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“Ash wants to talk to you. I hope you guys have a good evening … I miss you,” I finish quietly. It’s still hard for me to express my true feelings out loud.

“We’re so glad you called, Lexie. We love you,” Elizabeth says.

JD also tells me goodbye with the same loving sentiment at the end. My eyes water as I hand the phone to Ash, hurrying to my room before he sees me crying again.

He’s still on the phone when I come back downstairs. Ash is telling them about his plans to build a house by his sister’s place.

“Yeah, I want to be a hands-on uncle. Jackson talked it over with Grandma Maggie, and they’re willing to sell me a few acres. Being neighbors with Willow is how we imagined living when we were kids. I’m happy as fuck it’s finally happening.”

Willow is expecting. Ash must be so excited. I love seeing him enthusiastic about becoming an uncle. Before he left for treatment, he was in a bad place. We both were. Only he was strong enough to pull himself out.

After I finish in the shower, I stand in front of the mirror, dripping water on the floor. Ash makes me want to be a better person for him; he deserves that. I turn from side to side, looking at my body. Really looking at it.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so unkind to you,” I whisper. “You deserve better, too.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ash

When Lexie comes out of the bathroom, she gives me a shy grin. I think our hike did her good.

She rolls her head on her neck. “I’m so out of shape.”

“It feels good though, doesn’t it?” I ask, throwing another piece of wood on the fire I started.

“If I say yes, are you going to make me go even farther tomorrow?”

I flash her my most charming smile. “I’ll always push you to go farther but,” I hold up a finger, “only if it’s in your best interest.”

“Is making every muscle in my body hurt in my best interest?”

“It is if it makes you stronger.” I move to her side. “Here, let me help. Sit down in front of me.”

“I’m okay,” she says, rubbing the back of her neck.

I drag her off the couch and gently encourage her to sit on the floor between my legs. She stills when I begin to massage her shoulders. “Oh my gosh, girl. You’re all knotted up.”

It takes a few minutes but eventually she succumbs to the magic. A groan leaves her lips that rouses my libido, but I have more control than that. I’ve held my position for as long as forty-eight hours for the perfect shot. I’m not going to blow this before I’m sure she’s ready.

“I don’t think all of this is from our walk,” I surmise.

“Oh, that hurts,” she complains, trying to shift away from me.

“We’ve got to get some of this broken up. Geez, these knots are terrible.”

The fire crackles, and the wind picks up outside. “The storm missed us last night, but I don’t know if we’ll be so lucky tonight.” Lightning flashes across the sky, making the trees outside look more ominous than they really are. “If you get scared, don’t be afraid to wake me up,” I tell her.

Her gaze goes to the windows. “I won’t be scared because you’re here,” she says softly.

It’s still a shock to my system to hear her admit her feelings so freely. I trace my fingers lightly over the back of her neck. “Brody sent me a text while you were in the shower. They made it safely.”

“That’s good. Did you tell him to thank Daisy for the necklace?”

“I did.”

She makes a soft humming noise. “I’m worried about her. Her parents didn’t tell her she was adopted. She feels betrayed by them. Now she’s hiding.”

The girls must have done a lot of sharing last night.