Page 38 of Crossroads

I was grateful for that because I didn’t have any answers.

“You can tell my brother hi,” Teagan teased.

My heart fluttered, and I ignored the damn thing. “I will. You can come in if you want. I mean, come into my cabin. I’m not inviting you into Bodhi’s space.”

“I think I’ve annoyed Bodhi enough recently with all of my emails and calls for work. I’ll leave you to it.”

“I’ll see you soon?”

“You’ve got it. I know you don’t have a lot of time here.” There was a question in her words, and I was afraid that she would be far more worried once she realized what I was feeling for Bodhi. But I just smiled and said my goodbyes, unable to voice what I was really thinking. My time in Ashford Creek was almost up. And that meant leaving Bodhi, the Ashfords, and the friends I’d slowly begun to make here.

I wasn’t going to let it break me, I knew that. I had been through worse.

And yet part of me didn’t want to go.

I took my to-go bag with me and headed toward my cabin, wondering if I should stop by Bodhi’s or just text him. I didn’t have to think hard for long, though, because Bodhi was there, on my small porch, reading a book with his feet up on the railing.

Why was it that Bodhi Ashford looked so fucking hot right now? Was it the fact that he had pulled his Henley up to show his forearms? The reading? Or the freaking reading glasses?

Since when had Bodhi Ashford had slutty little glasses in addition to a slutty little nose ring?

This man was not fair.

“You’re back,” Bodhi said.

“I brought you dessert.”

He didn’t reach for it and tilted his head, his gaze never breaking from mine. “Since you have a bag in your hand, I take it that wasn’t a euphemism?”

I burst out laughing, some of the tension that had been riding me for the past forty-eight hours finally sliding away.

“Probably not.” I moved forward as he set his feet down and sank back into the rocking chair. I took a few more steps, and I found myself standing between his open legs, looking down at him.

“Hi.” He tilted his head, studying me.

“Hi.”

“Did you have fun tonight?”

I swallowed hard. “I did. I really like Teagan and Elizabeth.”

“They’re good people.”

“So…”

“So…” He cleared his throat. “I told you I don’t regret anything. I just want to make sure you understand that.”

“You haven’t said anything.” My shoulders tightened, then I licked my lips. His gaze went right to the movement.

“I thought I’d give both of us some space. But Kiera?” A pause. “I don’t regret it.”

I reached out and slid his glasses off his face. He just gave me an odd look before I stood back slightly. “I’m leaving soon. You know that, right?”

He nodded. “I know.”

“You’re going to have to be the one who tells me what you want to do. Because I’m out of my depth here, and frankly, I’m a little worried about putting myself out there.”

“I can see that. How about this? While you’re here, it’s just you and me. No one else.”