“Duh.”
Lyla reached out her arms to Kennedy, and Kenz took her. Cain took the bag of nail polish and supplies. I forced a grin in his direction. “You gonna go for sparkles, too?” I asked as we headed inside.
“I think I’ll pass. Justin and I can kick around the soccer ball.”
“I’m sure he’ll love that.”
Justin and Mason appeared, and Mason checked his watch. “We should go. We don’t want to be late.”
My stomach dropped. “Okay.”
Kennedy squeezed my shoulder. “Text if you can.”
“I will.” I looked around at everyone. “Love you guys.”
The words were echoed back, and Mason slipped his hand into mine, tugging me towards the garage. I felt like a robot, climbing into the SUV, watching as our drive turned to a dirt road then turned to the highway. It seemed like a matter of seconds until Mason was pulling into a parking space in front of the courthouse.
“I don’t think I can do this,” I whispered.
His hands framed my face. “You can, and you will. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.”
Tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. “What if it’s not what we’re hoping?”
“Then we’re taking Justin and Lyla, getting on Cain’s plane, and flying to Vietnam.”
“What?”
He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Did you really think I wouldn’t have a backup plan?”
“Mason. You can’t leave your life behind.”
He pulled back just a fraction. “Haven’t you realized? You’re my life now. And that’s never going to change.”
Heat flared to life in me, so much that it burned, like numb limbs waking up again after being frozen. “I love you, Mason.”
“Never wanted to hear three words more. Love you to the ends of the Earth.” His mouth met mine in a bruising kiss. Everything we’d been holding back poured into it. Nothing existed in that moment except for Mason and me.
I pulled away, breathless. “Let’s get this over with so you can take me home.”
He chuckled. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
We climbed out of the SUV, seeing Keisha headed our way. She grinned at me. “You might want to fix your hair.”
I scowled at Mason. “You could’ve warned me.” I patted down the locks that he’d tangled and sent into disarray with his fingers.
Mason shrugged. “I think you look gorgeous.”
“Aw,” Keisha said. “Now, come on. Let’s go get you those kids.”
Mason’s fingers wove with mine. “We’re a team. Remember that.”
It had been so long since I hadn’t felt alone. Even with the friendships I’d formed in Sutter Lake, and reestablishing a relationship with Chelsea, I’d still felt as if I was going through life on my own. If things went up in flames, I was the only one who could put them out.
But over the past few months, I had slowly been making a family. The kind I’d always dreamed about but was too scared to reach for. I wasn’t alone anymore.
I let that knowledge flow over and around me. Strengthen me. And with my hand in Mason’s, I headed up the courthouse steps.
The doors to the courtroom were already open. My parents were seated on their side with their lawyer, but my father couldn’t keep the sneer from his expression as we entered. I looked around, bracing myself to face Derek again, but breathed a sigh of relief when I saw he was absent. I was sure he could only leave his drug business for so long, even in an attempt to destroy his ex-girlfriend’s life a second time.
