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“Rumors going around town. People say the reason you and Ashton ran off was because Perry caught you banging some other dude, and you ran off to be with your old baby daddy after he kicked you out.”

Rage surged through me. “Let me guess which fucker started those rumors?”

“Yeah,” Gaige said, and I could actually hear him wincing. “Perry.”

“Prick.”

“I know how this all went down, but others don’t. Though, how they could believe all that after what I read in the paper today is beyond me.”

“And what, pray tell, was in the paper today?” I didn’t want to know, not really, but I felt like I needed to hear all the news.

“Engagement announcement. Perry and Shawna.”

“You’re shitting me? That was fast. What about Shawna’s husband?”

“Well,” Gaige said. “I’m standing in your old living room right now, looking across the street. I see a moving truck and what looks to be the happy couple in question having one final shouting match in the driveway. I don’t think things ended well between them.”

“Serves her right,” I said. “It takes two to tango.”

“Yeah. I’m gonna let you go, and I’ll call if we get any good offers.”

“Thanks, Gaige.”

I hung up and continued packing, but some of my excitement had dissipated.

I didn’t love Perry anymore. After Cole’s revelation, I’d apparently never loved him.

Still, it hurt to know I’d been cast aside so fast. My getaway with Cole hadn’t even started yet, and already a dent had been put into it, but I tried to put my best face on and forget the other shit.

An hour later, Cole, Ashton, and Trent arrived.

Trent carried a military-issue duffle bag over his shoulder.

He and Ashton looked excited for a boys’ night.

Trent scared the hell out of me sometimes, but deep down he was still the same goofy kid I’d grown up with, just with more skills and training than before.

No one, other than Cole or Stormy, would keep my son as safe as he would.

“What do you guys have planned?” I asked.

Trent put his bag down and shrugged. “I figure once you guys are gone, I’ll have the keg delivered. After that, we’ll get the bongs out.” He looked at Ashton. “What did we say? Nine o’clock for the stripper?”

“Ten, actually,” Ashton said with a grin.

Putting my hands on my hips, I glared at Trent. “You’re being an asshole.”

“I’m joking, Avery. Gonna order pizza. Watch a ball game. Ashton might try to beat my ass in video games, too, but I’ve got news for him: I was the shit back in the day, and I may give him a run for his money.”

“Are you ready to go?” Cole asked.

“I guess so. You be good,” I said as I hugged Ashton.

Cole shook Trent’s hand and nodded to Ashton. “Full moon’s in a few days. Our boy here may be a little more irritable. Are you good?”

Trent chuckled. “I was a teenager on the verge of his first shift before. I know what’s coming. We’ll be fine.”

Cole and I got into the truck, waving at Trent and Ashton as we pulled away. I sighed and relaxed into the seat, ready to relax for the first time in weeks. That lasted about three seconds.

“Shit,” I hissed. “I need to call Stormy.”

“Why? What’s wrong?” Cole asked.

“I was at her house for over an hour today and never told her we were going out of town. She’ll freak. Hang on.”

Stormy answered, and I heard Shiloh wailing in the background. “This better be good. Miss Thing here has decided she no longer likes pureed peas.”

“Who would?” I said, wrinkling my nose.

“So, what’s up?”

“Just wanted to let you know that I’m headed to Atlanta for a night or two with Cole.”

“Oh, nice. What for?”

I explained about Trent and Cole having to sell one of their businesses to get funding for the pack finances and pay off the loan shark.

“Good,” Stormy said with a sigh. “I hate that he has to do this. Do you think he’d mind if I checked into their stuff for them? It’s kinda my thing.”

Stormy had worked as a forensic accountant for an accounting firm before Marcus died. She’d been pretty good at it, too. When I mentioned it to Cole, he grinned.

“By all means,” he said. “I’m getting sick of looking at numbers. Have at it. I’ll text Farrah and have her give Stormy the passwords and paperwork.”

“Did you hear that?” I asked Stormy.

“Sure did. Actually, it’s kind of exciting. I haven’t done any work in months. I’m starting to get the itch again. You two enjoy yourselves.”

As I ended the call, Cole pulled into a gas station outside town.

“You need to fill up?” I asked.

He huffed. “What’s a road trip without gas station snacks, woman?”

I giggled. “True.”

We loaded up with candy bars, bags of chips, an energy drink for Cole, and a massive slushie for me.

“So,” Cole said as we got back on the road, “wanna talk about everything?”

I swallowed my mouth full of chocolate and glanced at him. “It’s like you read my mind.”

“I want to get everything out on the table. Make sure we’re both on the same page and know where this is going. I don’t want any secret worries nagging away at either of us.”

“You really have grown up,” I said, glancing at him appreciatively.

He nodded. “Went to obedience school. It did wonders.”

“Very funny.”

We shouldn’t have any secrets right now. They were a path to heartache. But after what Gaige told me, I felt a very deep need not to mention what I’d heard. That probably meant I should say something.

“So, uh, my ex is engaged,” I said, blurting the words out before I could think.

Cole was silent for a moment, then nodded. “That sucks, I guess. Um.” Cole licked his lips. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to, but… do you still love him?”

“I don’t think so. A lot has happened. What Perry did was pretty shitty. Besides, it wasn’t really possible for me to give my heart to someone.”

Cole ducked his head. “Ouch. True, but ouch.”

“I was with Perry for a while, but looking back, it really was for the best that we ended things.”

“What I want,” Cole said, “is to make you and Ashton happy. I know I stayed with you the other night, and it was the best night of my life, but I don’t want you to think that I’m jumping right in. I didn’t take that as an invitation, and I still won’t. Not until you’re ready.”

“I appreciate that,” I said. “Honestly, it’s way too soon for us to think about moving in together or anything that serious. I don’t want you to think I won’t be open to it at some point, but right now everything is still sort of raw and new. Does that make sense?”

“Totally. I get that. It’s been a long time, and we’re not the same people we used to be. We need to get comfortable first.”

“That’s what I want, too.” It was immensely relieving that we were of the same mind. “We can do that without living together.”

He nodded, took a gulp of his energy drink, then glanced at me with a boyish hesitance. That look rarely came out. After all, Cole was the big, bad alpha, powerful and always assured of himself. Every time I saw that vulnerable look, it was a bit jarring.

“I’ve missed you,” he said. “It feels like I’ve wasted most of my life without you.

That part of me does want to be around you all the time.

My wolf hungers for it. For you. I respect your boundaries, but the moment you think we’re ready, I’ll be ready, too.

Whatever you need to feel comfortable, I’ll do. ”

“Thank you for that,” I said. “I know it would be easy to try and jump right back to where we used to be, but I think this is the safest way.”

Nodding, he popped a chip into his mouth.

After all the years I spent without him, it still felt strange to be sitting in a truck beside Cole Garrett.

The easy thing would be to let loose and act as though the last fifteen years had never happened, but my walls were still up, protecting me against more heartbreak.

Cole was doing everything he needed to, but there was always the chance he’d change his mind.

Vanish again. Leave me alone like before.

If that happened, I needed to stay strong and be ready to break the bond between us once and for all.

As we drove on, I hoped and prayed that wouldn’t be necessary.