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Casey met them and helped load the bags on the plane while she waited in the car. They settled her into the seat and Will paused beside her with a smile bringing his hands from behind his back.
“These guys missed you,” he said with a smile.
“Will,” she laughed seeing them. She glanced back at them, and the tears tried to work their way out, but she blinked them back giving him a gentle smile. “Thank you…”
“You’re welcome Liv,” he said kissing her temple as they started out.
She napped during most of the flight knowing she was completely safe from everything. She woke as Will carried her off the plane and into the car to head up to the house. She didn’t argue feeling the cold slice through her and the warmth from his chest and they hurried inside finding the fire burning already.
She let out a sigh as the heat surrounded her and snuggled down into the cushions as Will handed her the throw. “That feels amazing.”
“Good,” he said seeing the way her shoulders relaxed. “Feeling better?”
“Much…thank you,” she said catching his hand to get him to stop. She tugged gently on his arm, and he crouched down beside her. “I mean it Will, thank you for everything you’ve done for me the last week.”
“Anytime Liv,” he said leaning forward to kiss her temple again. He kept his lips pressed against her as he cupped the back of her head resting his against hers to assure himself she was really there after everything he’d discovered today.
“Will…”
“Sorry…I just don’t know how you managed to do it sweetie.”
“I had all of you. I survived for you all.”
“You should have been living not just surviving Livy,” he argued. “Seeing that house…all I want to do is wrap my arms around you and hold tight until you can’t possibly hurt anymore but I know I can’t. I know I have to give you space to work through all of this, but I still feel it Liv.”
“I’m right here,” she said lifting her hand to the side of his neck wanting to feel him there and fully alive unlike the dreams she’d had lately.
“You are and I want to keep you here as long as possible…and I don’t mean here at the ranch, sweetie,” he stated knowing he should back off but unable to do so.
“There’s no need to pretend we haven’t had this conversation already Will.”
“We haven’t had it completely Livy and until we do, I don’t think we should do this,” he said even as he leaned further towards her.
“I do. It might be the only thing that will put any of this in perspective. If you kiss me and we find out it’s just the closeness that’s always been there or if…”
“It’s real, if it’s everything that we feel it can possibly be?” he questioned lifting her chin slightly until he was able to fit his lips to hers. It was incredible for him, and he didn’t want it to end but even as he thought it, he pulled back. “Livy…”
“Will,” she sighed, knowing it made her feel far too much and it scared her because she didn’t want to disappoint him.
“It’s not just in my head, is it?” he asked leaning his forehead against hers.
“No but…”
“What Liv?” he said, when she stopped closing her eyes.
“I…just don’t know if I can do this,” she admitted. “In my head I know what happened wasn’t my fault, but I can’t begin to think about anything else.”
“I’m not going to rush you into anything Livy. I just want you to know how I feel about this and you,” he stated kissing her temple before getting up. “Just rest…I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“Thank you,” she said squeezing his hand before he left to get the rooms set up. She would figure out what was in her head and then maybe she could put Scott away for good.
***
“Hey Penny, where’s Liv?” Will asked as he left his home office after a long conference call with the company.
“I think she went outside to the patio,” she replied handing him a mug of hot steaming tea. “It’s too cool for her to be outside this long. You need to get her to take better care of herself.”
“I’m trying Pen. She’s neglected herself for so long that it’s nothing to her to forget about herself,” he stated taking the tea and moving through the house. He slid out the side door, saw her on the patio, curled up in the chair with a huge wool blanket beside the patio fireplace, and his heart tightened. He knelt down beside her and brushed a strand of hair from her face feeling her skin. She was warm from the fire, and he brushed a kiss onto her forehead.
