And, shit, call me Wyatt, because everything my brother said just went in one ear and out the other at the sight before me. I grunt some sort of acknowledgement to him, and he keeps talking, but I don’t hear a word he’s saying.
The doors to Pins + Needles opened around the time my brother’s mouth did, and the women that came in tookallof my attention as he was jabbering away there.
Must be girls’ night in Smoky Heights, not just the guys’ night out, because three women strut toward us, and I can’t take my eyes off of them. One in particular.
And here I thought my stomach might not ever float again.
Rory leads the pack, a wrap dress clinging to her willowy frame as she saunters down the walkway in her heels, arms up and waving. Next to her is Lexi, thicker than her sister in tightjeans and a low-cut top. The third, much shorter and slighter than the other two, is wearing white sneakers, tight athletic shorts, and a pastel tee cut off above her navel.
My Adam’s apple lodges somewhere near my chest as I take in her face, let myself believe my eyes.
It really isher.
Amelia is in the Heights.
Wyatt notices me staring, or maybe he just feels the presence of his wife in the room, some sort of sixth sense he’s a lucky fucker to have, and he turns to face the approaching women, all with giant smiles on their faces.
“What’s this?” Wyatt beats me to the question as soon as they’re in range.
“No reason you get to have all the fun!” Rory taps Wyatt on the nose, leaning in for a kiss. I ignore his hand roaming down her dress and grabbing a fistful of her ass. She pulls back to continue addressing us. “We’re here to celebrate the newest future resident of Smoky Heights. Guess who filled out her grant paperwork today?”
Lexi cheers loudly, leaning back, hands cupped around her mouth as she hoots and hollers, while Rory gestures to Amelia, who’s looking brighter than I’ve ever seen her. Cheeks pink, eyes sharp, there’s a glow about her that seems surreal.
My stomach abruptly stops floating and drops down toward my balls as it all sinks in.
Amelia stayed.
She applied for a grant.
She isstayingin Smoky Heights.
I want to swoop right in, lift her off her feet, swing her around and kiss her in front of everyone. I want her to know what this means to me. For them to know whatshemeans to me. That last night wasn’t enough, and I don’t know what this is between us, but I want to keep finding out. Together.
Fuck, I wanna scoop her up and head to the back of the alley, somewhere private where I can show her how she hasn’t left my mind since I left her this morning. The new ideas I’ve had for her in that time.
I save it all. Try to show her with just my eyes and a normal smile, the kind I toss out to everyone around me on the daily, and hope she can read into it. That she knows that I know what a big deal this is for her. That I’ll do everything in my power to make sure she doesn’t regret it.
Instead, I give her a hug, just like I do to Lexi, and Rory, in greeting. Bending a good foot down so I can reach her, I pull her in for a quick embrace.
“Congrats,” I tell her, because it’s all I can say in front of everyone else. I let the way my arms wrap around her, how tight I told her, try to do my talking for me. “I’m so damn glad you’re here,” I whisper into her ear.
Lexi starts talking to Wyatt loudly behind us, telling a story about how annoying Rory was with the paperwork, and damn if it doesn’t feel like she’s buying us a few seconds of privacy.
Jumping on it, I take the chance to soak in the moment, just for a sec—the feel of her shoulder-length waves as they brush my face, the scent of her filling my airways, coconut and something spicier, her tiny frame pressed against mine. My cock twitches, hardening against her leg, and I feel her intake of breath when she notices. Absorbing every detail of her in my arms, I lock it into my memory as the sisters start to go at each other’s throats, as per usual.
“Says the woman who’sstillwearing skinny jeans!” I hear Rory clap back at whatever insult Lexi threw her way.
“Hey!” Lexi retorts. “This is a good look for me. I’ve been wearing it since high school!”
“Exactly,” Rory says, and I can practically hear her eye roll. “It’s been out of style foryearsat this point, Lex. Get withthe times. Stop clinging to the millennial safety blankets of side parts and skinny jeans. Flick through Pinterest instead of flicking the bean for once. Your wardrobe will thank you, and maybe your sex life will too.”
The sisters start bickering worse than before, but that’s about as much of a distraction as I can count on for the moment, so I force myself to release Amelia.
Pulling back, I give her body a once-over, and finish with a dirty look that’s just for her. Delicate features, perfect little upturned nose with the understated hoop through it, blue-green eyes glowing, she looks absolutely perfect.
“Good to see you back,” I say, casual as any other day, loud enough for the others to hear, with a filthy undertone I hope no one else is paying enough attention to notice.
“Something about the Heights,” she says, crossing one leg over the other and lifting a slim shoulder. “I just keep sticking around this place. Didn’t feel right to leave yet.”
