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Tucker invites Caleb to a bring-a-friend event with his Boy Scout troop. They are hiking to one of the local waterfalls and then camping in the state park for the night.
Caleb is excited to try Scouts, and I promise that if he enjoys himself, I’ll sign him up.
I help him pack his backpack with everything on the list Tucker provided, and Langford picks him up just after three.
I spend the rest of the afternoon hanging blinds and curtains. Then, I light some candles and run me a bath in my new tub to wash away the dirt from my aching body.
I soak for over an hour. It’s glorious.
Then, I wrap myself in a fluffy robe, make myself a cup of hot cocoa, and sit out on my porch to watch the sun set.
A star shoots across the clear night sky, and I close my eyes.
“Hope you made a good wish.”
I open my eyes at the sound of Graham’s sexy, deep voice.
“I’ll never tell.”
He walks up the steps and joins me on the swing.
I lean into his side, and he wraps an arm around me and tucks me in close.
“This place looks great,” he says.
“Yeah, thanks to you and your parents.”
“Nah, we made it livable, but you’ve made it a home,” he declares.
“It feels like home,” I admit.
“I’m glad,” he says before kissing the top of my head.
I look up at him. “You are?”
He slides a finger under my chin and lifts my face to his. “I’m so damn happy you’re staying. I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear before,” he whispers across my lips before taking my mouth with his.
For the first time in months, I feel free. Free from who I was and what I left behind. Free of the guilt, the embarrassment, and the fear of what is to come. I know that no matter what happens next, I can handle it and that I have people in my life who have my back. It’s the best feeling in the world because when you finally decide to let go of all that shit that doesn’t matter, you find that you have a free hand to grab the shit that does, so I fist my hands in Graham’s shirt and pull him back down for another kiss.
He stops and pulls back. “Caleb?” he asks.
“He’s with Tucker’s Scout troop,” I tell him.
“For how long?”
“They’re camping in the state park,” I inform him.
“So, we have the cabin to ourselves?”
“Looks like it.”
He smiles. “In that case, I have a housewarming gift for you,” he says.
“Oh, really?”
He places a kiss on my neck. “Yep. All you have to do is unwrap it,” he whispers in my ear.
I stand and extend my hand to him. He takes it, and I lead him inside.
