"Masyn, it's okay to want to get married and have kids. I want to settle down at some point, too." The light in her eyes dimmed a bit, yet not being able to focus on her expression and drive, I couldn't evaluate it. "Anyway, it dawned on me that Beau's not really a part of our lives anymore. I mean, he is, but not daily. The two of us aren't anywhere near as close to him as we were in high school. And let's be honest, his life isn't going to lead him back to Harden...ever."She had a point. One that I'd rolled over in my mind about a thousand times today, thinking I'd lose them both when Masyn joined him in Atlanta. "And what's the likelihood Peyton will ever come back to Georgia?" She chuckled at the thought.I guess that all depended on how foolish the two of them decided to be. She hadn't really engaged in any of his advances, although he'd been shameless in making them. "Probably not great.""Right! So at the end of the week, it's me and you again...the way it always

Masyn and I stayed at Sadler's for a while longer and ended up playing pool while Peyton and Beau danced, played darts, and talked to people Beau knew and hadn't seen in ages. They were far more comfortable together than I'd ever seen him act with Felicity. Yet once we were able to separate from the two for a bit, Masyn and I had a good time doing what we always did. Some random guy tried to hit on her, and I made sure he knew she wasn't interested-I didn't care if she was or not. Masyn wasn't my property, but she was my friend, and everyone in town needed to respect her. Then she beat me at four out of five games of pool. I refused to admit it had anything to do with the stitches in my right hand. Personally, I think her accidentally pressing her ass against my crotch and grabbing my sides from behind at critical moments in the game was cheating, but either way, I now owed her omelets and a foot massage. And every time the jukebox stopped playing the two of us raced to drop quarter

I loosened my grip and allowed her to curl her side into my chest with her back against my bicep. My heart raced, and I stared into her eyes, trying to be certain I'd just heard her right. I couldn't take in enough air. My lungs wouldn't fill, and I worried I'd faint before I told her what I needed to say. If I didn't get out the words I'd been dying to say for six years, it felt like my insides might combust, and I'd miss my chance. There'd been too many wasted opportunities and too many days that had passed without her knowing my heart belonged to her, and it always had.Rather than a drawn-out explanation, or tiptoeing into the actual confession, I just spit it out. "I love you, Masyn. Since that day in the lunchroom, there hasn't been a piece of me that didn't belong to you."It would have been too much to hope that Masyn simply returned the sentiment. Nope, she had to analyze it. "Then why all the other girls?"I laughed. At some point, all of this was going to come

If I'd thought being injured and having to work the docks made for the slowest day possible, being injured and having to work the docks while dreaming about spending an afternoon alone with Masyn curled up in my bed was far worse. I was impressed with her ability to keep things about us quiet while we were at the shop. She hadn't gotten all bent out of shape when I didn't kiss her goodbye. She didn't try to hold my hand at lunch where we'd be forced to answer questions. And she hadn't acted any differently than she had since the day we'd started at Farley's. Outside of my house, Masyn was the same girl she'd always been-and I loved it, except, where she'd only entered my thoughts occasionally before, she plagued them now. I swear, I counted every second that ticked by on my watch, making the day infinitely longer.I had to stop myself from sprinting to the time clock at the end of the shift. But not even the group of men gathered near the breakroom could stop the grin that took ov

The agitation for the cellphone violation quickly vanished when he realized what I was telling him. He and his pops were close. If anything happened to Old Man Farley, we wouldn't see Farley in here for days."Get the hell outta here. Once you get there and know more about what's going on, give me a call and let me know if you'll be in on Monday, but don't worry about this place, we've got it covered."I was about to turn around and race to my truck when I remembered Masyn. "Hey, Farley, can you do me a favor?""Of course.""Can you tell Masyn what happened and that I'll call her when I know more?""Definitely. Now, go."I slapped the metal door casing and gave him a curt nod. It was as close as I could get to saying thank you when I was on the verge of losing my shit. My dad and I hadn't been super close since he'd moved to Atlanta, but he was the only family I had-at least by name and blood-and I loved him just the same. And he'd done his best to be a good father after my