“Nah, she’s hooked on you. Ain’t no one taking this girl from you, big bro.” Reed winks, making me giggle as the server comes to take our drink order. After sharing the specials with us, I order a sweet tea while the boys order beers to start.

  “You waiting on a call or something?” Theo nods to Reed's phone, the one he’s been staring at since we sat down.

  “Would you believe me if I said no?”

  “Not a chance.” The server arrives with our drinks, and they both take big gulps before Reed begins to pick at the label of his bottle.

  I lean my head on Theo’s shoulders, and when I sense him tilt his head to kiss me, I lift up to catch his lips. I can feel his grin as he pulls away.

  “You two are lovesick,” Reed comments with a smile on his face. “I have this new neighbor,” he finally reveals. “She’s different. Sad. Really fucking sad. I’ve tried to stay away. She pushes me away, but I can’t fucking stop thinking about her.” Leaning back, he pinches the bridge of his nose.

  “What’s her name?” I ask. She sounds a lot like me, and it’s painful to think about.

  “Hope Carson.” He smiles at the mere mention of her name. I’d say he’s smitten with the girl already.

  “Hey, folks, any idea what you’d like to order?” The perky server pops up out of nowhere, sending my heart up into my throat. I think Theo senses it because he turns to face me and captures my eyes with his until I focus on him.

  After a minute, I’m able to breathe again, and they order a couple of appetizer platters that have a little bit of everything on them for us to share.

  “Have you taken her on a date yet?” I ask Reed, needing to focus on something other than my panic.

  He grimaces. “Yes.”

  “What happened?” Theo asks before I can.

  “The date went fine. We talked, but I could tell she was having trouble with something. I’m just not sure what,” he explains.

  “Then…” There’s something more.

  “The next night, Hope ordered some Chinese and brought it over.” He appears pained thinking about it. “Carla was there.” His head drops to his chest.

  “Who’s Carla?” I gaze between the brothers because I felt Theo tense at her name.

  “His ex,” Theo answers for him.

  “More like my ex-ex. She can’t or won’t let go.”

  “So, what happened?” I can already tell this is not going to be good.

  “Carla acted like Hope was a delivery person, took the food, kissed me, and slammed the door in her face.”

  “Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for you then,” I say, but Theo is laughing out loud, right at his brother.

  Throwing a bread roll at Theo’s head, Reed scolds him. “Shut the hell up, man. The girl is a first-class fucking clinger, and now she’s ruined shit with Hope.”

  “Have you tried talking to Hope?”

  “I’ve banged on her door until my fists bruise. She calls her brother, who is a fucking beast of a man. I’ve texted and called until her voicemail is full, but I think she blocked my number. I’ve now resorted to slipping a note under her door to explain. I can only hope she doesn’t rip it up before reading it.”

  “Heartbreaking,” I murmur.

  “Why does that sound sarcastic?” His gaze narrows as he points a finger at me.

  “Have you thought about calling her from another number?” Reed's mouth opens and closes, shock filling his eyes. Rolling my eyeballs, I grab his phone and mine and head down to the boardwalk.

  Without thought, I dial the girl's number. When her timid voice answers, I can’t help but smile. “Hi, Hope, my name is Lola Bishop. Do you have a moment to talk?”

  “Oh, umm, I guess?” She doesn’t sound so sure.

  “You can call me back at your convenience,” I suggest, knowing she might be confused.

  “Now is fine,” she replies.

  “I’m a friend of Reed Burkhart.” The silence is deafening.

  “Oh.” So much defeat in the single syllable. It breaks my heart.

  “Are you alright? I'm here if you'd like to talk.” I’m not trying to fix their problems, but I get the feeling Hope is as alone as I often feel. Sometimes an anonymous voice can provide more support than a close friend.

  Her broken, “No,” response has me sitting in the sand and listening to her cry, allowing this poor woman to purge the emotions that have been crowding her mind and heart for who knows how long. I sense she’s got more going on than Reed is aware of.

  Theo

  “She sat down. That can’t be a good sign,” Reed says, unable to take his eyes off Lola as she calls his girl.

  I was surprised Lola decided so easily to make the call to Hope. And yet, it’s entirely in line with her character. She’s always been able to make friends wherever she's gone, and now is no different. It doesn’t seem to matter that she hasn’t even met the person in question.

  “Tell me more about this Hope.” I can tell by my brother's behavior that Reed is suspicious of something. Doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing, just that something is going on with her.

  “She moved in a couple weeks ago. It’s only her brother and his friend that come over. She doesn’t leave much. And there’s something about the way she looks at me. One minute she’s confused, and the next, she stares blankly through me.” Taking another swig of his beer, Reed watches Lola in the sand. “Hope's in my blood, man. I’ve never looked at a woman and instinctually known she was mine. But Hope is. Completely.”

  Staring down at Lo, I know exactly how he feels. “Trust me, I know.” Lola makes me feel alive again. Like my life isn’t just one risky mission after the other now.

  “When are you going to ask her to marry you?” Reed voices.

  “I’d ask her today if I thought she was ready.” I’d marry her now if she said yes. I’d do anything for Lola, including holding off on things that I want with her until she wants them too.

  “How do you know she isn’t?”

  I turn to meet his stare. “Because she’s still broken on the inside. Her heart is a mess of feelings that she has yet to discern. When she’s ready, she’ll tell me.”

  “How do you know?” It’s not often Reed and I have these heart-to-heart talks, but man, when we do, we sure go for the heavy stuff.

  “'Cause that’s how Lo is. When she sees something she wants, she goes straight for it. No holds barred. Right now, she needs to heal her mind and body. Once that’s done and she’s processed her grief, I’ll have a ring on her finger so fast you’ll get whiplash.”

  “Wish I knew Hope that well,” Reed responds as I see Lola walking back up to us.

  “What happened?” I demand as I see tearstains down her cheeks.

  Walking into my arms, she wraps her arms around my waist and pulls me close. “Thank you for loving me,” she whispers, and I know that whatever they spoke about must have been incredibly heartbreaking.

  Tilting her chin up with a finger, I graze my lips across hers briefly before saying, “It’s my pleasure.” Her smile lights up her eyes, and I feel relief blossom in my chest. Lola has always been different, processed life unconventionally, and right here, right now, in this moment, I know she’s going to be alright. She will move forward with her life.

  “Here we go, folks.” The server is back with three huge platters of food as we sit back down. After refilling our drinks and bringing a water for Reed and me since we're driving, she’s gone again.

  “I’m dying here, Lo. What’d she say? Is she alright?” Reed leans forward, ignoring the food in front of him.

  “That girl.” Lola shakes her head, and I can see the empathy she feels for the other woman. “She’s had more than her share of sorrow in her short life. You’re going to need a lot of patience, Reed.” He nods his head, obviously already realizing that. “Just do me a favor.”

  “Anything.”

  “Don’t move forward with her if you plan to leave. If you can’t commit before pursuing her, just stop right now and walk away.” Tears pool in her gaze, and I can tell that whatever she learned from their conversation, she’s not going to spill to either of us.

  “I’m in it for the long haul,” he vows, and I can tell he’s serious.

  “Don’t give up on her. Don’t stop texting her or calling her. Leave her messages. Slip her notes. Show her that you’re not scared off easily.”

  “So, she hasn’t blocked me?” Lola shakes her head no, and he immediately picks up his phone and sends her a message. Relief covers his face. “I get the feeling you won’t tell me what she said to you.” Lola shakes her head no. “Can you, at least, tell me if she’s interested in me?”

  “She is.” Lo’s smile is contagious. “But there are things, do a little research, because she has some trouble with her emotions.”

  Reed watches Lola for a beat, processing what she's said before nodding.

  Leaning into my girl, I kiss her neck, whispering in her ear, “Fucking proud of you, kitten.”

  The rest of dinner is filled with light conversation. Reed clues Lola in on some of the dumb shit we did as kids, and as the sun begins to settle on the horizon, I can feel Lola’s energy waning and decide it’s time to get her back to the cabin before we fly home in the morning.

  The three days we were able to spend here together is exactly what Lola needed, and I’m glad I convinced her to do it. The only trouble is, that once we’re home, it's inevitable a mission is going to come up, and it’ll be time for me to leave her again.

  All her fears will manifest in her nightmares, and I won’t be present to chase them away.

  “Thanks for the cabin, little bro.” I pull Reed in for a hug. “We need to get you up to Charleston soon.”

  “Once I’ve got shit figured out with Hope, we’ll be there.”

  “Deal.”

  “Thanks, Reed.” Lola wraps her arms around his neck, and I can feel the possessive growl grow in my throat. Not liking another man’s arms on her.

  My brother laughs while Lo rolls her eyes as she pulls away.

  Waving goodbye to Reed as he heads back home, and hopefully to Hope, I watch Lola for a moment. She appears more relaxed than when we arrived, and I can tell that focusing on someone else’s problems has helped her immensely. It’s going to take a lot of time for her wounds to fully heal, but I can tell she’s on the right path.

  And I couldn’t be happier about being on this journey with her.

  15

  Lola

  “Last Time I Say Sorry" by Kane Brown & John Legend

  By the time our plane lands, and we’ve gotten Theo’s car from airport parking, it’s past lunch, and Nix is blowing up my phone with messages. We were supposed to come home yesterday but decided, last minute, to stay one more day. He wasn’t pleased about me leaving to begin with, let alone being gone even longer.

  My brother is beyond protective when it suits him, and while I understand to a point, I think it’s high time he loosens the strings and remembers he’s my brother, not my father. He’s played that role for half my life, but I miss my brother. The one who used to come home on missions and tease me, take me to movies and shopping. I miss the easy-going manner of our relationship, and now that I’m grown, I need that back. I don’t want to push him away, but I’d like for us to have a less invasive and more personal relationship, I suppose.

  “Do you think we could stop by my place before going back to yours?” Theo's parents are still at his townhouse, and I’ve been living out of his drawers and a suitcase for nearly three weeks now. I’d like fresh clothes and some of my things.

  “Sure.” He looks from me to the road a few times before I grin and tell him to relax.

  “I just want my stuff, Theo. I’m not going anywhere.” Reaching a hand over the console, he places it on my thigh, twisting his fingers in the holes of my jeans, so his skin is on mine.

  Turning my head, I hide my grin from him. If he knew how happy the possessive move made me, he’d have me sitting in his lap.

  “Move in with me.” His words come out of nowhere, causing me to shut the Kane Brown song off on the radio so I can hear him properly.

  “Say that again, Theo.”

  “Move in with me.”

  My chest is ready to explode with excitement, crowding with my love for him.

  “Are we ready for that?” I ask him instead of immediately saying yes. I have to give him an out. It’s still so surreal to me that we’re a thing. That he loves me and wants me long-term. Everything good in my life has always been ripped from my grasp like the bullet that tore through my body.

  “Aren’t we?” he counters. “I’ve known for a long time exactly what I want from you, kitten, and there’s not a damn thing that will sway me from my end goal.”

  “End goal?” I repeat. “What is that, exactly?” My age is showing with my uncertainty, but I know he understands. And he proves it with his next words.

  “I’ve always wanted a family, Lo. Marriage, babies, that’s always been my plan. What wasn’t in the plan was the woman I would have those things with.” We pull up outside my apartment building, and Theo turns to face me. “You’ve been in my life for so long, it took your drunk confession for me to see the whole picture, and when I did, fuck was it glorious. I saw a little girl who looked like her mama. A boy with my wild spirit but his mama’s loving heart. I saw you, Lola, at my side until the day I die.”

  “Theo.” My throat is clogged at his beautiful words.

  “I know you’re not there yet. Life has thrown some huge fucking curveballs at us, but when you are, I know you’ll tell me, and that’s the day I’ll have a ring on this finger. I can’t say there won’t be a baby in your belly before then, though, because we sure as hell haven’t been careful.”

  “Oh my gosh.” I hadn’t even thought about that after the first time. I always get so lost in this man.

  “It doesn’t matter if you tell me today, tomorrow, or ten years from now, kitten. I’m yours, and you’re mine. Nothing is changing that for us.”

  Swallowing, I can only say, “Okay.”

  With his cocky grin and the nod of his head, I realize Theo knew that’s what I was going to say, and I know he is already planning for me to move in with him.

  I watch as he climbs from the car and immediately circles around to my side, opening the door. I always get a little flutter in my chest from the chivalrous move. He’s so manly.

  “Will your house be large enough for two children?” I pointedly look him up and down. Theo is not a small man at over six feet tall and more than two hundred pounds, I’m sure.

  “Two? Baby, you think I’m stopping there?” His husky chuckle at my wide-eyed stare is contagious as we walk into my building.

  An ominous feeling washes over my carefree demeanor as all the memories of coming here with Sam invade my mind. He was as much a staple at my place as I was in his, and memories of us together begin to surface. Theo must sense it because he slows down as we get closer to my front door, and he pulls me into his side.

  “We shared a lot of laughs here. A lot of drunken nights. And a couple of broken hearts.”

  “Broken hearts?” I can feel his frown as he unlocks the front door, pushing it open for me to enter first.

  “Sam fell in love a lot. Moved on just as quickly, too,” I respond as he closes the wood behind him.

  “And you?”

  I wink at his subtle dig before answering. “Only every time you left.” His face is somber as he stares at me.

  “You know I’ll always do my best to come home, right?” I nod. I do know. But It doesn’t make it any easier when he leaves. I’m terrified of what will happen now, however.

  Staring down at my feet, I have to take a steadying breath before I ask, “You’ll call or text more, right? The way Ryder and Foster do? Saying you landed, or you’re on your way home.”

  “No, baby.” I try to fight my tears, but they fall as he has me look at him. “I’ll FaceTime you. I know you need it more personal. I know you'll need to see me just as much as I’ll need to see you.”

  I don’t hesitate as I push up on my toes to smash my mouth against his. I bite his bottom lip, so he’ll open for me. For once, I’m the aggressor, and Theo allows me the control I’m desperately seeking.

  Dragging me into his body, he backs me up until I’m flush with the wall in the hallway. Picking me up, he grinds his hardness into my core, and as always when he touches me, I’m ready to ignite for him.

  His hands brush along my spine, lifting my shirt as he moves, and I vibrate with anticipation. There’s nothing on this earth I love more than Theo’s touch.

  When he pulls away, though, I whine deep in my throat.

  “Not now, kitten. Later. Let’s get your stuff and get you settled at home. Tonight, though, you’re all mine.” With a tender touch, he brushes the hair back from my face, and I melt into him. Even when he says no, I can’t help but do as he asks.

  “Later,” I agree.

  We make quick work of tossing the essentials into my two large suitcases and decide to wait to pack everything else up. I know it won’t take longer than a day or two because the furniture can be donated. It’s only personal items I want.

  On the road again, we stop for coffee. When I sigh after taking a sip of the cold brew, I see Theo adjusting himself out of the corner of my eye and bite my lip to stop myself from doing it again. I can also see him shaking his head at me.

  “Sorry,” I whisper into my straw. I’m not, actually. I have no clue why that move was so sexy to him, but he’s got all my girly bits fluttering with desire to see him do it again.

  Realizing I can make him so uncomfortable is a heady feeling. Especially since he does it to me with a scorching hot look every other second. The man is deadly with his blue eyes and smoldering looks.