Page 52

Sitting down next to Audrey, I slide the plate of cookies onto the coffee table, handing one to her before pulling her close.

She’s been with me for a month. A month of sleeping with her every night. A month of feeding her every day. A month of snuggling on the couch and coming home to her smiling face.

It’s been better than I ever would have imagined.

“Gross.” Savannah throws a pillow at me. “Stop looking at her like that. She’s gonna get pregnant.”

“I put up with you and Zeke.” I lift my brows at my friend. “And you did get pregnant, so…”

Savannah smiles. “Fair point.”

Audrey leans against me, resting back against my chest. “It will take an act of God for me to get pregnant right now.” She tosses the pillow back at Savannah. “So stop trying to drag me into morning sickness and stretch marks with you.”

She lifts her left hand, looking at the ring sparkling in the overhead light. “Plus, I can only focus on one thing at a time, and I’ve got a wedding to plan.” Her eyes roll Savannah’s way. “In Georgia.”

“I told you we could get married wherever you wanted.” I don’t give a shit where it happens. As long as it does. The sooner, the better.

“I know, but wouldn’t it be nice to get married somewhere warm?” Audrey lifts her brows at me. “Unless you want to wait until next summer, in which case?—”

“If you try to make me wait until next summer to make you my wife, I will drag your cute ass to the courthouse.” I try to keep a straight face, but a smile manages to work its way onto my mouth because we both know I’d never force Audrey to do anything.

Audrey laughs, finding my empty threat as amusing as I do. “Can you imagine what would happen when your mother found out you hauled me to the Justice of the Peace instead of letting her take me dress shopping?”

“I can.” And it wouldn’t be pretty.

I knew our trip to see my parents for Thanksgiving was going to change a lot. I didn’t expect it to change everything.

Not only did it shift my thinking toward my parents and siblings, but my mother and Audrey quickly became thick as thieves. By the end of the trip, they’d exchanged phone numbers, were following each other on social media, and made plans for us to visit at Christmas.

They also planned a trip for my mom to come visit us here in Nashville.

It was unexpected and a little weird, but also fucking amazing.

Audrey’s bloomed knowing she has people supporting her.

Between Savannah being right next door and her daily phone calls with my mother and sister, she’s always got someone to turn to besides me.

Because apparently sometimes she just wants to talk to another woman.

And knowing I’m the one who gave that to her pleases me on an unprecedented level.

“That reminds me,” Savannah says. “I need to tell Zeke when that is, because I can’t spring things like that on him.

He has to have lots of time to prepare for me being away from home.

” She rolls her eyes a little. “Which is hilarious considering he leaves home all the time, but I guess it’s different somehow. ”

“It is different.” I understand where Zeke’s coming from.

“Most of us have been alone for a long fucking time. Having someone waiting for us is something most of my teammates—myself included—never expected to have. Knowing we have to go home to an empty house reminds of us what it used to be like.” I run my fingers through Audrey’s hair.

“And I don’t know about him, but I fucking hate thinking about it. ”

Technically I haven’t had to face it yet, but it’s coming. At some point, Audrey’s going to want to take a girls’ trip or visit my mom and sister alone, and I’m going to have to suck it up. Manage to muddle through without her sweet smiles and soft words brightening my days.

Reaching out to give Coco a pet, I make a suggestion. “Maybe you could leave Coco here to keep me company.”

I’ve quickly become attached to the little dog. Love cuddling with her on the couch and teaching her new tricks. I understand why Audrey was so devastated at the loss. It makes me even more glad I was able to bring her back.

“Oh my gosh.” Audrey laughs. “Can you see your mom’s face if I walk in without Coco?”

I can also imagine my mother’s reaction to that. “For someone who’s never had a dog, she fell in love with Coco awful fast.”

Saying my mother fell in love with Coco feels like an understatement. My mother’s a little obsessed with the little fluffball. Granted, Coco’s sweet and smart and well behaved, but I’m suspicious it’s more about my mother treating her as a stand-in for a grandchild.

And that makes me worried for my future. Because it seems like I might go from a distant relationship with my mother to having her show up on my doorstep on a regular basis.

Toting a packed bag.

“Maybe we could get her a puppy for Christmas.” Audrey’s suggestion makes sense, but I don’t know that it would go over as well as she’s hoping.

“I don’t think it would be the same.” I tuck the blanket tighter around Audrey, making sure she’s toasty warm. “Dogs are probably way less adorable when you’re the one who has to feed and walk them all the time.”

She angles an eyebrow at me. “You still think Coco’s adorable.”

That is a fair point, but I still don’t think my mother loves Coco the way Audrey thinks she does. “Also, my dad would lose his shit.”

My dad doesn’t dislike Coco, but he’s not obsessed with her the way my mom is. He’s more indifferent to her existence. Is that an indication of how he’ll be with my kids in the future?

Probably not. He’ll likely be right next to my mother on the porch with his own bag in hand.

Because now that I’ve stopped being certain of all I thought I knew about my family, I’m seeing that my parents and siblings aren’t what I believed. Do they talk less than I do? Absolutely. Is their demeanor a little more closed-off? Unquestionably. But do they love me any less because of it?

I can honestly say I no longer believe that’s true.

They might not understand me, but I’m starting to think maybe they don’t have to. They love me. They accept Audrey. They support us and want to spend time with us.

And maybe that’s all I should have ever asked for.

Thank you so much for reading Safe Haven. I know you probably have a lot of unanswered questions.

Who has Amanda, Becca’s sister?

What happened to Darion?

Becca’s not at the hotel-where did she go?

Is ‘the man’ going to be caught?

HOW IN THE HECK DO BUTCH AND BECCA KNOW EACH OTHER??? (If you read my Lost Boys series, you probably already know the answer to this one.)