AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He pulled me toward him so I was hovering just over his body, our lips only inches apart.
“I asked you to stay. I’m asking you again, and I mean it. I want you to stay, both of you.”
“We’re going to stay,” I whispered, brushing the words over his lips.
“Good, because Day and I have a surprise for you.”
“What?” I laughed, resting my chin against his chest. “What is it?”
“It’s not done. You can have it after the barbeque on Saturday.”
“Is that still happening?” Unease tightened my chest. Everyone in town knew what happened, and I wasn’t so keen on stepping out in public yet.
“Yeah. We need to put up a brave front, together.”
I settled against his chest, looking up at him. “What are we going to do about Day?”
It felt good to usewe.
“Therapy,” he breathed, his brow furrowing.
I nodded, resting my cheek against his skin.
“You should go, too.”
“I know. Maybe all of us should go.”
He chuckled before his hand came to rest on my back.
“You’re safe,” he whispered, his thumb grazing over my skin. “I promise. It’s over.”
“I know,” I whispered before closing my eyes.
But, now what?
ChapterThirty-One
Grant
I’d been reluctant to go ahead with the planned Fourth of July barbeque taking place only a few days after Kirk broke into my house and scared the hell out of my family, but I didn’t have much of a choice, and not for the reasons I was expecting.
All of our neighbors showed up. All of them. Even those few outliers who’d been firm on their belief that I was nothing but a city-slickin’ rich guy who they assumed wanted all of this land to eventually turn into a golf course, or something. That, and the fact the story of what happened here had been all over the news, and I was sure that rumors about me, Moira, and what had been going on up here on the ranch had been swirling.
Everyone came.
Keely had broken Moira out of her stupor and the two of them spent an entire night decorating the space between the main house and the stables. String lights floated in the air, flags and banners were hung along the paddock, and plastic tables and chairs were placed pretty much everywhere.
Moira had fallen into bed in the early hours of the morning the day before the party with a huge smile on her face and slept like the dead. It was enough to spur me out of my own stunned stupor and back to reality.
Now I sat at one of those plastic tables, a cold beer in my hand as I watched Day and a group of kids playing with sparklers nearby.
Keely was standing nearby as George set a huge red, white, and blue cake on the dessert table, his face screwed up tight as she leaned in, to boss him around about the placement, most likely. I smiled to myself at the sight, noticing Keely’s ease around him and George’s obvious willingness to anything that woman asked of him, even if he pretended to not like it.
“When are the fireworks?” Henry asked, sitting down beside me.
I ran my tongue along the inside of my lip, shrugging a shoulder. “I didn’t set them up. I don’t want to scare Moira and Day after what happened. The gunshots, you know.”
“Well, I just overheard Moira talking to some neighbors about your big show. Sounds like you’re going to have to do it after all.” He grinned at me as he lifted his beer to his lips. “Also, I stayed for the fireworks, so you have to do it.”
