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“Lars is picking them up tomorrow morning and taking them to Emerie’s house while we’re away,” Blake answers.
Her mouth snaps shut as she, undoubtedly, looks for another excuse to stay in her little hole.
“Have you even left George’s Landing since you ended up here?” Cody asks.
“Yes.” She rolls her eyes. “I’ve been to Valdez.”
“That’s just an hour away by boat.”
“So?” She sets her lips and stares out the window.
“Just go with the flow. Let us get away for a bit and spoil you,” Blake coaxes.
“We’re driving there, and from what I saw online it’s a really beautiful drive,” I tell her, knowing she always used to love road trips. I fight back a smile when I see her resolve crack the tiniest bit.
She’s yawning and drifting off by the time we get back to the cabin. It’s only mid-afternoon, but we convince her to go take a nap and Blake disappears upstairs to tuck her in.
“She asked me about the ranch,” Cody says as soon as she’s out of ear shot, indicating for us to go outside.
“How did it go?” I sit down on the steps with him, throwing a rope toy for Storm.
“It was rough. She blamed herself for taking the photo.”
“That’s bullshit. It’s not like she uploaded it to social media or something. She could have done that, and honestly, we would have deserved it.”
“She told me she thought about it. I can’t believe she kept it all these years.”
“I know. Sometimes I thought there was something wrong with us. Something off because of how fixated we’ve always been on her.”
Cody nods, following my train of thought. “But clearly she’s in just as deep as we are. She just fucking runs from it.” He looks into the forest for a minute. “I think there’s something she’s holding back, though.”
“I know. I can’t tell if it’s because she doesn’t trust us or she doesn’t trust herself. Or if there’s something she’s hiding from us.”
“Maybe all three.”
“We’ll get it out of her. And we’ll make sure she knows we’re not going anywhere.”
“And that she sure as fuck isn’t going anywhere either.” He holds his fist out and I hit my knuckles against his.
ChapterThirty-Three
“Blake,” I say to his retreating back. “Will you lay with me?”
He turns around and smiles warmly. “For sure.”
Watching him unfasten and remove his belt does something to my insides. Or maybe it’s the way he looks at me while he does it. Either way, I watch as he bends down and unlaces his shoes, setting them aside and tucking his socks inside.
He grabs the back collar of his sweater and pulls it over his head, revealing rows of abs and lean muscle. He lays down beside me. A trail of dark hair runs from his navel, disappearing into his pants, and I let my fingers roam over his exposed body, slowly exploring. He watches my face as I follow the path my fingers take.
“Are you in love with Cody?” I ask quietly.
“Yes,” he answers with no hesitation. I thought so, it’s so clear to see how much they love each other when you know what you’re looking for.
“How do your parents feel about it?”
“As long as I’m happy, working for the family business, and a good person, my parents support me. Us.”
That makes me smile. I have to believe my parents would have been the same way. I’ve long since forgotten what it feels like to have their arms around me, but I still feel their presence.
