AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There have been some good ones,” Ramsey chimes in. “My first Christmas here, I remember Maverick and Merrick bought all the brothers Monkey Butt Powder. They were so certain it was going to be the best gag gift. It backfired because Sterling was excited and said chafing was no joke. The others chimed in with their agreement. The twins were so bummed they pouted the rest of the day.”
“I’d like to get something for Carol and Raymond. They’ve been so good to me, inviting me to Sunday dinners and Thanksgiving. Do you have any ideas?”
“We all went in and got them a week in a cabin at the Smoky Mountains this year. I’m sure Rush will add your name to the card,” Alyssa tells me.
“We’re not together,” I remind her.
They all give me a noncommittal sound, and I sigh. “He makes it impossible for me to resist him,” I admit.
“They all do.” Kennedy laughs. “It’s part of their charm.”
“I guess so.”
“Are you still worried about your contract not getting renewed?”
“Sort of. I mean, yes, that worries me, but the more time I spend with him, the more times he shows up at my place unannounced with dinner or declaring he’s taking me to dinner, the harder it is to remember why I was trying to protect both of our hearts.”
“Sweets, it's way past protecting hearts. I’m certain his is already invested, and by the look on your face right now and the conversations we’ve had, I know yours is as well,” Alyssa says gently.
“This was never supposed to happen. I told him we could discuss it more after I found out that my contract was going to be renewed.”
“You can’t stop love, Crosby,” Kennedy says, turning to look at me from the front seat. “I can’t even pretend to imagine what you’ve gone through. What I can tell you is that there are still good people in this world. Good people who know how to love.”
“She’s right, you know,” Ramsey says as we pull into the parking spot beside Palmer and her SUV at the mall. “I had lost my faith in men and people in general. If my own parents couldn’t love me, then who would? It wasn’t until I made a desperate phone call to Aunt Carol and I started over in Willow River that I learned I could let myself trust and love freely.”
“He’s so loyal,” I say, speaking about the dedication that Rushton has shown me since the day we met. “If I have to move, he’s going to want to follow me. That’s who he is.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Alyssa asks.
“His family is here.”
“You’re right, but we can love him, love both of you from wherever you live. Declan was ready to follow me back to Florida. He was going to take Blakely away from her support group. He asked me to stay, but he was willing to go.”
“You didn’t let him.”
“My grandma was here, and my parents are nomads. They just needed a spot to dock their RV every few weeks and get some baby snuggles before they roll out again. My best friend and her family were in Florida, but my heart was in Georgia. I don’t regret my decision for a single second,” Kennedy explains. “I know with all that I am, that if that’s what happens. If you have to leave and Rushton goes with you, he’ll never regret it.”
“And before you say it, our family won’t hate you for taking him away,” Ramsey says. “Love harder is literally the second half of our family motto.” She grins as Palmer knocks on her window.
“You ladies ready to shop until we drop?” Palmer asks when Ramsey opens the door.
“Let’s do it,” we all chorus.
I’m glad that the subject is dropped, but they’ve given me a lot to think about. I know that I get lost in my own head, and I push people away. I know that part of the reason is that if I keep them at a distance, they don’t have a chance to leave me. It doesn’t take a shrink to tell me that’s what I was doing with Rushton, but he’s fought me every step of the way. He’s still showing up, and I can deny it all that I want, but my heart didn’t stand a chance.
Have I been wrong all this time? Have I wasted months of nights when I could have been curled up in his arms in his bed or mine? Would the risk really be worth the reward this time around? I can’t unpack all this today. Instead, I shake out of my thoughts and enjoy the day shopping with my friends.
My friends.
It’s not just Rushton that I’ll miss if I have to leave Willow River.
Two hours later, we’re all bogged down with so many bags we have to make a trip to the cars to unload before we do more shopping.
