Page 23 of Spring Forward

“I have regrets,” her face falls slightly before she brushes off the sadness, “but none of them have anything to do with marrying the only man I’ve ever loved.”

“Soon,” Morgan comforts our friend, “you’ll be married to him and then you can get going on having more little Burns babies running around.”

I almost choke on the drink I’m taking and when Morgan looks over at me, she smirks. “You won’t be far behind. Prepare yourself.”

The thought of staying, of settling down with Noel, of having kids with him should have beads of sweat rolling down my back, but it doesn’t. A feeling of rightness wraps around me as we start to giggle together.

Just as Audrey opens her mouth, probably to tease the two of us, the door of The Range opens and the air shifts. I know without even looking that Noel has walked into the bar.

“Looks like they went with taking the boys over to my parent’s place,” Eden whispers out of the corner of her mouth.

Audrey glances at her phone and sighs while sounding put out, “If they would have been here ten minutes sooner, I would have won.”

When strong arms wrap around me from behind, I don’t even look. I don’t need to when my body relaxes without me even needing to think about it. I’ve only ever reacted to one man that way in my entire life.

Noel Burns.

“Having fun, Freckles?” His voice slides over my skin as his lips brush the shell of my ear.

I turn my head slightly and look up to take my man in. Not only is he handsome, but he smells so good. Where his chest is pressed against my back, warmth seeps into me, and my stomach swoops at the contact.

“Fletcher Burns,” Eden scolds, “I was very clear about this being a girl’s night.”

“Oh please, Shooting Star,” he growls and tucks his head into her neck since he’s wrapped around her just like Noel is with me, “you knew it was only a matter of time before we showed up.” He raises his head and looks at me with a smirk. “Don’t worry, August is with Eden’s parents, as is Mack. They were very excited about a sleepover. I heard something about a blanket fort as we were headed out.”

Eden shoots me a look that screams ‘told you’ before she rolls her eyes. “Thanks, Fletch,” I whisper, my voice thick with emotions I’m not ready to examine or name.

Not only have these guys accepted me with open arms, but they’ve done the same with August. It’s almost too much.

And yet, I want more. I want it all.

As if Noel can read my mind, his arm tightens around my waist. “Come dance with me,” he rumbles and pulls me toward the dance floor.

I don’t even try to resist. Why would I?

The rest of the night is a blur of laughter, smiles, dancing, flirting, and fun. It’s the best night I’ve had in a long time, and I don’t want it to end. Not ever.

CHAPTER 10

NOEL

I’m nervous and it has nothing to do with how my parents are going to treat my Freckles. I know they’ll accept her with open arms. It’s just the kind of people they are. What I’m worried about is how nervous Delaney is.

I’ve finally gotten her out of the barn where she’s been trying to hide. Now she’s closed herself in her room to take a shower and get changed. No matter how many times I tried to coax her into showering in the primary bath, she wasn’t going for it.

As much as I would have loved for her to be in my space, it’s probably better she didn’t take me up on the offer. There’s no way I would be able to stop thinking about her in my shower, naked, and all soaped up. It’s hard enough knowing she’s in her room. In mine? Fucking impossible.

I would have been in the shower with her so damn fast it would have made her head spin.

As much as I love having her sneaking down the hall and into my bed most nights, she’s been cautious when August is awake. I get it, really. But I don’t think she’s giving her brother enough credit and it’s not like I allow his presence to stop me from showing her affection.

He confronted me about his sister and how I feel about her. His face was so damn serious when he cornered me not long after I took her out for the picnic where I was finally able to bulldoze past her walls.

“What are your intentions with my sister?” He stared me down, not giving an inch and not at all intimidated about going up against me.

I bent over to look him in the eyes because I wanted to make sure he could see how sincere I was. “Something really amazing happened when you guys pulled up at Limitless the first day,” I admitted. “I fell in love with your sister the moment I saw her.”

He scoffed, “What?”

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