Page 77 of Saving Her Heart

---

My good mood evaporates instantly. "Do we have to?"

"William's lawyer is going to come after you. Character assassination, trying to make you look incompetent or vindictive."

I sigh, "I know."

"Morrison and Valerie will testify against him, but they'll try to shift blame to you too so they don’t look as bad as he does."

"I know." I nod as I stare at the floor.

"The prosecutor wants to prep you starting next week."

"I know, Jax. I know all of it." Frustration clearly in my voice.

"I just want you to be ready." He squeezes my hand.

"I'm as ready as I can be." I stand, needing to move. "Can we talk about something else? Anything else?"

"Like where my neon sign is going?" He looks like a kid when he asks.

"It's not going anywhere except into storage." I’m holding firm on this one.

"What about the garage? It would look great in the garage."

"We don't have a garage. We have an assigned parking space."

"The bathroom?"

"Absolutely not. That’s where you want to put the fishing poles."

"You're no fun."

"I'm plenty of fun. I just have taste."

"Ouch." He clutches his chest dramatically. "My vintage sign and I are wounded."

I throw a pillow at him. "Your vintage sign will survive."

He catches the pillow, then lunges, tickling me until I'm gasping with laughter. "Take it back!"

"Never!"

"Say the sign is beautiful!"

"The sign is hideous!"

He tickles harder. "Say it!"

"Fine! The sign is... aesthetically challenged but personally meaningful!"

"I'll take it." He stops tickling but doesn't move away. We're tangled on the couch, breathing hard, and the air shifts.

"Hi," I whisper as I run my fingers through his hair.

"Hi."

He kisses me, slow and deep, and I melt into him. Ten years of lost time, but we're here now. That has to count for something.

My phone buzzes, breaking the moment. It's a text from Sawyer.

---