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We said our goodbyes to Derek and then piled back into Cade’s truck.
“You know,” I said, looking at Cade as I settled into the crook of Boone’s arm. “Earlier I was thinking to myself that I couldn’t really see much resemblance between you and Derek.”
Cade grinned. “Yeah, a lot of people are surprised to hear we’re cousins.”
“You both seem to be complete opposites at first glance,” I continued. “But I think I just caught a glimpse of the Winslow gene.”
“Oh?” Cade quirked an eyebrow as I felt Boone’s low laugh rumble through his chest. God, being alone with these two men was a constant test of my self-control. “And what gene would that be?”
“The two of you might approach the world a little differently,” I said. “But you’re both good guys, and you do the right thing. And I saw a look in his eyes tonight that I’ve seen in yours before. I’d hate to be the person who gets on your bad side.”
Cade shook his head and gave me another of those wide, easy smiles. “You’ll never have to worry about that, beautiful. We’re all on the same side here, and that’s exactly where we’re going to stay.”
“Good,” I said, closing my eyes as Boone held me tight next to him. “That’s exactly where I want to be.”
And tonight? I really didn’t care whose side we were on as long as I was with my guys.
They were everything I wanted and all I needed—andGod, I didn’t even want to think about the day they’d have to go back home.
Chapter 14
Janessa
God, it had been an impossibly long day. It felt likeyearshad passed since Uncle Justin, Cade, Boone, and I had been sitting around the breakfast table this morning.
And now?
I’d never been happier to see my comfortable bed or to pull the warm covers up around my ears. Yeah, I was definitely going to be asleep within minutes.
I closed my eyes and then immediately cracked one open again as my phone started ringing on the bedside table next to me.
No.
Nope.
Not tonight.
I didn’t know who would be calling me at eleven at night, and I didn’t care. I reached over and swiped to ignore the call without even looking. Whoever it was would just have to wait until tomorrow.
It couldn’t have been ten seconds before the phone started ringing again. I ground my teeth together and inhaled through my nose, completely ready to ignore the call again.
But unfortunately, my sleep-deprived brain was a little more alert this time—alert enough to make me wonder if the call might be about something important.
What if it was Derek? Or the sheriff? What if they’d caught the person behind the poisonings?
I slowly exhaled the breath I’d been holding in and reached for the phone, swiping to answer and bringing it up to my ear as I tried to muster a polite tone. “Hello?”
“Janessa?”
My eyes snapped open at the voice. It had been forever since I’d heard that voice, but I would have known it anywhere.
“Daisy Lynn! Girl, I thought you were—” And then I stopped because I suddenly realized why she was calling. “Oh, my God, please don’t tell me you’re in town.”
“Um, yeah? That’s why I’m calling…” She sounded confused and maybe a little annoyed. “Becca and I got to the bus station about thirty minutes ago. Where are you? Are you on your way to pick us up?”
And that was why she had every right to be annoyed. Because no, I wasn’t on my way. I was in bed. I’d forgotten that my two best friends were coming to visit.How could I have let this happen?
Well… I hadn’t forgotten they were coming, exactly. I’d just… sort of forgotten that they were comingtoday. In my own admittedly weak defense, I still wasn’t sure what day it was. They’d all been just been running together in a crazy blur lately.
