Fowler nods. “We’ll earn this.”
“You already have.” Grace kisses us each on the cheek. “Don’t mess this up.”
“We won’t,” we all say at once. Like we share one fucking brain cell. I don’t care if we do. Not with Grace’s offer and my heart doing leaps in my chest.
We’re getting our second chance.
She tugs the plush octopus under her arm. “Walk me back home?”
“Always,” I say, even though I don’t want this night to end. But the festival is over and there’s nowhere else to go at the very start of a new relationship.
I offer her my arm. Fowler and Connor fall in on either side of us.
We make our way up the beach, four shadows stitched together by lantern light and a flickering pack bond waiting to be made.
If we don’t fuck it up.
CHAPTER 24
GRACE
The road outside my apartment blurs with the usual parade of early risers. I wipe my tired eyes as I make my way down the apartment stairs toward the building’s door. It might be a double coffee day once I get to rehearsal. Last night was so beyond anything I could have ever thought would happen with Reverie Pack again. If theyhavechanged—and I do believe they have—this could definitely work.
But wow these walls are still up. Not as high or thickly-built as before, but they’re there, waiting for the other shoe to drop.
I hope it doesn’t.
I push open the front door on my apartment building to find someone already out there.Fowler.
He’s leaning against the banister with two coffees in his hands and one singular crutch under one arm. “Morning, Grace.” He holds one coffee out to me. “I was on my way in to the station for my first desk-shift and figured you’ll probably also need coffee.”
I raise an eyebrow. “And Connor?”
Fowler chuckles. “Can find his own coffee. Here, take it.”
I do and tuck in next to him. “This is nice of you, thank you.”
“We kept you out late, this is the least I could do.”
I turn toward him. “The festival was so worth it, though. That was a lot of fun.”
He grins, then pushes off the banister. “Can I walk you to the arena?” He offers his arm.
“Yes.” I link mine through his, and we carry on across the street.
As we hit the arena’s parking lot, he asks, “It’s a double today, right?”
I sip my coffee. “Yeah, so it was great we had yesterday off.” She smiles up at me. “How about you? This walk isn’t too far, is it?”
Fowler is walking with a heavy limp even with the one crutch. He should havetwoand be seated somewhere, not walking me to the arena.
He rubs the back of his neck with his free hand. “Yeah, well, hard to walk your lady to work with a full set of crutches, isn’t it? I’ll grab the other from my truck after.” He nods to the front of the parking lot where his truck is in the area closest to the arena’s doors.
I stop walking and look up at him. “Fowler, you have to be careful so your leg heals.”
He shrugs. “I’m okay, Grace. I want this time with you, and it’s not that far a walk.”
I trace the distance between the arena and my apartment building with my gaze. It’s incredibly farwith a broken leg.“I understand and even admire that, but please take it easy, Fowler. I’m not going anywhere.”
