ve agreed with you and driven off,” I admit. “I have a quick temper, and my knee jerk reaction is usually to yell and then storm off.”
Remi’s fingers tense over my arms, and she drops her gaze away from mine. I can tell she’s trying to stay quiet and impassive for my sake.
“But…” I continue. “Then Dharla Cornburner had to go and make sense. And isn’t that the fucking craziest shit you’ve ever heard?”
Remi’s head pops up, and her blue eyes find mine again. “So that means…?”
I lift a hand up and grip the back of her neck, my thumb brushing against her jaw. “I’m pissed, but I don’t want to storm off. Brant’s right, and so is Dharla Fucking Cornburner.” I shake my head and release a low chuckle. “Sometimes, the fools are the smartest ones in town.”
Remi beams, but I swallow the grin right off her face when I crush my lips against hers and devour her. I kiss her long and hard, pouring all of my shock and frustration and want into the kiss, and it anchors me and frees me all at the same time.
I pull back and stare into fathomless ice-blue eyes. “So, to recap,” I tease, nipping at Remi’s jaw. “The world is not ending, and now we’re stuck with a crazy chick, an even crazier town, and a pack of rodents for roommates.”
Remi glares at me. “For the last time, Coon is a marsupial.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you keep saying.”
Remi’s answering kiss is punishing, and just when I’m about to get lost in it, she pulls away. The truck doors open, and Theo, Brant, and Puddles, all pile in. Remi smiles at them and then back to me. “Let’s go home. I have some scenarios of my own that I’d like us all to work through,” she says, wagging her brows as she grinds against my lap. I give an approving growl.
“Oh, and by the way,” she announces as she moves to the passenger seat and buckles up. “Remember when I said I wouldn’t invite myself to move in with you? Well, I changed my mind. I’m totally moving in.”
The guys chuckle from the back seat while I plant my hand onto her thigh and squeeze. “Yeah, you fucking are.”
Epilogue
Remi
Three Weeks Later
Someone pounds on the front door, and the booming sound is followed by what can only be described as furious honking.
“I’ve got it,” I shout out, and move toward the front of the house. I smile, unable to help myself and walk calmly to the door, grabbing the folded papers I’ve been keeping on the coffee table for this exact reason.
I slip them into my back pocket, and I open the door to find Deputy Parks and Sheriff Dunn standing on the porch. They both tip their hats to me, and one seems to be waiting on the other to speak. Sheriff Dunn clears his throat. “Remington April, we would like a word with you, if that’s alright?”
A large body presses into my back, and a hand grabs the door just above mine. “What’s going on?” Theo asks.
I turn to him and give him a sweet smile. “I’m not sure, something about needing a word with me,” I offer innocently.
Theo’s eyes narrow playfully at me, and he fights to keep a smile from his face. “Oh, this oughta be good.”
I step out of the house when the sheriff motions for me to follow him, and I hear Theo call for Madix and Brant. More honking assaults me as I follow the officers around the front of the house to the side. I work hard to keep a straight face at what greets me there, but it’s so perfect I almost crack and start laughing. Car doors slam as Mr. and Mrs. Robisson stomp out of their newly fixed explorer and round on me.
“I demand that she’s arrested for this vandalism, right this minute!”
Mrs. Robisson’s shrill voice pushes me just over the edge, and an amused smile sneaks across my face.
“This is not funny, young lady. First our precious Tank and now this? The harassment ends now!” Mr. Robisson fumes, his cheeks wobbling with anger.
Theo, Madix, and Brant screech to a halt next to me, and all my efforts to keep a straight face go up in smoke when the three of them lose their shit and burst into laughter.
“No, you fucking didn’t, Remi…” Madix huffs out before he bends over and gets lost to a fit of manly giggles.
“It’s pink,” is all Brant can manage, before he too can’t form coherent words anymore. I cover my mouth as I chuckle, unable to help it, and the Robisson’s both pin me with a murderous glare.
