Page 85 of Before This Ends (Before)

“Either works for me.”

Rolling my eyes at the two of them, I call out, “Winter.”

“Yeah?” she shouts from where she’s still under the coffee table, now reading one of her library books to Dolly.

“Broccoli or salad?”

“Broccoli,” she says, and I go to the fridge, ignoring both guys laughing, and pull out a bag of broccoli.

* * *

“If you don’twife her up, I’m going to kidnap her, take her to Vegas, and put a big ass ring on her finger,” Dayton says, looking at Miles while leaning back in his chair and resting his hand on his flat stomach. After cleaning his plate once, then going back for seconds, he must be full.

“Not happening.” Miles smiles at him, squeezing my knee where his hand is resting. “You need to find your own woman.”

“Nah, I’m good.” He shakes his head, and I tip mine to the side.

“Do you ever want to get married or have kids?”

“Marriage and kids aren’t in the cards for me.” It doesn’t sound like a throwaway comment coming from a man who enjoys being single. It sounds like a vow.

I’ve been around long enough to hear Willow and Miranda talk about how he goes through women, but I assumed it was a phase or maybe that he just hadn’t met the right woman yet. Now, I’m not so sure.

“Never say never, brother,” Miles mutters, and Dayton looks at him, shaking his head with a smile on his face, but he doesn’t reply.

Standing, I pick up my plate along with my wine glass and carry them to the sink. I ignore Miles, who I can feel watching me as I rinse my plate and put it in the dishwasher, and then I pick up Winter’s from where she left it on the counter when she went to take a shower and do the same with it.

“Em,” Miles calls, and I look over at him.

“Yes?”

“Dayton and I will clean up.”

“Will we?” Dayton asks, and his brother gives him a look that has him holding his hands up in front of him. “It was just a question.” He laughs.

I shut off the water and dry my hands on the dishtowel hooked over the handle of the dishwasher. “If you’re around tomorrow night, I promised Winter that we would make grilled cheeses and tomato soup,” I tell Dayton, and he gives me a soft smile.

“I haven’t had that since I was a kid. Count me in.”

“Awesome.” I turn to Miles as he walks up to me. I tip my head back and say softly, “If you two’ve got this, I’m gonna go shower.”

“All right.” He hooks me at the waist, then drops a kiss to my lips. “I’m gonna hang with Day for a bit.”

“Of course.” I pat his chest, then accept another kiss before saying goodnight to Dayton and going to the bedroom.

After my shower, I crawl into bed, and as I’m pulling up something to watch on TV, Winter pokes her head into the room with Dolly in her arms.

“Can I come lay with you?”

“Of course.” I hold back the covers, and she climbs up onto the bed, then crawls toward me. “What do you want to watch?”

“Troll Hunters.” She yawns, resting her body along mine with her head on my shoulder, and Dolly settles between us. I flip through until I find her show and press Play. “Emma?”

“Yeah?”

“I like having you here.”

“I like being here.” I kiss the top of her head.

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