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Teresa sucked in a breath, released it, slowly.
Right.
Then she moved to the bags and began unpacking.
* * *
“Thanks for the cookies, Mrs. H,” she said, wrapping her arms around Jeremy’s mom, and hugging her tight.
“Edy.”
“Right,” she said lightly.
A tug of her hair. “Thanks for the books.”
She leaned back. “Enjoy them.”
“Oh, I will.” A nod to the container in her hands. “Enjoythem.”
“I will.” She waved, exchanged goodbyes, and then headed down the walkway, moving to her car. She’d had to park a little ways down as parking was always tight and the Hutchinses were a large crew, so she was down around the corner, well out of sight of Mrs. H’s house.
Normally, Jeremy or one of the guys would have walked her.
But though Rafe and the rest of the boys had offered, she’d turned them down. It was early yet, and this was a safe neighborhood, and she could walk herself to her car.
Look at her go.
Jeremy hadn’t offered, though.
Not after she’d thanked Rafe and refused his escort (and then refused Wyatt and then the rest of the brothers). Her gaze had locked with Jer’s for a moment after the exchange with his brothers, but he’d just given her a nod and had let her walk out of his mother’s house.
What alternate reality had she stepped in?
Was he really changing because of what she’d said?
She…was a little unnerved.
Mostly because she kept hearing Admiral Ackbar in her head declaring,It’s a trap!
But he hadn’t followed her out, hadn’t protested, and as she approached her car—she did a quick scan—he hadn’t somehow gotten ahead of her and was waiting in the bushes.
She was alone.
Gloriously alone.
So, why didn’t she feel good?
Why was all that gloriousalonenesssitting heavily on her chest as she got into her car and started up the engine, driving down the quiet, dark road?
She had gotten what she wanted.
Exactlywhat she wanted.
Right?
Seventeen
Jeremy
