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Four days before Halloween, I opened the front door to grab the afternoon mail and froze mid-step when I found Yonas standing on the porch with two oversized suitcases and a wide, easy smile on his face.

“Yonas?”

Shocked was an understatement.

My mind scrambled to figure out if I had somehow hallucinated an entire six-foot-two man standing in front of me in broad daylight.

“What’s up, beautiful?” He opened his arms wide, looking just as clean and handsome as he always did in dark denim and a crisp black sweater.

I couldn’t help the smile that crept across my face.

I stepped forward into his arms and let him pull me into a tight, warm hug.

It had only been a few weeks since we parted ways back in his city, but seeing a familiar, caring face in the middle of all the chaos felt good… for about three seconds. Then the hard reality of those two giant rolling suitcases registered against my shins, and I quickly backed out of his embrace.

I looked from his face down to the luggage on the stone porch, narrowing my eyes. “What are you doing here?”

Yonas threw his head back and laughed, shaking his head at my immediate change in demeanor.

“Dang. Can a nigga get a proper hello first? Am I really that unwelcome?”

“Of course you’re welcome, Yonas. I mean... no, not here, at least,” I stumbled over my words, gesturing awkwardly at the massive front doors. “This isn’t even my house to welcome you to like that. But hey, now you got your hello. Can you please explain the luggage?”

He glanced down at the bags before meeting my gaze again with an unapologetic grin. “I’m here for the party.”

I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose.

Of fucking course.

“Let me guess,” I muttered, already feeling a migraine forming behind my eyebrows. “My sister invited you?”

“Yeah,” he admitted smoothly. “She DM me the flyer and told me I better not miss it.”

I blew out a heavy breath of pure frustration, glancing up toward the ceiling. “That girl is going to make me commit a felony before the week is out.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” I sighed, folding my arms across my chest and looking him up and down. “So you came four whole days early for a party that isn’t until Saturday?”

“I wanted to spend some time with you and Kaidence,” he said, his voice dropping into that quiet, sincere tone he always used when he wanted to get past my defenses. “I missed y’all.”

“Yonas, we’ve already talked about this. We had a whole conversation before I packed up and left.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you standing on the doorstep with enough luggage to look like you’re trying to move in?”

“I’m not moving in, Lakelyn.”

I dropped my eyes pointedly back to the two huge matching bags, and he followed my gaze with a slight chuckle.

“Okay, maybe temporarily,” he conceded, putting his hands up defensively. “Can I at least come inside before you start interrogating me on the porch like I’m under federal investigation?”

I hesitated for a second, but I couldn’t leave the man standing out on the front steps with all his bags.

“Come on. Get in here.”

I stepped aside to give him room.