Page 67 of Crossroads

“I love you. And I don’t want to let you go. So, I would hope Courtney would be okay with a ménage situation. I mean, you could have two wives, and I would be a great second mommy to your kids.”

I heard the humor in her voice, but I just couldn’t help but burst out laughing. This woman. Of course, this woman would be the only one in the world who could make me laugh with such a heavy subject. “You know what, in a perfect world, that asshole wouldn’t have taken them from this world. And I know that Courtney would’ve loved you. Probably loved you more than she loved me. Just saying. You’re fucking amazing.”

“I think we would’ve worked the whole co-parenting thing out right. Though I know that you’re not the same person you were when you married her. Oh, I’m not the same person that I was before I joined the band. Before Jeremiah. I met you. I love the person you are now. And I’m never going to let you forget Courtney, Henry, or Josie. I promise you. No matter what happens, no matter where we go, we’ll make it work.”

I nodded and ran my hand down her arm. “I know you were searching for your home. For a place to settle down roots, and rest when you’re not on tour. What do you say about making Ashford Creek your home?”

“Really?”

“It doesn’t have to be in my house, but I really want it to be in my house. We can take it slow. Well, slower than we have been. But I want Ashford Creek to be your home.”

“Bodhi, you are my home.”

As my heart leaped, I leaned down and took her lips with my own. “I’ll even leave the house for you, babe. That probably means I can’t get a dog.”

She laughed against my mouth, and then I took her in a greedy kiss, needing her. We didn’t have all the answers; we wouldn’t. But we had a step. And who knew, listening to my family and talking about my feelings might’ve worked. Not that I would ever tell them that.

“You can’t have her. You’re going to kill her just like you did Courtney.” I heard the shout, tried to understand the words, and then the sound of a sharp boom sliding beside us and hitting the rock near Kiera’s feet pulled us apart. I whirled to see Nathan calmly walking toward us, hand outstretched with a gun pointing at us.

“Courtney was supposed to be mine. And now you think that the town is just going to forgive you? You don’t get to move on.”

Nathan shot again, and I threw myself in front of Kiera because it wasn’t me he was pointing at. No, it was Kiera. Because Nathan wanted me to live in guilt and shame. And if I were dead, I couldn’t do that.

Nathan shot again, this time the shot going wild, and I tossed myself on top of Kiera, forcing us both to the ground behind a group of rocks. I pulled her completely beneath me, below the nearest boulder, as Nathan fired the gun for a third time. But this time, I held back a shout as fire lanced the side of my leg, and I cursed.

“What are you doing? We have to stop him. Get off me. Oh my God, you’re bleeding. Bodhi.”

“I’m fine. Stay down.” I forced myself up, ignoring the blinding pain running down my leg, and kneeled so I could see Nathan.

“Everybody’s going to know this is your fault. You killed your old man. You killed Courtney. They need to see that you are the monster.”

I had no idea what had twisted Nathan this way. He had always been a menace. Someone who harassed us. But he had never been like this. And I didn’t want to know the answer. I wanted him gone.

He couldn’t see exactly where we were behind the rocks, and as he came forward, I moved. Kiera cursed behind me, and I hoped to God she listened to me and stayed put. I threw myself at Nathan as soon as his back was toward me, and the other man fell to the ground. I ignored the blood and ache rolling through my body. I knew I would deal with that later. Nathan hit the ground but didn’t let go of the gun.

“Fuck you!”

“Stop. Just stop.” We wrestled on the ground, both of us reaching for the gun, and then I fell to my back. Nathan, slightly bigger than me, wrapped his free hand around my neck.

“I hate you.”

I had gotten that, and I had no idea why. All that mattered was that Kiera was safe. I kicked at Nathan, and he fell to his side, the gun still in his hand. But when he tried to aim it at me, I lifted my elbow, getting Nathan in the chin.

We rolled a few more times, both of us shoving at each other. And when Nathan went to aim the gun at my face again, I knew it wasn’t enough.

This was going to be the end.

But as long as Kiera was safe, that was all that mattered.

And then Nathan fell on top of me, the sound of a crack echoing through the small clearing, as the gun fell out of his hand, and I looked up to see Kiera standing there, a very large branch in her hands, her eyes wide, and she practically shook. I shoved Nathan off of me, kicked the gun away, and pulled and tried to stand up. However, this time I realized that I was still bleeding. And yes, I had been shot.

“Oh my God. Bodhi!” Kiera dropped the stick and threw herself on me as she put her hands over the wound, trying to stop the blood. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I have the same question for you,” I grit out, black dots dancing around my eyes.

This wasn’t good.

“Bodhi!” I turned to the right a little too quickly, and I nearly fell back, with only Kiera keeping me up. Thatcher and Keely ran toward us, Keely on her phone, a gun in Thatcher’s hand.