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I laugh. “I don’t know…”

He throws himself dramatically onto the nearby sofa like he’s settling in for a stadium show. “Come on. Hit me.”

I roll my eyes but move back to the mic, my fingers brushing the stand as I pull up the lyrics in my head. Something familiar. Something honest.

Hard to Loveby Lee Brice

The moment the first few words leave my lips, I forget he’s in the room. It pours out soft and steady, my voice barely above a whisper at first, then growing stronger. I feel the lyrics, the cracks in them, the heart of them. And by the end, I’m singing it for me, not him.

When I finish, silence falls. Lucas doesn’t say anything for a second, just exhales slowly.

Then he claps, full and proud. “Damn. You’re amazing, Laney.”

I let out a breathy laugh, covering my face with my hands. “Stop it.”

“Not kidding. If Eddie could hear you right now—”

“He’d probably hide his guitar,” I tease, stepping down from the stool.

Lucas shakes his head at me, rolling his eyes. “He would fall at your feet and you know it.”

I do know it, but, still, that tiny voice asks why he doesn’t want me with him in London.

We walk back toward the house together, the barn door creaking closed behind us, the sky streaked orange and pink. Jake dropped Merlyn back about an hour before I got home, using the spare key I gave him. She was fast asleep in her bed when I left for the barn, so I hadn’t been too worried about her being on her own.

The second we step into the kitchen, we both freeze.

Merlyn has exploded a roll of kitchen paper across the entire floor. It looks like a snowstorm hit the farmhouse.

“Merlyn!” I gasp, and she bolts from behind the counter with a guilty tail wag and pieces of paper stuck to her fur.

Lucas laughs. Actually laughs. “She’s Eddie’s dog.”

“She’s my dog, and she’s a menace.”

We get down on the floor together, scooping up torn sheets and fluff while Merlyn trots around us like she’s helping.

“So…” I say, flicking a piece of paper at him. “What are you really doing out here, Mr. Ryan? Don’t tell me you just ‘needed air.’”

He shrugs, folding a few sheets of unshredded paper towel and tossing them. “Maybe I just wanted to check in. Make sure you were okay.”

Something warm blooms in my chest. “You always do that,” I say softly. “Show up when I need someone. Even before I know I need someone.”

He smiles but doesn’t reply. Just gives a small nod and keeps picking up paper.

As we finish, I glance around this house that’s slowly started to feel like mine. And it hits me—there are so many people holding space for me now. Lucas. Sam. Cherry and Lexi and Frankie. Even Christie, who’s been texting me more often lately, asking how I am, checking in like we might be real friends now.

I didn’t have this before. Not really.

And for the first time in a long, long time… I feel like I’m not just surviving.

I’m seen.

I’m held.

And maybe… just maybe… I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.

We’ve just finished scooping the last of Merlyn’s shredded chaos into a trash bag when Lucas looks up from the mess and says casually, “Hey, you should come over tonight.”