Page 44 of Crazy Love

She waves me off. “I’ll get an Uber home and to work in the morning. Not a big deal. I want to make sure this guy is okay.” She turns around to look at him in the back seat.

“I have plenty of guest bedrooms,” I tell her. “You can stay the night or I can take you home later.”

“I’m not worried about it,” she says, smiling at me before she turns to look at Sam again. “How are you doing back there?”

“Pretty good,” he says.

“You hungry?” I ask, looking in the rearview mirror.

“Yes,” he says emphatically.

It makes me laugh. “I’ve never been so happy to hear you say that. Means you’re feeling better and I can do something about feeding youright now. How about I pick up soup and sandwiches from Starlight Cafe?”

“That sounds so good,” he says wistfully. “And a Moonlight shake from Serendipity?”

“You got it. Coming right up.”

“Now you have me curious about the Moonlight shake,” Addy says.

“It’s chocolate ice cream with peanut butter chunks and chocolate syrup,” he says.

“Sold,” she says, laughing.

“That’s on a dietitian’s approved list?” I tease.

“Chocolate and peanut butter are always on my approved list.”

We’ve missed rush hour, so the drive back to our cute little town is a lot less congested than it usually is on my way back from training camp. Before we reach Starlight Cafe, Tiana is singing on the corner opposite us. I lower my window to hear her better.

“I’ve missed Silver Hills so much,” Addy says.

“Even after living in California?” I ask in surprise.

“I love California, don’t get me wrong. I will always wish I was seeing the ocean. But I missed the seasons here, and I missed the slower pace of life. And Tiana, my God. She just doesn’t age, does she? What potion is she taking?”

I laugh. “I know. She’s a rock star through and through.” I pull in front of the cafe and make sure I have their orders right. “Okay, I’ll be right back.”

“Do you need help getting all that back out?” she asks.

“I can handle it,” I say, and the grin she gives me back makes my heart stutter.

I glance at Sam and he’s smirking at me from the back seat. I point at him and his smile grows. My little sidekick isn’t missing a thing.

When I get back to the SUV, Sam is telling Addy all about the girls at school. Some of the things the guys have said to me about having kids with the women they love comes back to me, because I get a lump in my throat, seeing Sam so happy with Addy.

It’s silly though becauseof courseI don’t love Addy.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here.

I make one more stop at Serendipity and then drive home. As I help Sam get inside, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude—that he’s here, that he’s safe, that I can take care of him now in the way I’ve wanted to for so long.

I glance down at him and despite looking a mess from being hurt, his eyes are peaceful.

“Welcome home,” I tell him.

He leans his head into my chest and hugs me. “Thanks, Penn.”

I have to swallow down the huge lump in my throat. We’ve overcome a huge obstacle. Every step feels like a quiet victory…or at least a huge step in the right direction.

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