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ASA

“Asa! I have something to tell you!” Montana shouts as she walks through the door.

The sound of her shoes thudding against the floor and part of the wall tells me she’s kicked them off like normal.

My woman is a mess when she comes inside the house.

Things are dropped where they land, only to be picked up before we go to bed.

Something like that would have ticked me off before getting to know her.

Now it just comes with the territory, like all the plants that have invaded the house.

“Right here, babe.” I’m flat on my back, the couch beneath me, a beer sitting on the ground beside it, the television on with the baseball game on. I’ve just been relaxing here in the muted dark waiting for Montana to come home.

“Well, I know that this is pretty much where we always are, when we’re home.

” That’s something that still needs to be rectified.

I haven’t pushed the subject because life has been going one hundred miles per hour with Montana starting her new job, and figuring out the shit going on with Deke, which is still a clusterfuck along with a new Alabama branch.

It’s not been smooth sailing, that’s for sure.

“Not for much longer. The back deck gets started this weekend.” My hand moves out to hers, helping her to settle on top of me.

“Really? That’s fantastic. Drinking my coffee out there in the morning with you has been nice, but the lack of furniture doesn’t make it comfortable.” Her weight settles on top of mine, and my hand tangles in her dark hair that’s down, thick with waves.

“I wasn’t going to buy furniture just to store it while the deck takes a few weeks to be rebuilt.” The delivery is coming this week, which reminds me I’ll need to see if Montana can be here if I’m out at a job site that’s too far away from the house.

“True.” She lifts her body up, so her arms are propped on my chest. I spread my legs further so she can settle in.

“Oh yeah, I got excited about the deck and forgot what I was going to tell you. But first, just letting you know I took Leena’s tipsy little ass home, poured her into bed, and put a glass of water and aspirin on her nightstand.

She was snoring before I left, so no worries there. ”

“Fuck, I would have come to help you. I know what Leena’s like when she’s had a few.” Christ, Leena puts Montana to shame.

“Eh, not too bad. I just propped her up, but she was walking on her own, so that helped. Anyways, back to what I wanted to tell you, which, by the way, Leena is a wealth of amazing advice. You all should listen, and especially now because of what I’m about to tell you.

” I’m beginning to think Montana is tipsy with how fast she’s talking.

It’s as if she’s going a mile a damn minute.

“Okay,” I reply, massaging her scalp with my fingers. A gentle sigh leaves her, eyes closing as she relaxes. The way she looks right now, it’s damn beautiful.

“When you do that, I lose my train of thought.” Her eyes are glazed when she opens them up, contentment written all over her body. I’m the one who does this for her.

“You say that like it’s a bad thing.” I arch one of my eyebrows in that iconic wrestler-turned-actor way. This time, her head drops in laughter, making me do it right along with her. “You going to tell me what you we’re going to say or keep me guessing?”

“Well, if you’re done interrupting and making my eyes roll to the back of the head, then yes.

” The look on my face must tell her I’m here, ready and waiting.

“I know we haven’t said the words to one another.

You’re more of a shower and less of a talker, in everything you do, for not only me but for everyone around you, but I need to tell you the words.

Asa Thomas Hart, I freaking love you.” The wind is knocked out of me.

This woman, no, not this woman, my woman, she gets me, completely.

“And, Asa, you don’t ever have to say the words back because I already know you love me, too. ”

“Montana Rose, you might not feel the need to hear them, but you deserve to. I love you, babe. Every crazy inch of you.” Her smile lights up the dim room, then I’m spinning us until she’s on her back, I’m hovering above her and taking her lips, showing her just how perfect she is for me.