Page 23 of Silver Sanctuary
She will be.
At the exact moment Nash sent out his reply, Gunner and Stone’s answers popped into the group chat.
Gunner:
Hawk, stay there with Gage. I’m on it.
Stone:
Leaving the office now.
“Gunner’s going to get some plywood for the window, and Stone’s on his way. He’ll be able to look at that cut and tell us if we need to get you to the hospital for stitches.”
“No. I’m not even really hurt.”
“Yes you are, baby. I’m not going to let you downplay this like you do everything else. I’m going to make sure you’re taken care of.”
“Why are you calling me that?” She wrapped her arms around her body, leaning away from him.
“What?”
“Baby? Sweetheart? Why are you being so nice to me? Can’t you see that I’m poison? You should go, before the town turns on you for being near me.”
Nash got down on the floor and sat with his hip pressed against her leg. Fuck. He’d been biding his time. Dealing with the painfully slow progress he was making, getting her to open up. He’d wanted to kiss the hell out of her after their date, but Embrie had been there and he’d known it wasn’t the right time. She’d kissed his cheek at Dolly’s, and he wasn’t ashamed to say he’d thought about that all fucking morning. Now seeing her hurt… watching her doubt him and his intentions… he just wanted to say fuck it.
Yeah.
Fuck it.
Nash reached up, his thumb dusting off little specks of dirt from her cheek. Then slowly, so slowly he thought his heart was going to thump right out of his chest, he guided her head towards his. Their lips were nearly touching when he felt her melt into him, and that was all it took.
Nash tried to kiss Lacy with every ounce of restraint he had, because he wanted her to know how precious she was to him. But that all went out the window the minute she started kissing him back.
Because it suddenly didn’t feel like he was sharing a first kiss with the single mom who ran a flower shop in the small Texas town he called home. It felt like the first time his grandfather had set him up on a horse and he went running through the back field at his ranch, cold mountain air whipping him in the face. It felt like the first time he flew solo after getting his pilot’s license, soaring high above the buildings and landmarks he’d grown up around. It felt like the day he knew he’d made it into the SEAL ranks. When he stood by Gage’s side as he married Mel. The first time he held Mikey, andSage. It felt familiar, like the last time he’d been back to the ranch…
Softly, Lacy pulled back, her fingers lingering across her lips as if she was trying to memorize the way the kiss had felt. She didn't have to worry about committing anything to memory, though, because one single taste of her and Nash knew he was addicted. There would never be a time when he would have his fill of her.
“I’m not going anywhere, Lacy. Not without you in my arms. I hope what we just shared shows you that.”
Her watery eyes looked up at him in surprise. “Why?”
He didn’t understand why it was so important for her to get it. For her to know that he felt the undeniable pull they’d been dancing around for months since he first walked into Petals. “I think you know why.”
“I really don’t, Nash. I don’t understand why you’re so nice to me. I’m a single mom who hasnothinggoing for her. I live in a trailer with a landlord who laughs at me when I ask him to fix something—anything—in a place that should probably be condemned. I can barely afford to feed Embrie, let alone pay you back for all the EpiPens you bought and the gear for soccer. The only reason we’re still going is because she collapsed into my arms and begged me after that first practice to let her stay on the team. Can you imagine that? The profound impact you’ve had on my baby? She told me even if she had to just sit on the bench because she didn’t have the right things to wear, she just wanted to go.”
“I’m failing her, over and over. I came to Silver Springs thinking this would all work out. Surely, enough time must have passed! I’d start my business and people would be at least ordering for holidays, birthdays, weddings… anything. But you know what? There’s honestly only one thing keeping me going right now.” She laughed, but there was only sadness in her eyes. “It’s this Navy SEAL with the most blinding smile, who buys more flowers than he needs every week for his office and who keeps showing up to save me. You’re the only customer keeping my business afloat at this point and I just don’t… I don’t even have the money to fix that glass, or to replace the first aid kit. I don’t get what you see?—”
Nash moved his hand up to Lacy’s face, tucking a curl back behind her ear.
“Lace, don’t you get it? I’d buy every single flower in here from you, every single day, if I thought you would let me.”
“Why?”
“It hasn’t been clear this whole time?”
“It doesn’t matter—itcan’tmatter. I’m done, Nash. I’m going to close the shop and leave. I’m not supposed to be here. It was foolish to think that I could come home.”
“Stop.” Nash ground his teeth together. “Don’t say that. If this is where you want to be, you can sure as shit bet that I’m going to make sure you get to stay.”
