Page 70 of Finding A Way Back Home

“How about you, teach?” Charlie asked as we walked through the open free weight space. “Haven’t heard you talk about Sarah in a few weeks. You doing alright?”

Smiling as I realized I hadn’t so much as thought about my ex since Vegas, I smiled and said, “Never better,” and pushed open the door to the daycare so we could spring Sterling and June out of baby jail. With the woman behind that ‘never better’ in mind, I suggested, “Anybody else need a cup of coffee?”

One thing I’d always loved about El was her capacity to dive so deeply into her focus that a war could start while she was working, and she wouldn’t even know. She never even bothered to look up as the seven of us came into the Grizzly Grind, Rhyett’s coffee shop on the harbor, and made our way to the counter to order. Kara, the sweet little blonde behind the counter, beamed down at Sterling and June as they bounced on their toes, blushing a little when she looked up at Jake and Charlie. She held her shit together, though, which I always thought was admirable.

“Hey, guys! What can I get for you?”

We rattled off our orders one at a time, but it wasn’t until I stepped up to the counter and into El’s periphery that her head snapped up, her smile stretching wide before she waved enthusiastically at the other four. “Long time no see,” she quipped. “A whole twelve hours, and you’re all back together. Why am I not shocked?”

“Thought we’d burn off those mashed potatoes of yours,” I said, leaning an elbow onto the bar to prop myself up.

She canted her head before asking, “Basketball morning?”

“Yeah, took a steam after,” Axel added. Nobody else seemed to notice her eyes flick to me.

“You in here working on a holiday weekend, El?” Charlie said, grinning. “Leave the no personal life up to first responders, cuz.”

“No rest for the wicked,” she chirped, standing and stretching out her back before squatting down to talk to the kids. The guys were chattering about Paxton’s game yesterday, but I was stuck, mesmerized by Elora.

Our orders came out at the same time, and I lifted my to-go cup in salute. “Good bumping into you,” I said as the guys finished taking turns giving her big bear hugs.

“As always,” she said back, fighting that smile teasing the corners of her lips. “What else is on the agenda today?”

“Eh, we’re all taking off, heading home,” Jameson said with a hand on her shoulder.

“Grabbing groceries to make Grandma’s curry tonight, then try to be in bed by eight,” I said, hoping I achieved some sense of nonchalance.

“Nice, nice,” she said, patting her brothers on the back as she walked our huddle to the door. The guys all filed onto the street, but as I walked past her, she said, “Can I bump into you again later?”

“In a town this small?” I smirked in her direction as I stepped onto the sidewalk. “Inevitable, don’t you think?” Fuck me. Her smile took my breath away.

“Inevitable.”

Elora

Five days weren’t enough. I’d been well aware that it wouldn’t be when I’d booked my flights, but it didn’t make it any easier to wake up in Broderick’s arms Monday morning, knowing our stolen days were over. From movie nights to his family’s century old South African curry recipe that brought tears to my eyes and made me sweat a waterfall, to a Sunday brunch whipped up on that magnificent island, with his arms around my waist, it was the cruelest blink at bliss.

Then it was over.

We couldn’t even share a proper goodbye, because the town was too damn small to get away with it. So, I begrudgingly allowed Jameson to drive me to the airport and brushed off his concerns about my panicked resting bitch face as he set my suitcase on the scale. He’d wrapped me up in a great bear hug before holding me at arm's length.

“You’re welcome home any time, El. You know that, right?”

“Yeah,” I said, nodding and trying to ignore the stinging at the bridge of my nose. Home. Home was six feet of long, lean muscle and rich brown skin, a laugh that carved a grin on my face, and a breathtaking smile that lit my core on fire. “Yeah, I do. Thanks, James.”

He stooped, like he could compensate for being six-foot-four. “You sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah,” I said, mustering a smile and a nod. “I get to see Pax when I’m in Chicago in a couple of weeks. That’ll be nice.”

“Yeah,” he said, but the pinch in between his brow said I hadn’t convinced him. Hug him for me.”

“Will do.”

“Fly safe, El.”

Mara

Awe, poor bébé is homesick?

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