“Just hold out until we’rein the car,” Logan said. “You can cry all the way home.”
“You’d kick me out by thetime we crossed the state line,” I said.
But.
Home.
It took me a second tonotice it because of howrightit sounded. I was going home.
This place had been shelterwhile I grew up, but home was somewhere else entirely.
Logan shook his head. “Nope. Not evenif you lie on my couch for a week curled up in a blanket feeling sorry foryourself. I’ve seen glimpses of you at your best. I’ll give you all the timeyou need to get back there, because I wanna knowthatAshley better.”
“Maybe one day of moping,” Isaid. “Two at most.”
Logan chuckled, squeezed me tightfor a moment, and then let go. “Hop in,” he said. “And don’t look back.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
LOGAN
Ashley’s back arched ashe woke, stretching out on the bed and yawning like a big cat…
Before sighing, rollingover, and closing his eyes again.
I chuckled, climbing intothe bed beside him. With morning sunlight streaming through the window and acouple of days off to figure things out, I had nothing better to do.
Gray had laughed. He’d spent thewhole time I was explaining myself giggling, though he’d sobered up when I’dtold him who’dreallybeen behind all of Ashley’s misery.
Fox had pointed out that ifQuinn ever found out, there was a non-zero risk that he’d strangle Maisiepersonally. Quinn liked Ashley. So did Miles.
So did everyone.
I got that. It was hard notto.
“You think so loud,” Ashleycomplained, rolling over again to face me. He hesitated, then reached out tobrush my hair back with his fingers. “Regrets?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Not regrets. I could neverregret this.
“Thinking about how everyonelikes you,” I explained. “Gray and Fox and Quinn and Miles and even Lucas. Doc’sgonna love you,” I said. “We’re invited to Thanksgiving, by the way. Both ofus.”
A blinding smile lit upAshley’sface.
“Family already?” he asked,shuffling closer.
I shrugged. “We’re quick tograb hold of newcomers. Had enough close calls that we know all about holdingthe people you care about close and not letting go of them.”
“Nowthatsounds good,” Ashley said asI pulled him into a hug, snuggling against me so that his forehead was pressedto my shoulder.
I couldn’t ever rememberfeeling this peaceful with nothing particular to do for a long time. Quiettimes had just made me restless. Anxious. Waiting for the next disaster.
Not right now. Right now,Ashley smelled of strawberries, and his bare skin was pressed all along mybody, and I wasn’t worried at all.
There were things to figureout. A whole future sprawling ahead of us.
None of it felt all thaturgent if the alternative to thinking about it was cuddling with a man I’d fallenhead-over-heels in love with.
