Page 74 of The Homecoming

Rebecca stared at her and shook her head. “I can’t.”

“Was it any good? Was it just a like a little peck, or was it a full on tongue down each other’s throats situation?”

Rebecca pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger, pink blossoming across her cheeks before she finally admitted defeat. “Tongue,” she whispered.

Both Hannah and Autumn dissolved into giggles.

“I knew it,” Hannah said. “Guys like him are pretty uninhibited. So, it was good then?”

Rebecca’s embarrassed smile and reddened cheeks told the girls it wasquitea good kiss.

“Why don’t you go out with him, then?” Hannah asked. “Bet he’d rock your world in the sack.”

“We’re just friends. And I’m not sure I like this side of you.”

“Have you seen him shirtless?” Hannah asked, ignoring the comment.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Autumn asked.

“Oh, it’s definitely nice and cut under that shirt,” Hannah said.

“You’re married now,” Rebecca said.

“Well, I’m not blind, and I don’t have to forget seeing Weasel shirtless last year. And Ihighlyrecommend it.”

Now they all laughed, even Rebecca.

“How am I supposed to see him shirtless? Go up and tell him to take his shirt off?”

“He’d be naked so fast your head would spin,” Autumn admitted.

Hannah laughed. “That’s so true.”

Rebecca shook her head. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter. We’re only friends. Now, can we please watch the movie?” She turned up her glass of wine.

Hannah and Autumn exchanged looks, knowing they would get her to admit the truth eventually.

38.

Something had broken the stillness in Autumn’s bedroom and awakened her. A dream? Danny in his crib across the hall? She laid still and listened for any other movements but heard nothing. The house sat quiet, but there was someone else there; she could feel it. A floorboard in the old cabin creaked. Autumn held her breath and slipped out of bed, reaching for the bow left in the chair before pressing an arrow in and drawing back the bowstring with her fingers. Weapon drawn, she tiptoed her way to the door where a large, dark shadow appeared at Danny’s bedroom door—a man.

She stepped into the hallway and shouted, “Get away from the door.” The shadow turned and apparently had better night vision than she did, because he jumped back.

“Shit,” the male voice exclaimed.

It sounded familiar.

He stumbled backward and bounced off the wall, falling against the back door until he found the light switch.

The hall light illuminated Daniel in military fatigues. “Where the hell did you get that?”

Autumn didn’t move or drop the weapon. “Why the hell did you break into my house?”

He stared at the arrow pointed right at him, nodding at it. “Mind lowering that, please?”

She slowly lowered and disengaged the arrow. Danny’s cry rang out from behind the closed door and Dan’s face went visibly pale.

She growled. “Gah, you woke him up.” She sat the bow against the wall and walked past Daniel into the baby’s room. Were Dan’s wide eyes and slack jaw the result of having an arrow aimed at his chest mere moments ago, or the baby crying from his bedroom?

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