Page 135 of Indigo Ridge (The Edens 1)

“So do they. And I get you to myself for a while.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

His shoulders slumped. His eyes stayed glued to the windshield as the air conditioner blew through the cab.

I rested my head against the seat, reaching over to slide my hand down his arm. “Hey. I’m okay, Griff.”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat, then jumped into action, shutting off the truck and hopping out, rounding the hood to get my door.

Whatever he was feeling was locked away because we had company and it wasn’t the time.

The guys were all inside when we walked through the door. Pops wrapped me in a gentle hug before guiding me to the living room to sit. Briggs had brought another bouquet of flowers, daisies today. Harrison had brought one of Anne’s cherry pies. Between Anne, Knox and Lyla, we had enough food in the fridge to feed the entire Eden family for a week.

Our family stayed for an hour, mostly talking to Griffin about the goings-on at the ranch and what was happening in town. After lunch, when my eyelids began to droop, Griffin kicked them out, but not before they helped make a dent in the food and the pie.

I yawned twice before Griff lifted me from the couch and carried me to bed. “I can walk.”

“I can carry you.”

“Fine.” I leaned against his shoulder, breathing in his spicy scent before he set me down beside the bed, pulling away the covers to tuck me in.

My head was on the pillow when he crouched down to kiss my hair. “I’m going to head out for a quick ride.”

“No, you’re not.” I caught his wrist before he could run away. “You’re going to come to bed too.”

“You’ll rest better if I’m not here.”

“Not true and you know it. Lie with me. Please.”

He blew out a frustrated breath but he didn’t deny me. Griff stood and kicked off his boots, then unbuckled his belt so it wouldn’t dig into my back. Then he eased onto the mattress, carefully sliding one arm beneath my pillow, inching close until his chest was flush with my spine.

But he didn’t hold me. He hadn’t held me since I’d come home from the hospital.

“Put your arm around me.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m okay, Griff.”

“I don’t—”

“I’m okay. Please don’t pull away from me. I’ll drag you back if I have to, but it’ll hurt.”

He sighed and buried his face in my hair. Then slowly, his arm wound around my waist, resting against the spot where the bandages were gone but the stitches remained.

“See?” I twisted, the move causing a bit of a sting but I shoved it down. “Don’t carry this on your own. Don’t shut me out.”

His frame slumped against mine. “It rocked me.”

“Me too.”

“The idea of you going back to work, I just . . . I worry. I’ve never felt this kind of fear before. It’s making me unsteady.”

“Then we lean on each other. We worry about each other. But we can’t let it run our lives. I’m okay.”

“You’re okay,” he breathed, pulling me closer.

“Good.” I burrowed into his arms. “Now kiss me.”