Page 139 of Shattered By the Currents

Unexpected tears filled her eyes. “I love you too.”

He lowered his head and kissed her. And even though she wanted to stay exactly where she was, eventually, she let him pull her into Bloom.

The women called her over to the counter, and she felt it again.

Grateful. Lucky. And so unbelievably happy.

“Doyou realize how wide your smile is right now?”

Connor shifted his gaze from Raven, who stood in the flower section with the women, to Zac beside him. He lifted a shoulder. “I’m in love. That makes a man happy. You should try it.”

“What? Being happy or falling in love?”

“Love.”

Zac laughed. “Don’t know that that’s in my cards.”

“Why not? Just because you haven’t met the woman yet doesn’t mean you won’t.”

“He’s right,” Joel piped in. “I didn’t think this relationship thing was something I’d ever do, but look at me now.”

“Yeah, you definitely surprised me,” Zac agreed.

“Surprised me too. Fuck, I’m a lucky son of a bitch.”

“Jesus, this town is a love nest.” Zac groaned.

“Wonder if Tate, Linc, and Kolby will become victims.” Joel grinned.

Connor couldn’t stop the smile. “Man, I hope they come here. I miss them.”

“I miss Linc’s waffles,” Joel added.

Shit, yeah, but not only his waffles. Linc could cook anything. He didn’t even need recipes, the guy just threw stuff together.

Ryan leaned over the table and studied Connor, his voice lowering. “You get a chance to talk to Herbert?”

Tension immediately returned to his shoulders, any hint of a smile dropping. “I did. They didn’t let me talk to him for long. Maybe ten minutes.”

The elderly man was back at Deep River Residence but still on orders to take it easy after the concussion.

“He say anything about this Lotus?” Joel asked.

“Not nearly enough. He told me Lila was a pit bull when she found a story, and she told Herbert this was the biggest she’d ever unearthed, and it was right here in Deep River. But she needed evidence. Once here, she called her dad every day…until day four, when she stopped calling. He never heard from her again. Her motel room was cleaned out. Her car rental out front of the business. And she just disappeared.”

“Her motel room was cleared out?” Joel asked.

“She stayed at the Blue Swan Inn,” Ethan said. “But back when she disappeared, there were no surveillance cameras. I checked.”

“Shit.” Ryan looked at Ethan. “You still haven’t found anything named Lotus?”

Ethan shook his head. “Nothing. If therewassomething, someone has gone to great lengths to cover it up.”

Polly set coffees on the table as Raven lowered beside him.

“Hey.” He traced those beautiful blue eyes of hers.

The smile she directed his way was fucking radiant. “Hey yourself. This conversation looked tense, so Polly thought we should break it up.”