Page 65 of Crossroads

“That I can do. I promise.” She giggled softly.

“What?” I pulled into the parking lot, tapping my fingers along the steering wheel.

“We haven’t exactly been alone recently, have we?”

“Other than you in my bed every night, no, I guess we haven’t.”

We each got out of the truck, and we continued to laugh at every single misery we had had in the past week. Because, of course, I hadn’t been alone. Callum and Felicity had been there every day. Thatcher had brought the kids to check in. Elizabeth had baked for us along with Bronwyn. Teagan was over every day to annoy me like she always did, but I loved her for it. Keely had bounced in with Felicity one day, while Rune had shown up with food from the Summit Grill, and then he stomped away after making sure we were all okay. Finnian and Sterling had shown up with the twins, and it was odd having the kids in my house. It had been that moment that I had realized I had never had them in there. Let alone Thatcher’s or Callum’s kids. But every single person in our lives had shown up. At least the ones that still lived in town. All to check on Kiera—and nearly too late, I realized for me as well.

It had been Kiera who had changed everything. Kiera, who had changed me.

I loved her. She knew it; I knew it. And her being there had let me open the gates for my family to be there too.

I didn’t want her to leave.

We made our way past the B&B where I knew Keely was baking up a storm and paused as I realized that Elizabeth was standing on the front porch, arms folded over her chest. Atlas towered over her, and I hadn’t even realized he was in town. The two looked at each other, didn’t say a word, and then Atlas walked away, leaving Elizabeth behind. When he moved down the path toward us, he looked up at me, his face blanching, and he didn’t say a damn thing. Instead, his jaw tightened, and he made his way to his truck and barreled out of the parking lot.

I knew he had a game the next day, but I hadn’t known he had been here. How the hell had he found the time? And why was he here?

Kiera squeezed my hand, and I realized that she probably had the same questions. And as I looked up at a now-empty porch, I realized neither one of us was going to get answers. And since I was tired of people wondering what the hell was going on in my life when it came to Kiera, I wasn’t about to question those two.

“So, come here often?” Kiera asked, and I let the smile slide over my face, the tension easing.

“No. It’s very people-y.”

Kiera gave a dramatic look in each direction. Zero people around. “I think our definitions of people-y are quite different.”

I tilted my head, studying her face. “Our definitions are very different. You like to sell out stadiums, and I like to be alone in my cabin. It works out well.”

Her lips twitched. “First, your cabin isn’t a cabin. It’s a huge house. Mister I’m a Cabin Mountain Man.”

“Have I ever uttered those words once in my life?”

“I’m sure you have a mug that says it somewhere. Probably a gift from Teagan or Finnian.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” I mumbled.

“There’s usually more than a few people on this trail. I guess we hit it at an off time. But I thought you’d like the creek.”

“But this is Ashford Creek, right?”

“It’s part of Ashford Creek, but the one that the town’s named after is the one that bisects Main Street.”

“Hence why there’s Main Street South and Main Street North.”

“And that’s not confusing at all for tourists who’re trying to figure out where to park,” I said dryly.

“Thankfully, you can pretty much walk the entire town without getting tired.”

“But then they don’t know how to parallel park, or they go the wrong way down a one-way street, or get in a fight with the geese that are trying to take up their space.”

“One never fights with a goose.”

“Is that another mug I need?”

She leaned into me, laughing. “Yes. That sounds about right.”

She finally let out a breath as we made our way to the edge of the creek, the sun glinting off the flowing water.