Our lips touch, and I hear a bunch of idiots yelling. “Kiss her like you mean it, Zach!”

I go to turn my head, but he grips my face. His lips press hard against mine, and he tilts my head. I feel his tongue glide across my lips, and I sigh into the kiss. He holds me and dominates every move. I’m trapped, lost, completely captivated by him. My heart pounds as he continues to kiss me with so much passion it takes my breath away. No woman should go through life without feeling this.

“You two about done?” Wyatt says and we break apart.

My lips burn, and I cover my mouth. “Sorry,” I say, ducking my face while slapping his chest.

Zach grunts and adjusts himself. “It’s your fault.”

“Don’t blame me, Zachary,” I joke.

“So, Zach,” Angie says from behind. “I feel like we need to talk.”

“Ang,” I warn.

“You know, bury the hatchet since you’re fucking my sister again.”

“Oh, God. Please stop.”

Angie continues to ignore me. “It’s been a lot of years between us.”

I turn and look at her. “Between you and him?”

She shrugs. “I mean, I was there for her while you were off being Joe Baseball, making sure that she didn’t end up in the looney bin since you left her for your glowing career.” The floor drops from beneath me. I look at her, begging with my eyes to stop from saying anything more. “Have you finally seen the error of your ways by leaving our girl?”

“We’ve worked through it all,” he says holding on to me.

“Yes, Angie.” I give her a look. “We’re over it. You know.” I decide to stop this now. “It’s late. I haven’t seen you in so long. Let’s head back to the house and get some girl time.”

“I can take her home,” Wyatt offers.

“Didn’t you have someone with you?” I ask.

Wyatt shrugs. “I like this one better.”

Angie looks up with a laugh. “You really are me. But I’m pretty sure my dick is bigger.”

“Wanna compare, Angel?”

“Angie.”

Wyatt shrugs. “Semantics.”

“All right, you two.” The mother in me comes out. “I’ll ride with Angie since she drove.”

Zach’s tugs me against his chest. “See you tonight?” he whispers in my ear. “I can’t sleep without you.”

I stare into those blue eyes I love so much. “You bet.”

Second chances don’t always happen, but I think Zach and I were destined to find our way back. If he had stayed, we’d never know what life without each other was. I’m grateful that with all the pain I’ve been through, I’ve been able to find my salvation.

“O KAY, SO YOU SNEAK OUT every night?” Angie says snuggled in my bed. She’s decided we need to have a sleepover like we did before we grew up.

“It’s not really sneaking out.”

“Do you go out the front door?”

I huff. “No.”

“Does anyone know?”

“Well, they know, but it’s not common knowledge.”

“Do you climb out the window?” she asks.

“No.” I laugh. “I go out when the boys are asleep and come back before they wake. It’s dating only at night.”

She sits back with her arms crossed. “Are you going tonight?”

I don’t want to lie anymore. “Yes. I don’t know if he’ll be there, but I’m going down to the creek.”

Angie grins. “I appreciate the honesty.”

The next hour we spend talking about everything. She even laughed at the story of the race and has started to smile a little more when I mention his name. I’m hoping she’ll see how much he makes me happy. How things have turned around since he’s been here.

“I don’t like it,” she says. “But I’m happy for you.”

I sit on the bed next to her and grab her hand. “I get that it’s hard for you. It’s really hard for me. I didn’t jump into this haphazardly. He’s helped me come to terms with Todd’s decision in a lot of ways. I don’t understand, and I don’t think I ever will, but I’m not so angry anymore.”

She nods. “I wish I weren’t.”

“What do you mean?”

“He could’ve done so many other things than that. I struggle a lot with reconciling it. It never had to be this way.”

I close my eyes and focus on what I want to say. “No, it didn’t. We would’ve been able to work through this, but I guess it was too hard for him. I understand pride. I really do.” It is what kept me so isolated when I first returned here. I didn’t want anyone to know. I hated that I had to come back here to live with my parents. I still struggle with it. “But I was his wife. I was supposed to be his partner . . . he decided on his own that he couldn’t handle it.”

“Yeah,” she agrees. “And he fucked everyone’s life up.”

“Maybe,” I say with a great deal of care. “Maybe he thought this was saving us.”

Angie’s eyes fill with tears. “I’ve been alone too, Pres.”

“I know.”

“No.” She shakes her head and sits up. “I don’t think you do. I talked to him almost every day. I talked to you and those boys. You were my family. He took that from me too. But most of all, he left me with so many questions. And then you didn’t want to talk me.” Her lip trembles. “I get it, but it hurt.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. That’s the thing.” Angie wipes her face, swiping away the tear that fell. “I’m not angry or upset with you. I just want you back home.”

I don’t know that I’ll ever return to Pennsylvania. If things with Zach and me keep on this path, who knows where we’ll be, but when I close my eyes at night, I don’t see the city lights anymore. I see stars. I see blue eyes, fireflies, and country hills. My heart is here. My heart is with that man who is probably waiting down at the creek.

Right now she’s in pain, and I don’t want to hurt her more.

But returning back there isn’t what I want now.

Angie drifts off to sleep after we finish talking a little more. I’m late, and I text Zach letting him know. Since he didn’t respond, I’m assuming he’s passed out in his truck. The last two nights we’ve met, there wasn’t much sleeping.

We won’t be heading out to the pond this time, though. I want to make sure I’m home early. Plus, I’m hoping we can figure out how we’re going to tell the boys. I think Cayden will take it really well, but Logan is a toss up.

I get to the creek, but there’s no sign of him.

I shoot him another text.

Me: Hey, Cowboy . . . I’m here.

I sit down at the rock and think about the other night.

“I think if we work out we should build a house here,” I say from my spot curled up in his arms. We finished making love and as magnificent as that is, this is better. Zach lies on his back while I rest on his chest. His heartbeat thumps in my ear as his fingers graze my back.