Page 50 of Twice in a Lifetime

I smiled at him and leaned in to press a kiss to his lips. “I can’t think of a better way to spend ten minutes.”

Then we both burst into laughter.

Koda letout a happy bark at the sound of the doorbell, like she already knew who was standing on the front porch.

My heart did a little skip as I smoothed the front of my dress for the millionth time. Rhodes had been right. He’d managed to make me forget all about my nerves, but now that the time had come, they were back with a vengeance.

“I’ll get it!” Avett shouted, skidding around the stairs on his socked feet. Before he could make it, though, Rhodes was there, placing a hand on the top of his head to stop him.

“Sorry, buddy. You have a few more years before you’re the one who can answer the door.”

“But—”

He gave his head a formal shake. “No ‘buts’, buddy. It’s not about you bein’ little or grown. It’s about safety. I take your safety very seriously. Yours and your mom’s and sisters’. Far as I’m concerned, it’s my responsibility, so until your momma and I say it’s time, you wait for one us to answer the door.” Rhodes held his hand out to my son. “Understood?”

Avett took his hand, his face growing serious as he shook it. “Understood.”

Rhodes grinned and ruffled his hair again. When he murmured “Good man,” Avett’s chest swelled so big it was a wonder it didn’t pop.

With that handled—and so brilliantly—he moved past me, pausing long enough to press a kiss to my lips and whisper, “Most beautiful woman in the whole world.” Then he passed by to let his family into our home.

Our home.

The second he twisted the knob, the door burst open so fast I thought for a second it was going to take Rhodes to the ground. He managed to keep his feet under him, but I barely had time to feel relief before three familiar faces came rushing at me like they hadn’t seen me in decades.

“You’re finally here!” Gypsy cried, throwing her arms wide and wrapping them around my neck as soon as she collided with me. Sunny was next, followed by their youngest sister, Holly. The three of them wrapped me in an embrace full of so much love it nearly choked me.

“Hi,” I croaked, doing my best to get my arms around the three of them. Over their shoulders, I saw Marco, Raylan, Raleigh, and Aaron come through the door and lifted my hand in a wave. They chuckled and returned it.

“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that you’re back with my brother,” Sunny said tearfully. “My bestie is finally going to become my sister!”

“Yeah. Now that you’re back we finally have a shot at not being outnumbered by testosterone.”

I giggled just as Gypsy reached up and cupped my cheeks in both hands. Her eyes shone with happy tears.

“I’m so glad you’re finally home, sweetheart.” She cast a look at her oldest brother and smiled. “It’s been far too long. For the both of you.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Blythe

It had been three weeks since the dinner with Rhodes’s family, and the only way I knew to describe how it had been was bliss.

Pure and simple bliss.

I was letting go of the past and keeping my eyes on the future, and I was happier than I could remember being in a very long time. My kids were living their best lives, work was good, I was reconnecting with old friends and making new ones, and I was mending the bonds with my own family after being away for too long. Life was good.

There was just one dark cloud hanging over top of it. And that dark cloud came in the form of a beautiful dark-haired woman with sad eyes who did everything she could to hide herself away from the world while still being forced to exist in it.

Seeing her shrink into herself more and more as the days turned into weeks broke my heart. I would have given anything to be able to help her, but I didn’t know how to get her to open upto me, to ask for help. I’d done everything I could think of, but I was all out of ideas.

The woman in question stood from her chair at the station beside mine and headed out of our little nook. I couldn’t help but notice she was moving gingerly, her motions slower and more careful than usual.

I turned in my chair, my gaze tracking her as she disappeared from sight.

“Keep trying.” Gretchen’s voice broke through the cloud of worry in my head, and I twisted around to look at her. She tilted her chin in the direction Merritt had just disappeared. “We’ve seen you trying to break through. If there’s anyone here who can, it’s you.”

“Do you know what’s going on with her?”

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