Page 45 of Me and Mr. Just Right

But time was up, and it was time to go home.

Lia had packed up her belongings, written a note for the brothers thanking them for everything, and slipped out of the cabin before any of them could wake up. Was she a coward for trying to leave without saying goodbye? Maybe, but she’d always hated goodbyes.

While Rosie pulled up to the dock, Lia took out her notebook to jot down a few lyrics about sneaking away without goodbyes, when she heard a voice call behind her.

“You weren’t trying to slip away without saying goodbye, were you?” It was Jules, a stern look on his face, as all three Forrester brothers walked out to greet her: Jules in the front, Bennett behind him, and Haydn trailing behind like a man facing the judges after a bad performance.

“Uh …” Her cheeks turned hot. She almost never blushed, but yeah. Skipping out on them really wasn’t a good look.

“Come here.” Jules pulled her into his muscular hug, lifting her up off her feet as he did so. His hard chest pressed against her cheek. He patted her hair, which was frizzy and wild from keeping it in braids yesterday. She’d pulled them out and let the curls live their best Alaskan life under Bennett’s bucket hat. She was definitely wearing it in her next short video.

“Haydn mentioned you might need some IP advice. He didn’t give me any details.” Jules pulled out one of his business cards and handed it to her. “Let me know if you want to chat or if you need help finding a lawyer close to you.”

“Thank you.” She tucked the card into her back pocket.

Bennett stood next to Jules, and she stepped happily into his warm, comfortable embrace. Hugging Bennett was like wrapping up in that soft blanket she’d debated sneaking into her bag. He made her feel like a tiny woman, and she knew he’d be a protective bear for the people he loved. He sported a black eye and swollen nose, so at odds with his gentle nature.

Rosie jumped off the boat and walked toward them. Bennett and Jules wrapped their baby sister in a sandwich hug that had her squealing in laughter. “What happened to you?” she asked Bennett.

Lia missed his answer as Haydn walked up to her, his hands in his pockets. The wind tousled his long hair in a way that made her want to stand on her tiptoes and push her fingers through it. She clasped her hands behind her back to keep from touching him.

“So this is it,” she said.

“I guess so.” To her surprise, he reached out to her for a hug. She couldn’t resist tugging at his perfect waist and pulling his body flush with hers. If this was going to be the last time she ever touched him, she was going to go all in. Her face fit right up against his warm neck, right where she could brush her lips against his racing pulse if she thought he wanted her to. Sorrow built up in her until she felt like she might choke on it.

She backed away one step and turned, but his hand hooked on hers, and he drew her back into him. She answered the question burning in his eyes by lifting up her heels to press her mouth to his in a heated kiss. So maybe he wasn’t so immune to her after all.

When she pulled back, she caught Rosie staring at them wide-eyed and speechless. Bennett and Jules had the same happy but smug twist to their identical mouths. Those Forrester mouths were irresistible, but there was only one she wished she could press her lips to again and again.

After that, the goodbyes went quickly, and before Lia was ready, she and Rosie were on the ride back to Petersburg. Homesickness swept through her for a place that was never her home, for people who were never her family. But it felt soright.

“So Haydn, huh?”

Lia cleared her throat. “I wish.”

Rosie gave Lia a questioning look, but Lia stared out at the water and pretended not to see it. How could she explain something she didn’t even understand herself?

Lia watched the island get farther and farther from her, until it disappeared completely on the horizon. She turned forward and let the ocean spray hit her face.

She was ready to face everything she’d run from. She’d slowly let down her armor on that island. Piece by piece, she reconstructed it.

Rosie filled the silence by chatting more about her brothers and then transitioning into her shop. She was working on a new commission for her store, and had been holed up in the backroom until late every night. “The dock is crazy, though. So prepare yourself.”

“Is there an event in town?”

“I don’t think so,” Rosie said. “I haven’t had a chance to investigate.”

The boat drew closer to the marina in Petersburg, and even from a distance, Lia could see what she meant. When she’d arrived in Petersburg, she’d loved how quiet and empty the docks had been. Now they were swarming with people, not unlike the numerous starfish dotting the beach on the Forresters’ island.

Light glinted on something. On multiple somethings.

Cameras. Oh no.

Chapter 22

“Yougoingtomopeuntil we leave?” Jules asked Haydn, kicking at his foot where it hung off his bed.

“Yes.” He was pathetic, lying on the bed that Lia had been in. He’d drawn the line at smelling her pillow. So far. Who knew what would happen tonight when he started toacutelymiss her? Versus justdesperatelymissing her.

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