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So I press my mouth to her forehead instead.

Goldie sniffles and rubs her forehead back and forth against my neck. “I really thought this would destroy everything.”

I rub my hand slowly over her back. “I know, but I like to think what we have is harder to fuck up than this.”

She holds on to me a little tighter, and I keep rubbing my hand over her back until some of the tension leaves her body.

When she finally lifts her face, I brush the damp hair away from her cheek.

Her hand slides around the back of my neck, and she pulls me down to her.

Her lips are soft against mine and taste a little salty from her tears. I cup the side of her face and kiss her back, slow and easy, while her fingers curl against the back of my neck.

When she finally pulls away, she keeps her forehead against mine. “Thank you for coming home when I called. And for being so understanding.”

I brush my thumb beneath her eye. “You don’t have to thank me for being here when you need me.”

Goldie lets out a wet little laugh. “Ugh, I was almost done crying.”

“Sorry.”

She gives me a look. “No, you’re not.”

“I never want to make you cry, but I can live with happy tears.”

I kiss her again, soft and quick, before I lean back.

Through the glass doors, I can see Colston sitting in one of the patio chairs while Ellie talks beside him, her hands moving almost as much as her mouth. He’s leaned back with one ankle hooked over his knee, watching her gesture through whatever she’s telling him.

Goldie follows my gaze, then shifts off my lap and settles beside me. “You can let them back in.”

I get up and rap my knuckles against the glass.

Colston looks over. I jerk my chin toward the door, and he pushes out of the chair. Ellie turns to see what caught his attention, then gets up too.

A second later, the slider opens and they come back inside. Colston looks at me first.

“You good?”

“Yeah.”

His attention shifts to Goldie. “How ‘bout you, Goldie girl?”

She gives him a watery smile. “I’ve been better.”

He nods without pushing for more, then drops into the chair across from Goldie while Ellie settles onto the other end of the couch.

I sit back down beside Goldie, and she looks at me. “You can tell him.”

I give Colston the short version. By the time I’m done, he’s leaning forward with his forearms on his thighs, staring at the floor between his feet.

“Holy shit, that sucks.”

I huff out a laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”

Ellie reaches across the couch and squeezes Goldie’s knee while Colston looks at me. He doesn’t ask if I’m okay again, but I know him well enough to see that even if I tell him I am, he won’t believe me.

I give him a small nod anyway, hoping that’s enough to tell him I’ve got this, and if I need to beat the shit out of a punching bag in the gym later, I’ll let him know.