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Oh.

“And we had a very frankdiscussion.”

“About what?”I blurted out with really no finessewhatsoever.

“About youandme.”

Well that brought me upshort.“Us?”

“Yes.”I waited while he shushed Evangeline and gave her a bottle.“Colt wanted a chance to clear the air once and for all.I know he’s a jealous man but I had no idea.I really had to set himstraight.”

I got a sinking feeling in my stomach.“Howdid you set him straight,exactly?”

“He came in here all huffy about boundaries and needing it to be clear that friends meant friends, so I told him exactly what ourrelationshipis.”

I wanted to be upset Colt was still hung up on my friendship with Ted but considering I still wanted the name and number of his former fuck buddy, Louisa, I really didn’t have roomtotalk.

“And what is itexactly?”

“You and I are brother and sister, Lily Pad.We had shitty parents and absent childhoods.We’ve saved each other and lived together.I love you exactly like a sister.I know that without a shadow of a doubt because the love I feel for you is just as intense but completely different than the love I have for either Angie orCharley.”

“That’ssweet.”

“And furthermore,” he continued in true dramatic Ted fashion, “I let him know that I understood why he was there because I would do the same.Charley and Angie are my life.They’re my whole life.I will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and give them the life they deserve.It’smyjob and any man who I deem even the slightest threat to that will get the same treatment.”He paused.“Colt really likedthatpart.”

“So you left him on goodterms?”

“Very good terms.He fed Angie, kissed Charley goodbye, and asked for Adam and Elizabeth’snumber.”

“What?”

“I should really be going.Angie needstoburp.”

And then the bastard hung uponme.

I stared at my phone for several moments in shock.Why did Colt want my sister’s number?And why did he ask Ted for it insteadofme?

My thumb hovered over Elizabeth’s icon when a shadow fell over me.“Did you order a shrimpcocktail?”

I looked up at the shadow to find blue eyes that matched the sky staring down at me.I leapt off thechair.“Colt!”

He grabbed me with one arm because he really was holding a shrimp cocktail in the other.“Hey beautiful.”He set down the crystal glass and kissed me until my toescurled.

“You came.”I was off thegroundnow.

“Of course I came.I’ve been trying to get back here since the momentyouleft.”

“I told we should havestayed.”

“In our billion-dollar hut by thewaterfall?”

I kissedhim.“Yes.”

He set me down.“Nope.I’m still glad we left.I have hated every single moment away from you but I’m glad we’ve been out there in the real world.I know Iloveyou.”

I sank into him.“And I love you.But don’t you think it would be better to staythistime?”

His hand ran up my spine to the back of my neck where I loved it so much.“No.I’d much rather haveyouhome.”