Page 52

Two months later…

“Has anyone seen Scout?” Alesha called, but no one answered.

The scene was mildly chaotic. Between the movers, family, and friends, the house was packed wall-to-wall with people.

“Scout!”

She moved from room to room, calling for him, until she finally found him—and couldn’t help but laugh. He was curled up fast asleep in a wicker basket in their walk-in closet, his silky tan and gray fur a soft little heap of calm in the middle of the chaos.

Crouching down, she stroked his tiny body and let herself enjoy the quiet for a moment. Last week, when she’d arrived back in Harbortown, she and Reece went to the local animal shelter to find a dog to adopt. Alesha had taken one look at the tiny Silky Terrier and instantly fell in love. She knew Reece was leaning more towards a bigger dog, but Scout had won him over too.

“So now you’re both hiding out?”

She turned to find Reece leaning in the doorway, grinning.

“I thought he’d gotten out,” she said. “But it looks like he had the right idea—a quiet corner and a nap.”

“The truck’s almost empty,” he said. “So at least there’ll be fewer people in here soon.”

Out in the rest of the house, everyone had claimed a task—Harry and Marlene in the kitchen, her father carefully unpacking her books, Joanne tackling linens, Walker and Harlow delivering lunch, and half the town drifting in and out to help wherever they could.

“Is it wrong that I want to stay in here with him?” she asked.

Reece stepped into the closet and sat beside her, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Not at all. But if we give them one more hour, we can send everyone home and have dinner—just the two of us. What do you think?”

“Hmm…” She tilted her head. “Can it be a sexy dinner?”

A slow grin spread across his face. “Sexy, huh? I can definitely do sexy.”

Alesha laughed. “Yes, you can.”

He nudged her shoulder playfully before standing and offering her his hand. “You do sexy pretty damn well too, beautiful.”

Before they could leave, she tugged him back and wrapped her arms around him. “I can’t believe this day is finally here.”

“Finally?” he teased. “We made the offer two months ago. Some people would call that fast.”

Maybe.

But to her, it had felt like forever.

Going back to Oregon. Packing up her life. Having that conversation with her mother.

It hadn’t been easy—there were hurt feelings and hard truths—but for the first time, Alesha had stood firm. She chose her happiness without closing the door on their relationship.

And in the end, there were hugs, tears, and a promise to visit Harbortown soon.

Something she still wasn’t sure how to feel about.

And that was a problem for another time.

She shook her head. “It didn’t feel fast. It felt like it took forever to get back here.” She smiled up at him. “But I’m thrilled that tonight we’re sleeping in our own bed, in our own house.”

He held her a little tighter. “I hate that I have to be in Albany this week. It’s the final phase of a big job, and I need to be there. Not exactly how I pictured this week going.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But you’ll be back before I know it.”

“Still,” he added, brushing his thumb along her cheek, “everything’s better when I’m here with you.”