Page 8 of Major Love

He sighs quietly, hunches forward, and then says, “Hey, little scoop.”

And hearing that deep, quiet voice saying the nickname he gave me when we were kids – ‘little scoop’ because I was shorter than him, and as sweet as a scoop of ice cream sundae – is almost enough to bring tears to my eyes. But I rub quickly over my heart, willing away the sting of how much I truly miss him.

He’s been in the military for almost two decades now and, secretly, I’ve been hoping that he’ll start to think about retiring.

I readjust my legs on his couch, smacking a cushion behind my back so that I can get comfy.

Casey watches me for a moment in silence and then suddenly blinks in surprise.

“Is that… my couch?” he asks disbelievingly, leaning forward as his tan brow creases.

He already knew that I was hauling ass out of Nashville, but where I was goingtohadn’t exactly been discussed.

“Um, maybe,” I admit. “Unless you don’t want me staying here, of course.”

He immediately shakes his head, his frown deepening as he watches me.

“Of course you can stay, Sunday. Stay as long as you need. Just need to know when you plan on telling me exactly what happened down in Nashville.”

“Do you have time now?” I ask, feeling a little shy all of a sudden. And there have only ever been two guys who have had that effect on me.

One being Casey, because he’s so protective.

And two…

My lashes flutter against my cheeks as I pretend to inspect my pretty baby blue nail polish.

The only other guy who I felt safe enough to be vulnerable around left the small town of Phoenix Falls exactly one year before I did.

And knowing the path that he’d chosen for himself is exactly why I never came back.

It’s one of the two huge reasons why I left in the first place.

Because there’s nothing more heart-wrenching than waiting around for someone who – through his own humbling selflessness – might never make it back home to you.

Casey breathes in a deep inhale, giving me a patient nod as I glance up at him.

“For you?” he replies. “I’ve got all the time in the world.”

“Okay,” I breathe out, smoothing my hands over my dress as I psych myself up to explain what the heck happened in Nashville. “So there’s good news, and there’s bad news,” I admit, a little more confident than before.

Casey’s right eye subtly twitches but he nods again, dropping his forearms on the table in front of him as he waits for my explanation.

“Already can guess the good news,” he rumbles. “Just give it to me in order.”

I hold my breath for a second and then the truth explodes out of me.

“I sold the bar,” I say quickly, my voice light with nerves as I rip off the Band-Aid.

Casey’s intense eyes soften and a hint of pride dents the deep hollow of his tan cheek.

“It was time,” he says gently, knowing how much of a big deal the bar was to all of us. For him. For me. For our mom and our step-dad.

Mom had moved with me to Nashville once I graduated high school, but now she’s in Montana living at a ranch with some of her closest friends nearby.

She had zero intentions of moving on after Cash, but she knew that she needed a change of scenery. So when she was offered the job over in Montana I’d encouraged her to go.

Plus, it’s not so far from Phoenix Falls, and I know it makes her feel closer to Cash.

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