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“Don’t say it like it won’t be happening again.” Grace pointed at me. “Because it will. As long as you’re here? You’re part of the family. Hell, we like you. So you get to stay no matter what.”

I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

Noah extended his hand, and I took it, very aware of the eyes on us as we left the shop.

“My truck is around the corner,” Noah said.

But we didn’t make it that far. As soon as we made it out of sight of the front doors and Bessie, Noah pulled me against him, against the wall of Deja Brew, and kissed the hell out of me.

Desperation leaked through his kiss. If we weren’t standing in the wind, I would have had his shirt off by now so I could feel his skin on mine. It was overwhelming, this feeling. Like I was coming home every time he touched me. Breathing was secondary to pulling him closer.

“Liam told me he’d tell you where I was.”

“He did.”

“Then why—”

Noah slanted his lips over mine again, silencing me. I got lost in the pleasure of lips and hands and breath. “Because I wanted to see you,” he breathed when we finally pulled apart. “I wanted to do that without an audience. And I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

This close, I felt the way his breath moved. Fast, like mine. I saw the vulnerability in his eyes that he often tried to hide. “Because I love my family. But they’re also a lot. Them bringing you here, it makes some assumptions. And tonight at dinner, I wanted to make sure you were comfortable before going. I’d planned to ask, but you were already here.”

I slipped my hand behind his neck, pulling him back down to me. “I like being part of the family. No matter what happens.”

Whatever happened with us. Or the Riders. Or my brother. This was as real a family as I’d ever had with Brandon. Or my parents. The fact that they’d pulled me in and made me feel welcome only made me love them more.

“Other than that, we don’t have to think about it right now. All I want is to enjoy tonight with you.”

Noah smiled as he kissed me one more time.

Chapter 23

Noah

The lodge was full of warmth and laughter before Kate and I even walked in, because the others had ended up leaving before us from Deja Brew. I hadn’t been able to drag myself away from Kate’s lips. Not even the cold and the wind had been able to do that.

Right now, we fit together like two pieces. As soon as she got out of my truck, she was at my side, and I had my arm around her waist, as if neither of us could imagine anything else.

I’d already asked her if she was okay with this, and she’d said yes. There was a part of me that wanted to pull her back and ask again, but nothing in her face showed any hesitance.

“You know about Jude and Lena?” I asked as we climbed the stairs.

Kate looked at me. “What? No. There’s something to know?”

I laughed softly. “You’ll see what I mean. Just... don’t mention it.”

Jude had his reasons for not getting involved with Lena, much as we all knew that he wanted to. A lot of those reasons were similar to—worse than—my own past. He didn’t want to hurt her. But there was only so long they were going to be able to avoid it.

At least that’s what I thought. If they wanted each other any more, they’d spontaneously combust.

“I’ll keep an eye out,” she said.

“We’re here,” I called, opening the door and letting Kate go through before me.

“About time,” Grace said with a smirk. “Thought you guys would have beaten us here.”

She was sitting on the couch with Harlan, leaning her head on his shoulder. There wasn’t any tension in the embrace. Just... pure relief after so long at odds.