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I swallowed, my heart in my throat. “You want me as well? Not just Theo?”
“I’ve never stopped wanting you, Summer. Never. Not even when we were apart. There’s never been anyone else for me other than you. I never even allowed myself to think of a future without you in it. I hoped and prayed that somehow we’d find each other again.”
“And how does the pack fit in?”
A real smile lit his face now, and I could feel the sliver of happiness leak from our bond. It was still a quiet frayed thing, but even in the two days we’d been back in touch, it was trying to repair itself quickly, each conversation mending the tear.
“I know the pack can be intense, but they're amazing people,” Cole assured me. “They took me in even when I didn’t want them to. I let them because something about them felt right when everything had felt so wrong. They’ve become a huge part of my life and I have no doubt they’ll treat you just as well, in whatever regard you decide you want them.”
My cheeks heated at his words, some part of me knowing he’d felt they were right for a lot of reasons. I hadn’t met Miles yet, but I was scent-matched with every other one of the men he now considered family. I knew that I needed to tell Cole, but I wanted to wait until I had met the last member of their pack and confirmed what I suspected.
We stared at each other and I couldn't pull away. He was just as sexy as I remembered, and as his scent wrapped around me I found myself clenching my thighs for the second time that day. Slick pooled in my panties as I thought about how good we were together.
Every moment in his presence reminded me of what we had. Before the accident we were perfect... happy. That heat was one of my favorite memories, he'd been so caring and attentive, satisfying my every waking whim. But now things were different. Complicated.
"It's going to be hard,” I acknowledged, taking a deep breath. “You and I have both changed. You've got a pack, we've got Theo and we need to navigate that."
"And we will,” he promised. “Those things will take time. But I don't want to put us on the back burner, Summer. I want you. It's always been you. There's not been a day that's gone by that I didn't regret walking away. This is our second chance. We can take it, if you're willing."
My heart ached for what we had and I was desperate for the picture he was painting. It wouldn't look like we thought it would back then, but our future could still be amazing if we both put in the work.
Hell, it could be greater than anything we ever imagined if we only took the risk. Our love was worth that, our family was worth that. A cautious optimism and determination filled me.
Sometimes, late at night when I laid awake in the city, I let the hope creep in that I’d somehow find my way back to Cole. It only grew when I’d made the decision to come back.
Now that same hope filled me as I daydreamed.
Never, not even for one second, had I stopped loving Cole. Not even when he’d left.
Knowing now that his anger was at himself and not me? Well, yeah, part of it made me pissed. Hard years wasted on miscommunication, on both of us letting misplaced guilt and insecurities get in the way.
But now…now we were older, a little wiser. We had so much to fight for, and if I was honest with myself, I wanted it all. I wanted everything, even if I was terrified.
I took a deep breath and then took a leap of faith. "I'm willing to try."
Cole leaned in then, cupping my face reverently as his lips met mine. I may have already been in Holiday Hollow, but it was like truly coming home again, and I couldn’t wait to see what we could build.
8
Bash
Cole had been hogging Summer and Theo the past couple of days, and enough was enough.
I wanted to see them and my packmate, and I was hell-bent on making it happen.
Relief had swept through me when Cole had shown up after he’d left Summer’s house. I’d been worried he would fall back into a funk, but he seemed even more steadfast than before, even falling asleep in the room we’d set aside for him that he rarely used.
Of course, it also made me even more determined to finish the project I’d started working on the day I met Summer and Theo. If I had my way all three of them would be living with us, under one roof, exactly like pack should be.
Okay, so yes, I was one of those pushy omegas. And yes, I liked getting my way. But I usually used my powers for good.
Mostly.
For instance, right now we were all headed over to Beatty’s house for a barbecue. Of course, that part was a bit of a surprise for Summer and Theo, but Beatty had assured us they didn’t have any plans for dinner and would appreciate the company while she went out to her booze and bridge night with her gal pals.
I knew she was a meddling granny, but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
“Are you all sure this isn’t going to be too much for her?” Miles asked. “She hasn’t even met me yet and we’re about to show up at her front door.”
