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“I won’t.”

With that, he gave me a nod and turned to leave. It was hard to close the door on a friendship that I’d had for so long, but deep down, I knew I had no other choice. He’d lied to me for years, and there was no coming back from that. I felt the same way about my mother.

She was my mother. Nothing could change that.

But I’d never look at her the same way again.

She let me believe Holt was dead. She watched me grieve and held me while I cried. I spent years drowning in that pain, and she just let me. She never once considered telling me the truth.

It was a hard pill to swallow.

She was the person I turned to when life got hard. She was someone I trusted. But that trust had been broken, and no matter how much I wanted things to go back to the way they were, I knew they never would.

I would never forget what she did, but in time, I would forgive her.

She would still be a big part of our lives. She was Holt’s grandmother, and she was all we had left of our family. And more than that, she was my mother, and I loved her dearly. I could never turn my back on her, so in time, we would figure things out and find our new normal.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, I was exhausted. Packing up the shop had taken more out of me than I’d expected. I was worn out and ready to call it a day until I got out of the car and spotted Holt and Ford in the backyard. Holt had a baseball glove on one hand and was tossing a ball to Ford with the other. Ford caught it and smiled proudly.

“There ya go,” Holt called out. “See? You’re getting it.”

Ford beamed and puffed out his chest like he’d just won the World Series. And my heart melted right there on the spot.

I glanced over and saw the smoke billowing from the grill. Holt had the picnic table set up with plates and several bags of chips. It was the perfect way to end a long day. I started over to Ford, and he smiled widely as he told me, “I’ve caught six in a row.”

“Oh, really.” I dropped my bag down on the porch. “That’s pretty impressive.”

“Hey, babe.” Holt gave me one his smiles that sent a tingle straight through me. “How’d it go?”

“About like I expected. But it’s done.”

He studied me for a second, then nodded like he knew exactly what that meant. He didn’t press. He just reached out, catching my hand and giving it a squeeze. Ford tossed the ball up in the air and caught it in his glove as he announced, “We’re making burgers and hot dogs.”

“I see that. It smells great.”

“Should be about ready.”

Ford started up the front steps as he shouted, “I’ll get the ketchup.”

I didn’t even think about it.

I walked straight over to Holt. He was at the grill, flipping the burgers when I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed my cheek into his back. I loved the feeling of his body next to mine. I loved how he always smelled of cologne mixed with leather. I loved how me made me feel safe.

Ilovedhim.

I loved him so much it made my chest ache.

Holt stilled for half a second, then let out a low chuckle and turned to face me. “What’s this about?”

“Nothing.” I shook my head against his chest. “I just love you.”

His arms tightened around me instantly, pulling me in and holding me close. He pressed a slow, warm kiss to my neck, and I felt him smile against my skin. “And I love you, but I’ve got cooking to do here, woman.”

“Just one more second.”

Holt chuckled again, softer this time, before he pulled back just enough to look at me. “You good?”

I nodded. “I’m more than good.”

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