Page 116 of Scent of Home

Erin shrugs in response to my silent question and follows Locke with a little wave.

“I need to go do a couple of hours’ work in the shop, catch up on a few jobs. Make sure Benny’s not running things into the ground.” Bray glances around. Holly waves at him, and, I swear, he does a double take. “Freaking weird,” he grumbles and elbows me when I laugh.

When he grabs onto me to stay upright, I kiss him quickly and step back, forcing myself to ignore the adorably soft expression.

“Shane and I will refill our supplies. Get everything ready. For home.” It feels weird saying that, but I love it.

“Let me know. I might bring the bike up,” Bray says. “If Karma is unhappy staying with Benny, I’ll grab her, too.”

I pause and peer at him. Emotions threaten to choke me. “Thank you, Bray.”

He shrugs his shoulders. “It's nothing.”

“It’s everything,” I argue.

His cheeks turn ruddy, and he clears his throat. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

Bray steps back again before finally turning and walking away. I watch him the whole time.

“I don’t know how we lived here for five years thinking that there was nothing between us.”

Shane brushes his shoulder against mine. “I don’t know, either.”

“Do you think they’re magic?”

“Who?”

“Erin and Locke. They walk into our lives, and I don’t even know who I am anymore, but I don’t even care. Like magic.”

Shane chuckles. “Come on, let’s go get the groceries.”

I follow Shane down the street to the grocer. It takes us an hour and costs seven times more than my own personal shop ever has. There’s a girl with purple hair in the back of the store looking at magazines.

Richie Simms smiles at me as I push the trolley past him. “You look really good, Finn.”

“I’m happy, Richie.”

“Man, that is so awesome.” Richie is about ten years older than me and married to a beta he met on a trip to the city. “I was rooting for you.”

Shane unfolds himself from his trolley and looks up. Just from the way he smiles, I know it’s one of the pack.

“Erin?” Shane says with a sigh.

I whip around, grinning. “Where’s Locke?”

“We’re meeting him at the diner. Come have lunch with us.”

“We have to put the groceries in the car,” I protest.

“I’ll do it!” Richie volunteers.

After a quick argument that I lose, I hand him the keys. Erin drags me by the hand back to the diner. People look up when I enter, but no one really pays me any attention, except Eustice, who waves.

“What’s going on? Have the aliens taken the town?”

“Oh, you’re old news. Doctor James is back from the city, and he has gossip!” Erin says with a wink that makes me want to drag her out to the car, shove her inside, and drive us out to the nearest secluded patch of forest.

Locke is wrapped around a chocolate thick shake, his eyes rolling. I sit down opposite him and watch. My dick twitches and starts to get hard.

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