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Before I could take another step, both men had their arms around me. Slowly, step by step, the three of us walked to the car.
“Come on, babe,” Prescott said, planting a kiss on the side of my head as he and Cole helped me into the car. “Let’s get you back to see your friends. Just close your eyes and try not to think about all of this, okay?”
It was an impossible request, of course. How could I not think about everything that had just happened? But I knew his intentions were good, so I nodded. He cared about me. He didn’t want me to be upset.
And I loved him for that. I loved both of them for how they took care of me without even being asked.
They were good men, and I was a lucky woman. This wasn’t the time or place to smile, and I don’t think I could have anyway under the circumstances, but just knowing that I had these guys on my side, on my team, made my heart feel better.
We had each other. We were going to be okay.
I wished the same could be said for Nora Statler.
* * *
Prescott was right.
Being able to see and hug Janessa and Becca helped. It helped a lot.
“I’ve missed you guys,” I said, finally smiling for the first time since we’d left Nora’s house.
The sun was shining and the breeze felt good against my skin. My nerves and nausea were gone, but I was still trying to sort through everything that had happened that morning.
“We’ve missed you, too,” Janessa said, smiling back at me and then tossing a wink to Cole and Prescott. “Seems you’ve all been pretty busy lately.”
I looked back at my guys, who were both blushing—blushing!—so adorably that it took every ounce of my willpower not to run over and jump into their arms right then and there.
“You guys are just in time for some lemonade,” Becca said, pointing to a tray of drinks behind her on the porch. “Fresh squeezed—like, I actually squeezed the lemons myself. So, you’d better drink some.”
“That sounds like an order I can follow,” Cole said, grinning.
“Sounds delicious,” Prescott added.
Janessa ushered us all over to sit on the large front porch, and I took a moment to appreciate the space in a way I hadn’t before. I had always thought the spacious, wrap-around porch with its tables and chairs lining the house was pretty, of course, but I’d never thought of having something like that for myself before.
Until now.
Now, I could picture me and my guys out on the land Cole would someday inherit. We’d sip lemonade and talk and laugh, watching the sun set over the mountains…
It was a nice image, and I was grateful to my guys that they’d given me the opportunity to see it—towantit.
Only after we’d all sat down and had a couple of sips did I realize there weren’t as many of us as usual. “Where are your guys?” I asked Janessa. “And your uncle?”
She gave me a half-smile, then sighed. “It’s strange not having them here, isn’t it? Cade and Boone had to go back to their ranch to check up on things. They should only be gone for a couple of days, but…” She paused, then sighed again as she rolled her eyes. “I miss them already. I know it probably sounds dumb, but I can’t help it.”
“It doesn’t sound dumb at all,” I said, looking over at my guys. Even the thought of being away from them for days at a time made me want to scoot my chair closer. “I get it.”
“Yeah,” Prescott said, glancing back at me with the hint of a smile on his face. “I think we get it, too.”
“And your uncle?” Cole asked. “Is he around?”
“He’s down at the barn waiting for Logan,” Janessa answered.
“Did something else happen to the animals? Do we need to go down there with him?” I started up out of my seat before she shook her head and gestured for me to sit back down.
“No, no, nothing like that.” Janessa gestured toward the barn. “Logan just wanted to come back for a check-up, and Uncle Justin and I agreed that was probably a good idea since this whole mess is still going on.”
“Oh, right.” I nodded, sitting back in my chair again with a frown. “It seems to be getting worse by the day, actually.”
