Page 71 of A Lesson for Laurel

They put it behind them that he wasn’t who she thought in the beginning. It made no difference.

She knew who he was now. It was the man that she found herself slowly falling in love with.

When that thought popped into her head, she put her fist to her mouth. How had that happened so quickly and was she a fool to let herself go?

It didn’t seem as if she had any choice in the matter.

Her phone went off with a text and there was no time to think more of it.

She walked next door and up the front porch. Easton was waiting there holding the door.

He leaned in and kissed her. He’d stayed the night but then left early to go back home and make sure he had everything set and packed.

“Hey,” he said.

“Did you miss me?” she asked. He didn’t normally lean in and kiss her like that. Especially since he’d seen her not that long ago.

“Nope,” she heard. “He is staking his claim. He’s got nothing to worry about. Guess I shouldn’t have said you were hot when he asked me about you weeks ago. I’m Abe.”

She laughed. “Laurel. I hadn’t realized it was you that I’d been waving to and not Easton.”

They did look a lot alike. Though Abe was a bit bigger with some more muscles. Not surprising with the work he did.

“We were confused a lot in school,” Abe said.

“Not likely,” Easton said.

Abe laughed. “I told Easton he has nothing to worry about. I’m not going to sneak over in your bed at night.”

Easton frowned and shoved his cousin. “Asshole.”

She hadn’t expected that. “Don’t worry. I’d know right away. No one is getting in my bed but you.”

“Aren’t you two so sweet,” Abe said. “Makes me feel like a loser having spent almost two months with my mother while my cousin was hitting the sheets.”

She lifted her eyebrow at that comment. “Don’t be a dick. Now you’re just doing it on purpose and I know what it is,” Easton said.

“Why is that?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Easton said. “Or I’ll tell you later.”

“I know you just got home and you two probably have a bunch of things to catch up on. Why don’t you join us for dinner? I’m cooking. Just burgers. Something easy.”

“I’d love to,” Abe said, smirking at Easton. She might have put her foot in her mouth again. Could be he didn’t want his cousin over, but she felt it was the right thing to do.

“Then I’ll see you when you want to eat,” she said.

Easton grabbed her hand and pulled her forward for another kiss and it only caused Abe to laugh.

She returned home and made a potato salad to have with the burgers. That was easy enough.

She was just putting it in the fridge when the back door opened and Easton walked in. “That was fast.”

“Not much to go over. He’ll be here in twenty minutes. I told him to give me time to apologize.”

“For what?” she asked.

“The way he acted,” he said.

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