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“You’re more than worth it.” I patted his thigh. “But I’m also doing this for myself. I owe it to myself to take this leap and to take a chance on us. I’ve spent my whole life in Kringle’s Crossing, playing it safe. I need to prove to myself that I can be this brave. I want to have a life that’s fully my own. I don’t want to look back in a few years and wonder what if.”
“I don’t want that either,” Atlas said softly, much of the fight gone from his voice. “But I hate the idea of prying you loose from your heritage and Seasons. Your brother is going to be mad enough at me.”
“Seasons will survive. And so will Gabe.” I looked away at the imitation Eames chair across the room. “I…uh…kind of had to tell him about us.” That admission earned me a gasp from Atlas, but I kept going. “Sorry. But I couldn’t leave town without an explanation.”
“Of course you couldn’t just up and leave. That’s my point. And it’s okay that you told him—that part was inevitable.”
“Inevitable?” I wrapped the word around me like a fuzzy blanket. “Does that mean you’re letting me stay?”
“I’m never going to be able to turn you down.” Atlas sighed like he couldn’t decide if this was a bad or good thing. “I’m surprised my phone isn’t already smoking from Gabe’s wrath though.”
“I warned him not to go all protective big brother.” I decided to cling to the “never going to be able to turn you down” part instead of Atlas’s continued reluctance. “And I’m sure the distraction of the twins doesn’t hurt.”
“The pictures sure are cute.” After pausing for another bite of pizza, Atlas narrowed his eyes. “And what happened to being so worried about my friendship with him?”
“I decided my happiness matters too. We matter.” I touched the back of his hand. “This thing between us matters. And also, Gabe and you are grown adults. It’s not on me to try to save your friendship.” In talking with Gabe about his anxiety, I’d realized that he was far from the only anxious, overprotective Seasons sibling. “But, for what it’s worth, I trust Gabe to keep you around whatever happens.”
“You’re right. We do matter.” Atlas surprised the hell out of me by capturing my hand with his, squeezing it tightly. “And I’ll talk to him. His friendship is important to me, no doubt, but you’ve got my whole heart, Zeb.”
“I do?” Relief coursing through me, I smiled hopefully. Atlas’s resistance to my presence and plan had made me question whether he did indeed return my feelings.
“Of course you do.” Atlas wrinkled his face like this had never been in question. “And I was going to come tell you exactly that as soon as I could get leave. You beat me.”
“Winner, winner, chicken dinner.” I waggled my eyebrows at him, needing a real Atlas laugh in the worst way. “And if you were coming for me, why take issue with me exploring a potential move? Of the two of us, I have far more flexibility in where I work.”
“You do. Which I both love and hate.” He swung my hand lightly. “I guess I was expecting to have to negotiate, offer you incentives to spend more time in Virginia.”
“Oh, feel free to offer away.” Tone all seductive, I batted my eyelashes.
Atlas groaned at my antics. “I didn’t mean sex bribes.”
“Darn.”
“I meant more that if you can give me your present, I’ll give you my future.”
“Yes.” That required absolutely no consideration on my part.
“You’re making this too easy.” Atlas finally gave me that real, deep laugh of his I’d been craving. Showed off all of his dimples too. “I thought I’d have to apologize. And not simply for how we left things, but for all the times I didn’t visit. Yes, I’ve been deployed a lot, but I also didn’t try hard enough. I can admit that now and hopefully make up for it. I don’t want more regrets.”
“I don’t want regrets either,” I said softly.
“I’ve got five years left in the navy before my twenty. I know that seems like a long time right now, but if you can bear with me, be patient, we can go back to Kringle’s Crossing every chance we get and then move home after I take my retirement.”
“Home, huh?” Hearing Atlas call Kringle’s Crossing home felt even better than I’d hoped.
“Yeah. Turns out you were right. I do like the idea of settling down. Putting down roots. Making a family. You. Me. A couple of mutts. And maybe Kringle’s Crossing has always been that home, even when it hurt to think of it that way.”
I nodded so enthusiastically that my neck hurt. “And I’m right about us too. We can make this work. Like you said, we can visit a ton. And yes, I feel bad leaving Gabe and Paige and Seasons, but we deserve our dreams and happiness too.”
