Page 92 of Your Last First Kiss

“What Ashton has been planning? It’s going to change this town. It’s going to change our lives.” Half of his sentences end like a question, almost like he can’t believe it himself.

He’s so geared up and—and happy. I’m actually speechless.

“I mean, Jesus, Pen. I only skimmed the surface of the plans that Ashton and Remy gave Dillon. I don’t even know when Dillon had time to go through them, but he marked them all up with different colored pens and sticky notes to build on their already impressive ideas. It’s like the guy hasn’t slept in days. You would have been proud of his color-coded notes too.”

His blinding smile makes the corners of my lips twitch. His energy is infectious right now. “Penny, the changes Dillon added are—I don’t even know where to begin. What he wants to bring to this town? It’s like he’s lived here his entire life and knows exactly what it lacks.”

“He did?” I can’t seem to formulate my thoughts into a coherent sentence.

“And I’m not supposed to say anything, but I think good things are coming your way too.”

I hate surprises, and I can’t control the full-body flinch that has me curling in on myself. My last surprise was walking in on my husband with an eighteen-year-old—in my bed—while my boys were asleep.

“What do you mean?” My voice shakes, and I withdraw my hands from his. I stare at a point on the wall to have something to focus on.

He bops me on my nose with his finger. “I don’t know the details. You’ll just have to wait and see.”

“I don’t like people making decisions for me.” I’ve spent too many years without the right to make my own choices. I won’t go through that again. Not even for Dillon freaking Henry.

This makes Miller freeze on the spot. “Pen? I don’t know Dillon as well as you, but I bet my life he’ll never take away your choices.”

Guilt claws at my neck as unbearable heat rises across my skin. Miller’s right. It’s not how Dillon or Ashton operate.

“I have so many questions,” I mumble.

Miller glances around my small kitchen and tilts his head to the side. He does this when he’s listening for little ears. When he’s sure we have a modicum of privacy, he leans toward me but still whispers.

“You know who you have to ask those questions to, right?”

“Yes.” Crossing my arms over my chest is a defense, but I’m no longer sure who I’m protecting myself from.

“Well, I happen to know that he’s probably just finishing up contracts over Zoom with Ashton and your boss. I also know that he was going to shower and then come over here.” He makes a show of looking around my small home. “But there’s not a whole lot of privacy around here. If you need privacy…”

He waggles his eyebrows at the word privacy, and it’s so ridiculous I can’t hold in the laughter. It whistles through my nostrils and is not at all cute.

“I can feed the kids and get everyone to bed,” he says, moving to the bags of food. “And I bet if I tell everyone about my new position, it’ll even give you an excuse to be away for a few hours. You know, since your boss is involved and all.”

My mind races faster than my pulse. I don’t know what’s happening. I’ve never felt so out of control. But Miller’s right. I do need to have a lot of conversations with Dillon. Conversations about us, about life, about the TAC.

But most importantly, about how amazing he was with Kai today.

The weight of it all makes me lightheaded. So many questions. So many changes. If I give myself time to really delve into everything, I’m afraid I’ll never surface.

I nod before I’ve made my decision. When I look up at Miller, his expression is soft and kind.

“You deserve happiness, Pen. Remember that.”

“Are you sure? You have them all? Mari is still—”

“Izzy was colicky for what felt like years, remember? I can handle this. You’re not the only supermom in town.”

I can’t help it. I scoff. Loudly. “Hardly a supermom.”

“Someday soon, you’ll see what the rest of the world sees. And I think if Dillon has anything to say about it, he’s going to be the one to open your pretty eyes.”

I blink.

He winks.