Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78603 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
When I finish, I collapse into one of the booths, phone in hand. Sure enough, there’s a missed call and a voicemail from Boone. My heart leaps, and I press the phone to my ear, barely noticing how my pulse pounds.
“Hey,” his deep voice rumbles through the speaker. “I guess you’re busy at the shop. I, uh, just wanted to say hi. Miss you. I might have a free weekend soon—wondering if we could figure out a time to see each other. Call me back, okay?”
I press the phone to my chest, a wave of affection and longing flooding me. I punch in his number, but it goes straight to voicemail, so I leave a breathless message of my own: “Hey, Boone, sorry I missed you. Been a crazy day. I miss you, too. Call me tonight when you can—I’ll be home, probably taking a bath or something equally boring. Or if I can’t wait, I’ll call you first. I love—I mean, talk soon.”
My cheeks burn at how close I came to blurting out the L-word. We haven’t said it, not yet. It might be too soon. But my heart knows it’s there, a simmering truth I can’t deny.
Exhaling, I lock up the shop and step outside into the cool night air. The streetlights cast a warm glow over the familiar sidewalk. My gaze drifts to the sign above the shop door—Slice Slice Baby—and a pang of gratitude washes over me. I’m here, I’m safe, and life is slowly returning to normal.
But part of my normal, it seems, is missing. The part that I found hidden away in a remote cabin with a man who taught me how to feel protected and cherished at the same time. And even though it hurts, even though the distance is daunting, I cling to the hope that he and I will figure it out.
I cross my arms against the gentle breeze, heading to my car. I think about the future—maybe a weekend trip to Saint Pierce, or him finding work here, or somehow forging a life that lets us close that gap. Because missing Boone like this feels raw and aching, and I can’t imagine letting it stay that way forever.
As I unlock the car and slip into the driver’s seat, I let myself smile. Even if the days are hectic and the nights are lonely, I know where my heart is leading me. And that’s back to Boone, one way or another.
Chapter 29
Boone
I’m sitting in Dean’s corner office on the thirtieth floor of Maddox Security’s headquarters in Saint Pierce, trying—and failing—to focus on the conversation. The ocean sprawls outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, sparkling in the late morning sun. Normally, I’d be transfixed by the waves, reminded of the early days of my career when I’d do ocean-side drills and sweeps. But today, my mind’s somewhere else entirely.
Aubree.
It’s been over a week since I last saw her in person—since we packed up the cabin, drove her home, and handed her life back to her. I keep telling myself it was the right thing, that she needed to return to Slice Slice Baby and the town she loves. But every day since I left, I wake up missing her more than the day before. The phone calls help, but they’re not enough. Her voice lights me up, sure, but it also makes the emptiness more apparent. I crave the soft press of her lips, the way her laughter feels in my arms.
I snap back to reality when Dean clears his throat pointedly. He’s sitting behind his massive glass desk, eyebrows raised. “You still with me, Boone?” he asks, the edge of a smile tugging at his mouth.
“Yeah,” I lie, giving a quick nod. “Sorry, just got lost in thought.”
“Mm-hmm.” He doesn’t buy it for a second, though he doesn’t push. Instead, he points at the folder on his desk. “So, I’ve been thinking about expanding. We’ve got a strong hold on the East Coast, Florida especially, but there’s a market in the Midwest—Tennessee, Kentucky, the surrounding states. I’ve got some high-end clients sniffing around who’d love an office closer to home.”
I turn my attention fully to Dean, interest piqued despite the buzzing in my chest that’s still chanting Aubree’s name. “That’s a big move,” I say.
He nods. “Sure is. But it’s time. I’ve already scouted a few properties around Nashville for a potential office. The place is booming—corporate expansions, entertainment scene, politicians, country music stars. Plenty of folks with money who need premium security.”
I blink, my thoughts jumping to the cabin I own just outside Nashville. The air, the pines, the streams... and Aubree, whose pizza shop is only a short drive from there. My heart thuds harder. “You’re thinking about setting up a branch in Tennessee?” I ask slowly, trying to keep my voice even.