Page 134 of Salvage Him

Twenty-Four

Brooklyn

Isurvivedtwo days without my Harrison fix. We texted and talked on the phone, and it was fine—perfectly fine—but it was no substitute to feeling his arms around me. Having his lips on me, having his mind work my mind and body over until I couldn't take a breath without him tellingmeto.

Leanne pulled me out of mydaydream.

"Hey Brooklyn, honey, I was hoping I'd get back before you left." She stopped in the doorway and looked around thenursery.

"Oh, my goodness gracious." Her eyes grew wide, and she had instant tears.Do all Southern women know thattrick?

I had finished hanging the curtains. Piper completed the tree of life scene on the wall that morning. I had assembled the furniture and stored it in their game room while the paint dried. Besides the fumes, the place was ready for thetwins

"What do you think?" Iasked.

"I love it." She let one tear slip before pressing her fingers under her eyes so as not to mess up hermakeup.

"Great. Let the room air out overnight, and it should be fine." I finished collecting mystuff.

"Oh, girl. I love that smell." She giggled andinhaled.

I laughed and shook my head. It gave me aheadache.

"Maybe it's the babies. They crave some weird shit, I tell you." She placed her hands on her babymound.

"Leanna, I thought you were trying to stop cussing,"Isaid.

"I know, but hell, I've been cussing all my life. It’s going to takes a while to get in the habit." Shegrinned.

I shook my head and adjusted the light green curtains once more. "What did you needmefor?"

"Oh, shoot. I almost forgot." She took my arm and walked me toward the stairs. "You're coming to my baby shower tomorrow, right? Change of venues. I'm having it here at my house because my girlfriends are too cheap to rent an appropriate place." She squeezed my hand. "Besides, I want to show off the nursery, and then I could introduce them to mydecorator."

"Leanne, you don't have to do that." I grinned upather.

"Yes, I do. And when you get all these new clients, you just remember, you drop everything when I need you. Promise?" She placed her arm on myshoulder.

"Promise."

She hugged me and walked me tothedoor.

I climbed in my SUV and waved as I pulled away from the curb. I drove back to the apartment. I was exhausted. It wasn't late, but I wanted to getsomerest.

Harrison was coming back tomorrow. My insides flipped when I thought about the long nights in our foreseeablefuture.

Iparkedin the garage and rode the elevator up to myfloor.

As soon as I walked in the door, something felt off. I wasn'talone.

"Hello,Brooke."

I gasped and turned toward the office off the front entryway. Paul sat with his elbows resting onthedesk.

"Hey, Paul." I caught my breath. "What are youdoinghere?"

"This is my home. I still own this place, remember." His face held a weird expression. His normally stiff hair fell into his eyes. He blinked his eyes rapidly and pushed his tresses out ofhisface.

"Yeah, of course. I just wasn't expecting you." I took a few steps into theoffice.