Page 184 of Ransom

"You literally live a ten-minute walk away."

"I know." The porch light flickers on automatically, illuminating the wind chimes I made. "It's different though." Moving in with Ransom was exciting. And after a bumpy first week, it's just gotten better and better. But leaving this place? That was harder than I expected. "I wanted you to come with us, you know. There's plenty of room."

"Blair." Her voice carries that gentle warning tone she uses when I'm being ridiculous. "I need my own space. And you needed yours with Ransom."

She's right, of course. Doesn't stop me from wanting my best friend closer. Ransom would've been all for it too. In his mind, there is no such thing as too close. And the house is big enough for all of us, that's for sure. There are some rooms in our house I've never even been in. It's ridiculous, but I'm not going to complain because I love that he's here. I love that they're all here.

"I know, I know." I kick at a dandelion pushing through a crack in the sidewalk. "I just miss having you down the hall sometimes."

"Well, you're about to have Max down the hall for the night. That's almost the same thing. Now scoot. Get out of here. Your man should be home soon, right?"

"Right."

I pull her into a tight hug before she can head inside. She feels solid in my arms, warm and real. Not like those days in the hospital when she felt like she might float away. Her curls tickle my nose, smelling of the coconut shampoo she's used since high school.

"You're getting mushy on me again," she mumbles into my shoulder.

"Deal with it." I squeeze harder. There were months when I couldn't hug her at all. When the treatments made her skin hurt so bad that even the lightest touch caused pain. When tubes and wires got in the way. When I thought each hug might be our last.

But here she is. Strong. Healthy. Cancer-free for over a year now.

"I love you, you know that?" I press a kiss to her temple.

"I know." She pulls back, eyes bright with unshed tears. "I love you too. Now go home before we both start crying on the front lawn."

"Wouldn’t be the first time."

"And it probably won't be the last." She wipes at her eyes. "But not tonight. Tonight you're going to go home to that ridiculous house your ridiculous husband built, and I'm going to climb into a bubble bath with a big glass of wine."

"Ok. I'll send your kid home in the morning."

"Perfect." She heads up the steps, pausing at the door. "Blair?"

"Yeah?"

Her smile turns into a smirk. "Try not to make too much noise when my kid's in your house. He told me you and Ransomwere wrestling in the backyard in the middle of the night last week during the sleepover."

Heat floods my cheeks. "That was definitely Ransom's fault. He was wearing those shorts."

"The grey ones?" Maggie waggles her eyebrows.

"You know the ones." I fan my face dramatically. "He knows what he's doing when he wears those."

"At least someone's getting some backyard action." She sighs wistfully. "I miss wrestling."

"Maybe you need a wrestling partner of your own."

"Already on it." She winks. "That's what the bath is for. Got a few prospects lined up on my phone. Time to do some... research."

"Maggie Jones!" I gasp in mock horror. "What would the church ladies say?"

"Probably to save them some screenshots." She cackles, heading inside. "Night, Blair."

"Night, you shameless hussy."

I stroll down the sidewalk, enjoying the chorus of crickets and the soft glow of porch lights. Three houses down, I climb the steps to find Nan and Connie already settled in their rocking chairs.

"Evening, ladies," I settle into the empty rocker between them. "Beautiful night."

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