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“You know... I was up most of last night thinking about the wedding and everything that led up to it.”
Talulah caught her breath. “And?”
Averil stared at the carpet for a moment before responding. “We were so young—just kids, really. It’s hard to get anything right at that age. Heck, getting things right can be hard as an adult. Take my marriage, for example.” She lifted her gaze. “I owe you an apology, too—for holding you so accountable for your mistakes. Lord knows I’ve made a few of my own.”
Talulah smiled, but she wasn’t sure how or what to feel. She was so torn. She was grateful for the forgiveness Averil was offering her and eager to welcome someone she’d loved so much back into her life. And yet...what did making up with Averil mean for her and Brant?
Despite having her five-year-old with her, it was almost eleven by the time Averil woke Mitch, who’d fallen asleep while they talked, and left. Talulah thought it was probably too late to see Brant. She was disappointed, and yet it had been cathartic catching up with her old friend, hearing about Averil’s marriage and motherhood and sympathizing with the part of Averil’s story about returning to Coyote Canyon with a broken heart. Talulah had dreamed about a conversation just like the one they’d had, sharing their joy and pain as if they’d never lost their friendship.
She loved AverilandBrant, she realized—loved Brant in a way she’d never loved Paul. But after finding it hard to fall in love, she was skeptical that what she was feeling could be real. Could it happen that fast and that easily? Or was this another false reading, the excitement of a new relationship snatching her out of the doldrums? Something she’d regret later?
She sighed as she watched Averil’s taillights disappear down the road. Then she climbed the stairs to check her phone. It’d been four hours since she’d messaged Brant, and yet he’d texted her only once in all that time.
I hope everything’s going okay with Averil. Heading to bed. Left a key under the mat for you, if you’re interested. [heart emoji]
Instead of being mad at her for not getting back to him sooner, he’d been kind and understanding and supportive. She was trying to find the place where she truly belonged—if it wasn’t with Paul in Seattle—but she didn’t want to hurt anyone. Brant seemed to take her good intentions for granted, to assume the best, and didn’t feel the need to rail at her because of his own disappointment or the inconvenience she’d caused him. Maybe that wouldn’t have been a big deal to anyone else, but Talulah knew Paul would’ve complained that she hadn’t told Averil she had previous plans, and was grateful for Brant’s generosity. It made her love him all the more.
“What am I going to do?” she said with a groan. She had no answer to that question. But she knew that for now, she was going to risk a visit to the ranch, even though someone could see her and tell Averil. She craved Brant’s warm body pressed reassuringly against hers.
His text had come in at ten. He was most likely asleep by now. But she wrote him back, anyway:I’m coming.
The moment Talulah climbed into bed with him, Brant reached for her. He hadn’t planned on waking up, not fully. He was just going to pull her into his arms. But she was completely naked. That was the first thing he noticed. And the way she kissed his neck and face let him know she was interested in more than sleeping.
“Everything go okay with Averil?” he mumbled.
“Yeah.” She nuzzled his neck. “It lasted longer than I expected, though. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. What happened?”
“It was actually good. She seems willing to move on and forgive me.”
But they both knew if they kept seeing each other, that probably wouldn’t last. Which reminded him... “Where’d you park?”
She pressed her lips to his temple, his forehead, his jaw. “I pulled around behind the barn. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s fine. I’d be willing to camouflage your car with tree branches, if I had to,” he said.
“You think Charlie might be watching us that closely?”
“I wouldn’t put it past him. But let’s not talk about Charlie.” He kissed her arm where she had her stitches, still angry that Charlie or Averil had thrown that rock.
“I’m sorry for waking you up. I should’ve waited until tomorrow to see you, but I couldn’t,” she admitted.
He let his hands slide up over her soft curves before rolling her beneath him. “Believe me, I’m glad you’re here.”
“Do you think we’re out of our minds to trust each other?” she asked, catching his face so he had to look at her.
It was dark, but moonlight cast everything in a silvery glow, providing just enough light that he could see she was worried. He couldn’t blame her. When it came to love, she didn’t have the best reputation and neither did he. “Who said I trust you?” he teased.
“You don’t?”
“Hopefully trust will come for both of us. Iamcrazy about you, though, so there’s that.” Pinning her hands above her head, he pressed inside her and was shocked, as her body accepted his, by the strength of his own emotions. He’d been joking around, but there was something very serious going on between them. How could she have come to mean so much to him—and in such a short time? Charlie’s runaway bride?
“Yes, this is what I need.” She drew his face down to hers. “I needyou,” she said, and kissed him.
Twenty-Two
Talulah’s phone went off, waking her early Sunday morning. She yawned and stretched, and Brant began to stir, too, but she could tell he wasn’t eager to wake up when he covered his head with a pillow.
