Page 88 of Never the Best

Tears pricked my eyes at his words. I knew he meant them because I felt the same way.

“Me too.”

“That’s not going to change. I know you’re freaked out that I’m moving in with you, and?—”

“You moved in weeks ago,” I scoffed and pushed at his chest.

A laugh rumbled through him. “But you’re freaking out that I’m selling the house, and this willofficiallybe my residence.”

Iwasfreaking out about that. Mine was a small two-bedroom cottage. Would we get on each other’s nerves? Neither of us had ever lived with anyone before, so how would it work?

“How do you know me so well?” I marveled.

“You know me just as well.” He kissed my nose. “Our souls connect, darlin’, and what we have is magical.”

“I know, but I have trouble believing what I know,” I confessed.

“We’re still building trust. You don’t have much for me, and I get it, I messed?—”

I put a hand on his mouth to stop him from talking. “No more of that. We’ve moved past that. It’s not you that I don’t trust, it’s me; I don’t think I’m good enough for you.”

He was about to respond when we heard voices close to the cottage. I quirked an eyebrow, and we both stilled tolisten to who was coming over. Aunt Hattie and Missy texted or called before they came after the one time they found us making out half-naked on the porch. Aunt Hattie also sent us both messages to let us know when the gardener would be around so we wouldn’t embarrass him.

Rhett squinted. “Sounds like Maddie.”

It did. I squeaked and pulled away from him and checked if all my clothing was where it was supposed to be. I threw a pillow on Rhett’s lap.

“Cover that up,” I said, mortified.

He only laughed and stood up to receive our guests, with a hard-on that was thankfully hidden since we wearing loose pants as he almost always did at home.

Maddie wasn’t alone. Alice was with her.Andmy brother, Cash.

My stomach tightened.

Rhett looked at me, cupping my cheek. “You’re going to be fine,” he assured me.

“Yeah?”

“You and me, babe, when we’re together, we can move mountains.”

My nieces bounded up the steps, their excitement genuine and contagious. “Aunt Pearl!” Maddie hugged me.

Alice grinned, peeking at Rhett as he leaned casually against the porch rail. “Hi, Uncle Rhett.”

Rhett smirked. “I’m not quite yet your uncle, at least not officially, but I’m working on it.” He winked at me. I flushed.

Cash stepped onto the porch and shook hands with Rhett. He nodded at me. “Hey, sis.”

“Cash.”

He stood with his hands tucked in his slacks, looking very much like a man trying to find the right words but coming up empty. He looked different—not just older, but smaller somehow. Less sure of himself. Or maybe I felt more confident in my skin.

“Could we”—he finally jerked his head at his girls—“talk, Pearl?”

Rhett waited for me to nod at him, saying that it was okay, I would speak with my brother. It took courage to do that because I was scared that he’d hurt me again, say vile things, and what if I relapsedagain. What would I do then?

But I had to start living, didn’t I? I couldn’t hide, afraid that I’d get hurt.

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