Page 10 of Choosing You

Sloane: Thanks. I don’t need everyone knowing how messed up I am. Lol!

Ash: You’re not messed up. You’re growing up. Big difference.

Tears stung her eyes as she read that because sometimes it didn’t feel like anyone else got that.

Sloane: Thank you for saying that.

Ash: It’s the truth.

Ash: And I would totally call you right now, but quiet is really important when you’re trying to get a baby to go to sleep.

Sloane: I’m sure.

Right now, she desperately wanted to just ask for a name, but she didn’t want to be rude.

Ash didn’t reply and there were no dancing dots, so maybe she was putting Noah down to sleep. Meanwhile, Sloane’s mind began to swirl a bit with possibilities. She wanted to meet her mystery kisser because…well…the man had some serious kissing skills. But more than that, she just wanted toknowhim.

A name.

An occupation.

Something. Anything!

Phone in hand, she willed her cousin to come back to the conversation.

Five minutes went by, followed by another five, and Sloane figured they were done.

Muttering a curse, she put the phone down and got up to stretch. It was almost midnight, so she should get some sleep—which was probably what Ashlynn was doing. Padding to the guest bathroom, she washed her face, brushed her teeth, and went through her usual nighttime routine before crawling back into bed.

And finding a missed text.

“Dammit!” Scrambling to get under the blankets, she frantically began swiping her phone screen to see what Ash had to say.

Ash: Are you really going to come back for the festival? It’s going to be much smaller than the usual ones.

Sloane: I’m trying to figure out a way to make it work.

Sloane: Now that Hailey’s here and Layla’s here, I hate being so far away.

Sloane: I wish I lived closer.

Ash: There’s a solution to that, you know.

Ash: HINT! HINT!

For a moment, Sloane didn’t get what she was saying, but when she did, she smiled.

Sloane: You mean move here?

Ash: BINGO!

Sloane: My mother would freak out!

Ash: She has three sons, their wives, and a grandchild. Trust me, she’ll be fine.

Would she? Sloane wondered.

Sloane: Let’s just tuck that away for another time, okay?

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