Page 50 of Steeled

For three days, he’d been the first one out the door and the last one to walk through it. Shifts on set had been long. It took everything in him to respect the logo of his employer on his polo and the woman whose bed he occupied by keeping his mouth shut whenever Nash was nearby. Monday night, after Evelyn had gone to bed, Lawson begrudgingly agreed the conflict between Nora and Nash was Nora’s battle to fight. Unless he came around again, Lawson had been asked to stand down, and so he had.

He’d also bit his tongue in regard to their current living situation. Instead, he let them fall into a bit of a routine. He figured all Nora-Jean needed was proof the three of them could coexist without confusion. As far as he could tell, Evelyn liked having him around. Moreover, he likedbeingaround. For the first time since he’d moved back to Shelbyville, he felt as though he was exactly where he belonged.

He’d always believed, wherever life took him, he’d eventually find his way back to his hometown. It’s where he intended to settle, close to his parents and siblings. When he started a family of his own, it was important to him that he raise his children in the one place that would never stop being home. But living in Shelbyville without Nora-Jean wasn’t right. Now that he’d fixed that wrong, it was time to take the next step.

He’d finished the job in Murfreesboro the night before, and he had the next four days off. He needed to go backto his place to refresh the contents of his duffle—but a long weekend, Christmas aside, seemed like the perfect time to start consolidating.

From where he sat, propped up in bed against a pillow, the sheets covering his bare legs, he watched Nora as she continued to ready herself for the day. When she sat on the edge of the bed in order to pull on a pair of socks, he called her name softly.

“Hmm?” she hummed, not bothering to look his way.

“Come ‘ere a sec.”

She glanced over at him, a small smile on her face as she replied, “Some of us have to work today,” she teased. “I’ve still got to do Evie’s hair.”

“Baby, come ‘ere,” he semi-repeated.

Both feet covered, she made her way around the bed, rested her hands on her hips and asked, “What is it?”

Not at all content with her stance, he lunged forward, grabbing hold of her waist before pulling her down into his lap.

“Lawson!” she laughed. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to steady herself. “What are you doin’?”

“I’ve got to stop by my place today. Need somethin’ to wear to this party tonight and church clothes for Sunday.”

“Okay,” she murmured, her tone conveying her confusion.

“While I’m there, I was thinkin’ I might as well grab the rest of my stuff. Don’t have much.”

“Wait, what? You want to have this conversation now? Lawson—”

“We’re not livin’ apart. It doesn’t make sense.”

“Make sense? We’ve been back together for a week. Don’t you think you’re movin’ a little fast?”

“For who? Not for us. You and me livin’ under the same roof is not unprecedented. And Evelyn seems to be adaptin’ just fine.”

“It’s a lot at once,” she insisted, pressing her hands against his chest. “You can’t deny that.”

“Baby, I’m not payin’ rent for a place where I’m not sleepin’.”

Frowning, she probed, “So this is about money?”

“Nora-Jean—this is about you and me and where we’re goin’, and it sure as hell’s not backwards. Even me movin’ in here would be temporary. Soon as I find us a place suitable for our needs, we’ll be out of this apartment. Now, how long that’ll take is up to you. If you want to build on my land, it might take a few months. If you want to live someplace a little bigger and think about your dream home a little longer, the land’s not goin’ anywhere.”

“Wait—stop,” insisted Nora with a shake of her head. “What? You have land? Since when?”

“Since I left the military. Judge was the one who told me about it. It’s out by their place. Five acres.”

“Oh,” she breathed.

Amused by her speechlessness, a crooked smile curled his lips. “Wouldn’t admit it before, but there’s a reason that land has been sittin’ there untouched for the last two years. I didn’t buy it for me. I bought it for my family. I bought it for us.”

“Oh,” she repeated.

“Mommy, you’re takin’ a long time.” Evie’s voice carried down the hallway and through the open crack of Nora’s bedroom door.

Nora called back, “Be right there, Evie-B,” and then pressed a quick kiss against Lawson’s mouth. “I need to think about it. I know that’s not the answer you want to hear, but I’ve never had to explain a relationship like ours to Evie. So far, I’ve miraculously managed to avoid any of her hard questions. Please, just give me a little more time? I promise I will figure it out.”

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