Page 77

He nods. “I’m real proud of you.”

Lexie joins us. “That was a close one,” she rasps, still out of breath from her earlier bought of laughter.

“You want to walk me out?” I ask her.

“Oh, you’re leaving?”

“Yeah. I’ve got to be at the bike shop early. Billie Rose is going baby shopping with Willow tomorrow, so I’ve got to man the office.”

She hugs herself around the waist. “Sure, I’ll walk you out.”

The closer we get to my bike she begins to drag her feet.

“Hey, I’m going to be back as soon as I get off tomorrow. Actually, I might shower first,” I joke, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close.

“I’m just sad. It’s been nice having so much time together.”

I grab her chin, holding her still as I press my lips to hers. “Soon we’ll have a place of our own.”

“I …” She pauses and nibbles at her bottom lip.

“I love you, too,” I whisper, letting her off the hook by saying it first. She’s still having a hard time believing this is happening.

Her forehead falls softly to my chest. A muffled “I love you” quietly follows.

Chapter Thirty

Lexie

That was the best night of sleep I’ve had in a long time, but now I’m wide awake, playing the past week over and over again in my mind. It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions. One minute I thought my life was over and the next I’m literally in paradise.

The curtains flutter, and I take a deep breath, petting Max. The scent of Elizabeth’s flowers wafts in on the breeze.

My gaze moves around the room. Not having as much stuff has made my heart lighter. I’m glad JD and I got it all loaded up and hauled to the thrift store.

I shiver as the memory shifts to my dad’s boss showing up there. It would be so easy to take his job offer. I’m sure it pays good, but …

I run my hand over my right elbow. There’s still a scar there from the last time I played his stupid game. It got a little out of hand.

It’s just the local office, though. I’m running through the pros and cons when I hear JD and Elizabeth get up. I jump out of bed, opening my door.

“I made breakfast this morning,” I say, pushing in front of them to get to the kitchen first.

“Lexie, you didn’t have to do that,” Elizabeth says sleepily.

“I was up.”

They both sit down at the table as I pull the breakfast casserole from the oven.

“Wow. This looks good,” JD praises as I dish him up a plate.

My cheeks feel tight as a smile lights my face. “Jesse text me the recipe. It was really easy. I just had to dump everything into the dish.”

“I’m telling you that woman has more recipes than anyone I’ve ever met,” Elizabeth says. “She’s been teaching me too.”

Elizabeth excuses herself to go outside for her morning meditation after she finishes eating. JD’s phone rings as I stand to clear the table. “Hello?”

His brows pull together, his gaze stopping on me. “Yeah, he mentioned something about it last night, but I don’t think she’s had much time to think about it.”