Page 124 of Moms of Mayhem
But I did know I’d never be the same again. Not after her.
I brushed the hair out of her face, leaning forward to kiss her. Her lashes fluttered, and her hands tightened on my chest, snuggling closer into my chest.
“Good morning,” she murmured, voice thick with sleep.
“I love you,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them.
Her eyes snapped open like I’d yanked her straight out of sleep and into freefall.
She hadn’t said it back last night, but that wasn’t what this was about. I didn’t say it to get something in return. I already knew how she felt. I felt it in every glance, every touch, every time she looked at me like she wasn’t sure how we got here but was damn glad we did.
Still, I said it again, slower this time. Clearer. “I love you, Emmy Hudson.”
She stared at me, breath catching, her gaze flickering between mine like she was trying to make sense of the words.
“Beckett,” she whispered. “You can’t say that. Not when you’re leaving today.”
I brushed my thumb along her cheek, gently pulling her back into the moment. “That’s exactly why I’m saying it.”
She sat up, the sheet falling to her waist, panic creeping into her voice. “You have to go back. And I can’t go with you. I won’t ask you to stay—I would never?—”
“I know.” I sat up with her, cupping her face in my hands. “You’d never ask. That’s why I needed to say it. So there’s no confusion. No gray area.”
She blinked fast, lips parting like she wanted to argue.
“I’m not giving up my dream,” I said quietly. “But see, my mom has this theory about dreams. The moment you realize there’s something better out there, they change. Still the same, still mine, just more.”
Her lips parted, and I could see the moment the words landed. The way her whole body stilled like she was afraid to believe me.
“You were always part of the plan,” I continued. “I just didn’t know it yet.”
Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over before she could stop them. She pressed a hand to her mouth, then reached for me like she didn’t know what else to do.
“I love you too,” she whispered into my shoulder, voice breaking on the last word. “I didn’t mean to fall so hard. God, I didn’t mean to, but?—”
“But you did,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her and holding her like I’d never let go. “And so did I. So, let’s figure out how the hell we do this.”
Her arms tightened around my neck, her face buried in my chest.
“I want you to chase it,” she whispered. “I want you to get everything you’ve worked for, everything you deserve. I just…”
“I don’t want to do it without you.” I finished the sentence for her. “So, we won’t.”
She pulled back just enough to look at me, eyes rimmed red. “Now, if only you’d quit stealing my parking spots, you’d be the perfect man.”
A laugh stuttered out of me, and I leaned in to kiss her, hope for tomorrow filling my chest. I didn’t know what it would look like, but I knew it would be with her.
I went home to pack, said goodbye to my mom and Shannon, then got Mikko and Logan on the road. Gravel crunched under my tires as I rolled to a stop outside Copper Ridge. Ty’s ranch on the outskirts of town was my last stop,and then I would be following my teammates back down to Denver.
Unlike the Wilder farm, Ty kept everything at Copper Ridge in pristine condition. Fresh red paint coated the barn, neatly kept fence posts lined the property, and the chicken coop practically glowed it was so clean. The only thing that wasn’t perfect was the one-eyed llama staring at me over the fence when I climbed out of my truck.
“That’s Uno,” a little voice said from across the driveway. I turned to see Juniper sitting on Ty’s porch swing in her snow gear. “We got him at an auction last week.”
I chuckled at the name, smiling when Ty stepped outside with a carrot in hand. Rowdy bounced behind him, tail wagging at the sight of me.
“You headed out?” Ty handed the carrot to Juniper. She jumped off the porch, then ran across the snow-laden front yard toward a snowman in progress.
“Yeah.” I pulled at the back of my neck, not sure how to say everything I needed to get out. “Couldn’t leave without saying goodbye though.”
