Page 146 of The Exit Strategy

Junie has done her part. She’s cleaned my books. Filed the paperwork that will clear my name.

Now it’s my turn.

I will fix this.

Junie will never have to know how close she came to emotional and financial ruin, or that the secrets she never knew existed were weaponized by my ex.

That stops now, and I feel more centered than I have in six years.

The moment I step outside, I see Junie on her stairs.

Behind her, Katie is still fluffing her hair, and I smile at the frustration billowing off Junie in waves.

Perhaps I should’ve warned her that the entirety of The Haven was invested in seeing Junie shine like the last standing bachelorette from one of their dating shows.

“Just one more thing,” Katie huffs, but this time, Junie flees, practically flying down her stairs, and my next breath lodges itself in my throat as I race to catch her.

Visions of Junie tumbling down those steps have me moving faster than I have in years.

We collide like titans at the bottom of her stairs.

She releases a huff of air that almost sounds like a word. My hands clasp her bicep on instinct, holding her steady.

“Jesus, Cole. You’re like a fucking brick wa—” The words die on her lips when she gapes up at me, but I’m the one knocked off my axis.

Juniper Mercer is breathtaking.

Beautiful.

Exquisite.

“Gorgeous doesn’t do you justice, Junie.” I step back to take her all in.

She’s wearing a dress in a deep smoky purple. She’s a midnight sky. The dress is fitted through the ribs and hips, then gets loose from the knee down with a neckline that means every time she moves, my entire year readjusts. The C-cut is so dramatic, it’s practically to her navel.

“Wait until you see the back,” Katie taunts.

Without looking away from Junie, I spin her in place and bite off a groan. The dip back here is even lower. She’s basically wearing two scraps of fabric that keep her decent but make my imagination conjure very dirty things.

“How is this even staying on?” My words sound like a battle raging in a field.

“Boob tape,” Junie snaps. “She fucking boob-taped me into this thing.”

Katie shrugs as she makes her way down the stairs with multiple tiny suitcases and what looks like four curling irons. “It gets the job done. And stop being a big baby, it doesn’t even hurt. Plus, your tits stand out on their own, they don’t even need a bra.”

“Katie. Don’t talk about my girl’s tits.”

“And that’s my cue to get out of here.” Katie lifts her pinched fingers to her lips and kisses them. “Perfection. Mybest work yet.” Then she saunters down my driveway in the weird heels she’s always wearing.

“I should’ve bought my own dress instead of trusting Katie to lend me one of hers,” Junie grumbles.

“She’s not getting this dress back. I’ll pay her for it. This”—I run my palms up her bare arms—“this is… You’re stunning, Junie.”

Her long blonde hair is pulled high into a sleek ponytail that shows off…everything. I can almost feel the silky strands wrapped around my wrist. She’s not wearing a necklace, but her dangly earrings shine like diamonds that have my gaze drifting to her ring finger.

I’ll have to do something about that soon. It needs to be a permanent fixture, not a problem seeking a solution.

That’s a situation for future Cole to figure out.