Page 66 of Love Again

“And what about this Jackson guy?”

I have to admit my ignorance again. “To tell you the truth, I don’t know if that’s his first name or his last name. We all call him Jackson. He’s a riot.”

“He’s funny?”

“Not haha funny. I told you, he’s always in the best mood. If you’re down, he makes you feel better. I don’t know how he does it, but he’s the most positive person I think I’ve ever met, and he’s, like, twenty-three.”

“Thus, the Kid.”

“Thus, the Kid,” I agree.

“I take it Jackson and Bryce are bodyguards—they’re built for it.”

“Yeah, I think so, but they do other stuff too. Finn keeps a sharp line between business and home life, so I don’t know much.”

We start going down the stairs. It’s nearly dark out and I don’t want them seeing me giving Luke a tour in the house.

“Is Nic an analyst? A profiler?”

I shake my head as we step out onto the back porch. “I don’t know what Nic does. He must be some kind of analyst. He’s not a bodyguard. He’s amazing, though, with a skill set you wouldn’t expect by looking at him. I’ve heard stories about him. He’s got nerves of steel and doesn’t say much. I used to think he hated me, but maybe he’s shy.”

We start down the little path toward the group on the beach. Firelight dances.

“Even though he’s not really older than his team, Nic is like a father figure to them. Not Finn so much, but the rest. It’s like Nic’s their protector. I was talking to Claire about it. She says Finn doesn’t see it, but we do. I think Nic would take bullets for his guys and do it every single day over and over again.”

“So, they are a real tight bunch.”

“Yes. Laurel confided in me once that she was a little jealous Finn had become Claire’s boyfriend and Chloe was with Bryce. She felt like we had all finally returned and were back together. Chloe had returned to the family last year and—”

“Because of you.”

I stop and stare at him.

“Your sisters told me. They said you started writing letters, she responded, and you convinced her to come. That was an amazing thing you did.”

“Well, whatever. Anyway, Laurel felt like we all just got Chloe back. I had returned the year before that, and she felt like these guys were sort of in the way. And then you know all the stuff that happened with her and Mateus. I think she’s really made peace with Bryce and Finn, though. She gets it now. They’re here and they’re not going anywhere. They’re amazing guys.”

“And yet when I tell you I’m not going anywhere, somehow that’s wrong.”

As soon as he says it, I can tell he wishes he hadn’t.

I don’t know what to say. It’s true. It is wrong.

We head out to the beach. With each step, the sky grows darker until, finally, on the right-hand side and against the horizon, there are only thin ribbons of deep red and orange.

A fingernail moon, hazy during twilight, grows stronger and begins to shine.

“Watch,” says Luke, standing next to me. It’s a little too close, and I take a step away. “Watch the horizon. Don’t take your eyes off it. Don’t blink.”

I don’t know what he’s looking for or what he’s trying to see, but then there it is: a flash of green.

“What was that? How did you know that would happen?”

“I don’t know the science behind it, but when the barometric pressure is low and there’s a few clouds in the sky, if you catch the sun just as it goes down, there’s a flash of green.”

“Where green goes?” Cory struggles to run in the sand. “How are you?” he says and takes my hand. I bend down for his perfunctory kiss on my cheek, but this time, he puts both of his little hands around my neck and I end up kneeling a little in the sand.

“I miss you,” he says. “I miss you a lot.” When he kisses me, his lips are puckered, and he gives me little open-mouthed soft kisses on both cheeks. Very sweet.