Page 101 of Ransom

"Here." I shift Noah carefully into her arms. Her face lights up as she takes him, and my chest tightens with emotion. How the fuck did I get so lucky? I won’t ever give her up.

"I keep thinking about how lucky we are,"I sign, my hands free now to express everything in my heart."Look at what we have."

She nods, understanding flowing between us without words. Noah snuggles into her chest, and she strokes his dark hair. "We fought for this happiness, Micah. Just like Ransom's fighting for his now."

"You think that's what he's doing? Fighting for happiness?"

"I do." She catches my hand, pressing it to her chest. "Everyone deserves what we found. Love. Family. Purpose."

"Twenty-five… years?"

"Especially then. Sometimes the heart knows what it wants, even if the mind takes longer to catch up." She lets go of my hand and kisses Noah's forehead. "Look how long it took us to come together. My heart was ready for you long before my mind was."

It took time and patience to bring her to me. There were moments I was afraid I would lose her. But we fought for each other.

My hands move quickly,"But we weren't apart for twenty-five years. We didn't build separate lives."

"No, but we both had to heal. To become ready." She squeezes my knee. "Maybe that's what Ransom needed too. Time to become the person who could love her right."

"Wise,” I say, smiling at her.

She laughs softly. "Not wise. Just happy. And I want that for everyone else too."

I lean in, pressing my forehead to hers, just for a second, needing to feel more of her. Noah makes a small sound between us, and we both chuckle. "Support him?"

"Yes. He needs to know his family stands with him, even if things change."

"Like you stand with me."

Her eyes shine with tears as she nods. "Like we stand with each other."

"Micah's right," Kade says loudly, staring at us. "We need to support Ransom. So how the fuck are we going to do that?"

The room falls quiet as Jonas clears his throat. "I passed my driver's test this morning. The one for large vehicles."

"What is he talking about?" Holly whispers in my ear.

"I can drive a bus now." Jonas straightens his tie. "It seemed prudent given the situation."

Kade's mouth drops open. "The fuck you talking about?"

Nick and Maverick exchange knowing looks. They both need a slap upside the back of their heads for keeping secrets. Assholes.

"What are you planning?"I sign.

"We should go to Badger Falls," Jonas says. "All of us. To meet Blair and support Ransom."

"In a bus?" Dec laughs, an edge of hysteria to it.

Colton perks up. "Actually, I might know some guys. They've got a tour bus sitting idle right now. Really nice setup, bunks and everything."

"You want us to road trip to spy on Ransom?" Cara asks, fighting a smile.

"Not spy," Jonas corrects. "Support. Family supports family."

"He needs time," Janey protests, squeezing Jonas's knee. "Space to figure things out."

"He's had twenty-five years," Kade growls. "Fuck space."

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