At a quarter to eleven, she headed out the door. Her door, she reminded herself. She loved Gus, but excitement stirred when she thought about the changes she’d made in the house.
Someday, she hoped to have a family. She and Jackson were seeing each other regularly. She hadn’t told him she loved him yet. But soon.
Would they ever be more than they were now?
She wanted that. Once, she’d said she’d never get married. Never tie her life to another’s or let a man close enough to break her heart again.
Well, now she’d done just that. She’d let Jackson in. And more than that, she’d let Dylan, her mom, Andrea, all of them in. It seemed that every week, her social circle was expanding. Soon, she’d meet her brother Sawyer. They’d met on a video call but not in person yet.
The little bell tinkled as she pushed the door open to the coffee shop. Shannon waved from a table near the wall and pointed to the cup sitting by an empty chair. Mia passed by the line to order and strode to the table. She set her purse in a chair next to Shannon’s bag and sank into her seat.
“What did you get me?”
Shannon scooted a small plate with a fluffy muffin next to the cup. “This is their new Autumn Craze muffin. It’s amazing. I’m not sure what’s in it, but trust me, you’ll be obsessed. And that’s the cinnamon and vanilla swirl cold brew I told you about.”
“Sounds delicious.” Picking up her fork and knife, she cut off a small chunk of the muffin. Several crumbs drifted down onto the plate. She sniffed. “I smell cranberry and apple.” She took a bite and immediately closed her eyes. “Oh, that’s good.”
“Told ya.”
Opening her eyes, she grinned across at Shannon. “So, I got a call last night.”
“Jackson?”
She’d kept her best friend abreast of every development.
“No. Dylan.”
Shannon’s eyebrows rose. “Really? Do tell.”
“He and Jackson have this big camping trip planned. Dylan invited me to join them tomorrow morning. He said we could have lunch and spend the day together. And then he wants me to go with him and Jackson to church tomorrow evening. They found a place nearby that has an evening service.”
“That’s pretty significant,” Shannon commented. “Are you ready for that?”
Mia took a long sip of the cold brew through the straw. Flavor exploded on her tongue. “I am. I want to move to the next step. Jackson and I have hinted about marriage someday. He seems to be giving me time. I appreciate it. But I know what I want. I want to be his wife. To start building a life together. But I’m not in a rush. There’s no one trying to keep us apart this time.”
She understood her friend’s concern. Mia was still finding her way. Change and emotions had always proved difficult for her to navigate. But now, for the first time in her life, she truly felt like she didn’t have to shoulder every burden herself.
“I’m glad you’re happy. I just don’t want you to go too fast. You’ve been through a lot lately.” Shannon sipped her own drink.
“I am happy. I have Jackson and Dylan. And I’m building a friendship with Andrea. My mom has met her. It was weird, but they get along well. And I finally understand why having God front and center in your life is so important. I trust that God will get me through whatever happens to me.”
The rest of the day flew by. She and Andrea made tacos for dinner and then turned on a romantic comedy Mia had seen once about fifteen years ago. She hadn’t appreciated it then, but now, she howled at the clever banter and the heroine’s crazy antics.
Life was different when one had finally found where they belonged.
She left home around ten thirty the next morning, her GPS getting her to the campground with no issues. She sent Dylan a text letting him know she’d arrived. Five minutes later, he ran into view.
Alone.
She hopped out of her car and grabbed her single bag. “I thought there were two of you camping.”
Dylan grinned. “Yep. I told Jackson I needed to do something and left him struggling with his curiosity.”
She chuckled. Secretly, she bet he was also doing his best not to let his protective instincts go overboard. It had to be hard letting his brother go off on his own in the woods. He might be fifteen, but none of them would ever forget the events of August.
“Dylan, that you buddy?” Jackson came out of the tent, head down so he could clear the fabric flap that served as a door. “If we want to catch some fish for lunch we should?—”
His head lifted and he stopped in place. His eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. For just a second, Mia worried that this had been a mistake to intrude on their brothers weekend. Then sheer delight blazed across his face, and he aimed a brilliant smile at her.
