Page 105 of My Three Hometown Alphas

“Come here, angel,” Owen says, holding out his hand for me.

I slide my hand into his and scootch my way toward him until I’m settled sideways on his lap.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hey,” he says, running a finger down the side of my face.

I open my mouth to beat him to what I think he’s about to tell me, but he silences me with a gentle finger pressed against my lips. I kiss the pad of his finger before he lets it fall to my thigh.

“I’ve loved you for a long time, Avery. A piece of me fell for you in that airport years ago.”

Same.

“Then, every time those memories would pass through my mind, I fell a little more. By the time you landed back into my life, I was already halfway there. Now, there isn’t a single piece of me that isn’t completely in love with you.”

I blink slowly, a single tear falling.

“I’m in love with you, too, Owen. I think we both knew what we found in each other was something special. It just wasn’t the right time for us,” I say, my fingers playing with the short hairs at the back of his neck. “I think it is now, though. At least, I hope it is.”

“It is, angel.” His large hand cups the side of my head, bringing me in for a kiss that brands my soul.

I’m his… theirs.

I still don’t know how this is going to work out, but I’m certain this kind of love has to find a way.

Owen turns me around on his lap, so my back is against his chest. All five of us seem to take a deep breath at the same time.

“Do you want to go to California for your internship?” Owen asks, breaking the silence.

“No,” I say without any hesitation.

“Is that because you don’t want to leave or because the job isn’t really something you want to do?” Will asks.

“Both,” I say, and he nods, like he assumed that much.

I don’t know how they figured out the internship wasn’t something I wanted to pursue anymore. My money is on Lyla, though.

“We found another job that we think would be perfect for you,” Miles says.

“What’s that?” I ask, sitting up a little straighter.

A grin crosses Miles’s face. “Well… someone decided they’re going to run against Kevin Sheridan in the upcoming election for mayor.”

“About time,” I mumble, which makes Miles smile more.

“It’s going to be a short campaign because November is only a few months away,” Owen says.

I nod in understanding.

Will says, “We thought you would be the perfect person to run a strong enough campaign to get them elected and make sure Kevin doesn’t get back into office.”

“Really?” I ask, half-shocked.

They all nod, even Lyla.

“Who’s running?” I ask. I wholeheartedly want to do this, but I can’t design a campaign for someone I can’t trust to do what’s best for the town I’ve grown to love.

“Why don’t we call them? They can tell you themselves,” Miles says, pulling out his phone.