Page 50 of Break the Barrier

I watched her with the other ladies of the family, planning Dani and CT’s wedding together, which I guess was happening soon. Seeing how seamlessly she fit into my family had my heart beating at a rapid pace. I wasn’t expecting this afternoon to go so well.

By the time the sun had set, there were leftovers from lunch being set out for dinner, a bonfire going in the large fire pit out back, and everyone was still sitting around chatting. Even the baby was still in cheerful spirits, having just woken up from a nap.

Music was playing on a speaker outside, all the slow classics that we knew and loved, and the girl who I was more than halfway to falling for was laughing at something Cal and Stetson were discussing.

“You look smitten.” I hear from beside me and look over to see my mom standing there, a small, knowing smile on her lips.

“Is that bad?” I ask her in a low voice.

Her eyes shine, but I can tell it’s from happiness, not from being sad that her son may very well be…well, I won’t say it yet.

“Not at all, son. All I’ve ever wanted for you is to be happy. And that.” She nods her head toward Thea, who got distracted with Lue and was paying very thorough attention to whatever my daughter was saying to her. “That’s happiness right there.”

She wanders off before I can say anything, and I look back at the two girls who were now my whole world.

When Lue runs off again, Thea’s eyes move around the porch until they settle on me. There’s a contentedness in her, she’s more relaxed than I’ve ever seen her, and I was happy to be a small part of that.

She stands, and I straighten from where I was leaning against the wall. When she’s made her way to me, she smiles shyly.

“This has been a great day.”

“Better than inventory?”

She rolls her eyes and says, “Yes, better than inventory.”

I look at her, and a question comes to mind. “Why were you so hesitant to come here with me?”

For a moment, she’s quiet before she lets out a deep breath and says, “I’m scared to spend time with you.”

The words feel like a punch to the gut, and my brows furrow. “What? Why?”

“Because.” She shrugs, but I won’t let her off with a non-answer.

There’s a part of the porch not being used, where we can still hear the music but can talk without being overheard. I lead her there and take her in my arms like I’ve done so many times before, and she doesn’t even fight me on it.

“I want a real answer,” I tell her, my voice unusually rough.

Her eyes blink, shiny and wide. “A real answer to what?”

“Come on, Thea. No games,” I tell her. “We’re adults, can we please act like it?”

She sighs and says, “Fine. No games?”

“No. Truth.”

“Okay, fine.” She shrugs, her hands still on me as we sway to the music, and she takes a deep, shuddering breath. “I’m terrified.”

“Terrified of me?” I ask, my voice low. “Thea, I would never hurt you.”

“Not terrified like that,” she assures, glancing to my family and back. “My…feelings for you have.” She pauses like she’s searching for the word. “Evolved.”

I try to hide my smile, but inside, I’m so fucking relieved I feel like I could cry. “Evolved.”

She nods at my reply. “And it’s scary. I don’t trust people easily, Logan. I think you probably already know that. But with you, I feel like maybe I could.”

“You can,” I assure her quickly. “You can trust me.”

“I know,” she replies quietly. “That’s what’s scary.”