“Don’t worry. I’m leaving.” I jerk my head to let Colby know to go on ahead. He steps around the realtor but lingers, not wanting to leave without his sister and me.

“Good. We don’t need you ruining the appetite of everyone here.”

Summer gasps. “What’d you say?” She tries to crane her head around my back to see who is talking.

“Oh my God, Summer. I didn’t realize that was you. Your butt looks different from here. Bigger—“ I growl menacingly. Colten clears his throat. “I mean, it looks good. Really g-good,” Colten stammers.

“You’re a jerk,” Colby says and kicks Colten in the shin.

“Why, you little shit.” The man starts after the boy. I grab him by the collar, and Summer seizes the opportunity to slide off my shoulder. Still holding on to Colten, I try to corral my woman, but she evades me. To my surprise, instead of heading back into the restaurant and seeking shelter behind the chief, Summer kicks Colten’s other shin. He’s lucky I’m hanging on to this collar because he buckles under the blow.

“My ass is just the right size,” she hisses at him.

“He won’t be looking at it again anyway.” I toss the man aside, not caring that he stumbles and falls off the side of the steps into some bushes.

“Help me, you asshole,” he cries.

I ignore him. “I have ice cream at home,” I repeat to Summer. “And it’s free.”

She puts her hands on her hips. “Then what was that crack about paying for all my services before?”

I rub the top of my head roughly. “I don’t know. I’m bad at words.”

Colby tugs at my shirt. “Say you love her. She’ll stay if you say that.”

Summer turns beet red. “Hush up,” she says to her brother. “Fine. Let’s just go home and eat ice cream. It’s not like I can go back into the diner now anyway. I don’t think I can ever show my face there again.”

“How come?” Colby asks.

I want to know, too.

“Because, honey, the whole thing with him”—she throws a hand toward Colten, who is still struggling to climb out of the bushes—“and him”—the other hand is pointed at my chest—“is going to feed the gossips longer than any meal that Len can whip up.”

“He was like a knight defending your honor!” Colby declares. “Ain’t that right, Kale?”

I nod vigorously.

“Oh, Colby, honey, you’re a sweetheart.”

“No, I’m not,” he scowls and ducks out of the way of her comforting hand.

“Summer actually defended my honor,” I remind the boy. She stood up for me. I don’t remember anyone doing that except Tina, and she’s bound to do so since we’re blood. Maybe she has some warm feelings for me. She likes being in my bed and doesn’t mind my scars. She’s willing to stand up for me in front of the townspeople. That might not be love, but it’s enough for me. Hell, it’s the whole world to me. I think it’s time to go home and have that ice cream. I ruffle the top of Colby’s hair.

“You’re a solid defender,” I tell him. “And you’re right. I was defending Summer’s honor.”

“In what way?”

“In every way a man can defend the honor of the woman he loves.”

A smile splits Colby’s face in half while Summer’s jaw drops. I press my lips together and hustle the stunned Summer and the gleeful Colby into my truck so that I can take my family home.

26

Summer

The car ride home is fairly silent. I lick my dry lips, knowing I should say something but not sure if I should do it in front of Colby. He said he loves me. Those words keep going through my mind. I‘m starting to think the reason he made those comments earlier is because he was scared.

I know he’d been on edge since the chief tried to show up the other day. His mood seemed to shift after that. Then he all but lost it when I left the house. I was kind of hoping he would follow us. He was scared I was going to leave him, so being a stupid man, he panicked and pushed me away first.

I wish I could stay mad at him, but I know that it’s taken him a lot to open up. I need to remember that while Kale is older than me, he’s still new to this whole dating thing too. Hell, he’s new to being around people and socializing on a regular basis. The rest of my anger melts away when I think about how many years he’s spent here all alone. Thinking that no one would ever love him.

“So does this mean we get to live in the castle forever if you guys are in love? Wait, you're supposed to get married, right? I don’t want to wear a suit. Do I have to wear a suit, Kale?”

“You don’t have to wear a suit if you don’t want to.”

I jerk my head up to look at Kale.

“Cool.”

Kale gives me a shrug.

“You’re supposed to ask a girl to marry you. Not just assume they’re going to,” I huff.

“Don’t do it, Kale. She might say no. Just do what you did at the diner.”

“You two are impossible.” I bite my lip to keep from smiling. It’s adorable how much they are getting along. I love that Colby has a male figure to look up to. And knowing that Kale will provide a safe and happy home for Colby is all I can ask for.

“But you love us,” Colby says from the backseat. Kale glances over at me. I do love them.

“We’re home.” Kale pulls up to the front of the house. Every time he says home my stomach gets a flutter inside it. “Let me.” He gets out of the car, coming around the other side and opening the door for me before taking my hand.

“Thanks.” Colby gets out too, running to the door and punching in the code for it to open. “I remember not too long ago you weren’t even going to let me in this door.” His hand that’s holding mine tightens. “Now you won't let me leave.” This time I do smile at him.

“You had your chance to run then. Too late now.” I laugh as he pulls me inside, slamming the door shut behind us.

“I’ll get the ice cream.” Colby takes off running leaving us alone for the first time since our fight earlier.

“I was an asshole.” Kale stops walking. I turn to face him. “I saw you before you even stepped foot on my doorstep.” He lifts his hand, cupping my jaw as his finger brushes against my hand. I lean into his touch. “I drove down to the store where you were working and I watched you. You were smiling and laughing. Lighting up the entire room only the way you can. You looked so fucking beautiful that it was hard to look away from you. Then I got pissed.”

“Why?” I step closer to him, wanting to touch him. Needing him to tell me what got him so upset. I place my hands on his chest. He closes his eyes for a moment.

“I wanted you for myself, but I didn't think I could have you.”

“So you decided to be a jerk instead?”

“I thought you would quit. Then I started getting worried that you really would quit.” He must have been driving himself crazy. It actually makes sense. He would do something jerkish and then it would be followed with him moving us to a better part of the house. “I also thought if I let you in I might not be able to let you go. My life had been so dark for so long that once I got a glimpse of your light, I knew I’d never be able to live without it again.”