Page 117 of Love in the Storm

She sat beside him, but she didn’t know where to start or what to say. “Thanks for saving me” would be a good start, but the words wouldn’t come out.

Asa wrapped her hand in both of his. Seeing her small hand in Asa’s now made her feel like a child being saved by a parent. He’d known what to do and say, and he’d kept her from spiraling today.

Now, she didn’t know what came next for them.

He brushed circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. “I took Wendy home a few minutes ago. She said she’ll call you tonight. We did a lot of talking while she waited for me to get off work. She’s strong, but she’ll still need help. I told her we’re here for her.”

We.That word sounded so good comingfrom him.

“You’ll still have to come to the hearing, but Camille will be there to represent you.”

Lyric bit her lips between her teeth. He was saying all the right things, and she didn’t know how to process any of it. Kindness after kindness. That’s all she’d known of him, but there had to be a limit. When would it be used up? What would come next to drag them back into the awful past?

Asa stood and pulled her to her feet. His strong arms wound around her, wrapping her in warmth. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

“I’m sorry I put you in that situation. I didn’t know it was there. I didn’t know Wendy had it. I–”

“It’s over, and we’re both okay. Wendy is going to be okay too.”

Lyric buried her face in his chest. “What does this mean?”

“What do you mean?”

She looked up at him and tried to keep her expression neutral. Swaying him with tears wasn’t her plan. “I mean, what does this mean for us? Your co-workers saw you bring me in today. They know we were dating.”

“Were? Wearedating. They know that.”

“No,youknow the truth because you know me and trust me. They know I have a record.”

“This doesn’t change how I feel about you. You didn’t commit the crime.”

“But I did.” Whether it was today, yesterday, or five years ago, shehadcommitted the crime.

“But not intentionally. You’re not the bad guy we’re after. You and Wendy are the ones we want to help.” He cupped her cheeks and leaned closer. “That’s what I love about you. You care about doing what’s right, and you care about helping people who are struggling. I love that about you. I loveyou.”

The tears came then, and she stopped trying to fight them. “You don’t know what it means to have someone to fight for me. Everyone. Kendra and your mom. You all believed me, and you don’t know what that means.”

“I think I do. We’re all guilty. We all make mistakes, but we’ve been pardoned. The Lord looks at us and sees His people, not our sins.”

He picked up both of her hands and lifted them with his around them. “When you were begging me to believe you, I did. And the look on your face cut me to the core because I love you.”

“I love you too.” The whisper was low, but he was close enough to hear her loud and clear.

Asa’s mouth quirked up on one side in an adorable grin. “You may be a good woman with a bad past, but you’re my good woman with a bad past. I’ll take you just the way you are.”

Lyric wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. He lifted her off the ground and squeezed her until she couldn’t breathe.

When he sat her down, she almost floated back up. The tightness in her chest was gone, and the weight on her shoulders had lifted. She sighed and asked, “What now?”

Asa shrugged. “I was thinking we could take the afternoon to ourselves. I’d like to beat you at Clue and eat canned soup.”

Lyric narrowed her eyes at him. “That’s not happening.”

“The beating you or the soup?”

“Beating me. I know you too well.”

He leaned closer and whispered, “I think that means I win either way.”

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