Page 56 of Harvest Moon (Riverbend 3)

She gave him a little shove—completely ineffectual. “Stop being foolish, Gavin. App State hasn’t even started yet. You can transfer back and talk to them about reinstating your scholarship. If you call them today maybe they’ll—”

“Slow down there, Jenkins. I’m not going anywhere. I’m playing baseball for Clemson—you know that’s my first love anyway. And I got a nice scholarship. You don’t have to worry about me.” He touched her arm. “But I kind of like that you do.”

She took a breath. Had someone vacuumed the oxygen from the air? “Is it a full ride?”

“Not exactly, but I’ll work it out just fine. You’ll see.”

She huffed. He’d grown up with so much. He didn’t know what it was like to scrape and borrow. “You’re throwing away so much.”

He stepped closer and touched the side of her face, his eyes softening. “I don’t want to lose you, Laurel.”

Her throat thickened and her eyes stung. He’d come here, given up what he wanted forher.Her heart gave a hard squeeze. The thought was heady. But it was also awful because surely he’d come to resent her. “But you’ll regret it. When football season starts and you’re in the stands or down the road when you’re making student loan payments and—”

He set a finger against her lips and waited till he had her full attention. “I love you, Laurel Jenkins. And if coming here is what will get you back... I promise you, I will never regret it.”

His features went blurry as her eyes filled with tears.

“But I’d never want you to feel obligated to me. If you really don’t want this, don’t want us...”

“No,” she squeezed out through a swollen throat. “I do.”

He leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. Every reservation, every fear faded in the wake of his touch. She kissed him like a woman starved for his affection—and that’s exactly what she was. He made her forget everything but her need of him.

Some part inside warned her that was dangerous. But rightnow her need was greater than her fear. She wound her arms around his neck and pressed closer, feasting on him.

A long moment later he drew away, just far enough to meet her gaze. He swept away a tear with his thumb. “Do you still love me?”

Her heart was beating so fast. She tried to make herself remember how hard losing him had been. But her life without him had been so empty. She’d missed him so much. Missed the way he teased her from a bad mood. Missed the gentle way he touched her. But mostly she missed the way he knew her and understood her and loved her anyway.

His brows furrowed as worry flickered in the depths of his eyes. “Laurel?”

She should say the words he wanted to hear—because it was true. Her love for him ran so deep, she thought it might kill her if she tried to root it out. But fear sprang up like pernicious weeds, constricting her lungs and strangling her throat. “I’m—I’m afraid.”

His expression softened as he framed her face with his hands. “Look at me, honey. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’m here now and everything’s going to be okay. We’re going to do this college thing together, you and me. We’re going to go the distance because there is no one else for me.No one.” His eyes lit with affection. “All right?”

Though her heart quaked and her soul trembled, Laurel did the thing that scared her most of all: she decided to trust him.

“All right.”

Chapter23

Gavin had dreamed of this day when he lived in Asheville, and now his dream had finally come to fruition. He maneuvered the trailer into the driveway of the job site. He got out and unhitched it, then went inside to check on the drywallers. Once inside he greeted the crew, then glanced around Robinson Construction’s first custom build, scanning the solid framing he and Wes had done themselves.

He took in a whiff of raw wood and sawdust. He’d missed this smell. This work. Taking a building from the ground up and turning it into someone’s home. It was one thing to do the job for a builder. Another to own the company doing the work.

He took in the rafters overhead, currently being covered with drywall. A dozen men worked, some on the ground, some on scaffolding that reached the cathedral ceiling, and some walking on stilts. A sunbeam sliced through the haze of drywall dust blooming through the house. The whir of screw guns and lively music filled the space, along with the clunking steps of the men on stilts.

His spine lengthened as he surveyed the work. This housewould come in on time and on budget if it was the last thing he did. He’d contracted the electric and plumbing, but much of the finish work he planned to do himself.

Seeing a need, he hoisted a sheet of drywall to a guy on the scaffolding. He didn’t think he’d have time for this today. The harvest crew had shown up at the orchard at first light. Gavin headed out to help but quickly saw his efforts were wasted. The crew could pick five apples to every one of his.

“Let them do their thing, Gavin,” Laurel had said. Even she couldn’t keep pace with the crew and soon left them to their work.

Since Laurel was with Emma and Wes was working his day job, Gavin slid out to the construction site. Unlike his crews in Asheville, Gavin didn’t know this team. Needed to make sure they didn’t cut corners. He scanned the hung drywall. Small gaps between the sheets. Adequate number of screws. So far, so good.

“Hey, Bro.” Cooper, in full uniform, entered through the construction door and winced at the cacophony.

“Hey, Coop. What are you doing here?” Gavin asked when the noise died down a bit.

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