Page 31 of Easy Reunion

“I’m there…a lot. I’ll explain when I see you?” His voice is hesitant. Hopeful.

And it’s with that I lose the rest of my reluctance.

“That sounds good.” I see the relief in his eyes before the fatigue settles back in.

“Great. Eli? Can you have the car take us back now? I really think I’m about to fall on my face any second.”

Flushing a little, I spin around to find a smirking Eli and a smiling Charly. “Least I can do, buddy.” Flashing me a smile, Eli walks around us to the door. “A pleasure to meet you.” After a heartbeat, he murmurs confusingly, “Finally.”

Ry, who’s swaying on his feet, doesn’t seem to want to go. Finally, I murmur, “I’m just a text away if you wake up and want to talk. I’m not going anywhere.”

He deflates, as if my reassurance was what he needed. “Good. Okay. I’m going to go to sleep now.”

“I think you need to,” I tell him gently.

“Night, Kels.”

I glance out the window at the picturesque New Orleans day before braving my olfactory senses and rising on my toes to brush my lips against Ry’s bristly cheek. “Night, Ry.”

With a flick of his hand to Charly, he staggers over toward where Eli’s holding the door. Both men disappear.

Charly steps up next to me. “So? Which do you prefer? Kelsey or Kee?”

With a sigh, I turn to my new friend. “It’s been so long since I’ve been comfortable in Kelsey’s skin, that very few people call me that where I feel comfortable.”

“Ry’s one of them?” she says knowingly.

“No.” And while she rings up my purchases, I talk a little about how I moved to New Orleans to be with Angelina, Darin, and my soon-to-be niece.