She didn’t feel rushed in the saying, nor had she said she loved him on a whim in the aftermath of all that had happened.The words came from deep within her heart, her soul.The one he’d helped heal even though it had taken a dropped cake and Kyle’s belligerence to see it.“I do, you know.I love you,” she whispered again.“I don’t know what I was thinking.Wait, that’s a lie.I do.I was scared.”
“Of me?”
“Of…falling in love and making a mistake again.Kyle was…familiar but you… I felt myself falling for you and it frightened me.It was so different than what I oncethoughtwas love.I don’t expect you to say it back though.Not after all of this.Just know… Things wouldn’t have gone any further between me and Kyle.I planned to end it before all ofthathappened in the kitchen.I think he sensed it, too.”
“Should I ask why?”
“The things he said.And he was pressuring me to get rid of Hershey.He talked about it the whole way to the party.”
Bryson’s mouth curled into a smile as he kissed her, lifting her onto his lap, cradling her in his arms in the most protective, loving way.
“Good thing you love that dog.”
“And you.”
“And me,” he said huskily.“Almost as much as I love you, Hadley.”
After several long, heart-stopping kisses, Bryson lifted his head, and Hadley turned to find everyone at the party had reappeared and now stood watching them with amused looks.Including her parents.“Oh!Um…hi.”
Michael chuckled and said, “Does this mean the pact we took to never date one of the cousins is void?Inquiring minds wanna know,” he said, turning his head toward Logan much to his brother’s annoyance.“What?Brysonisone of us now.”
Michael grinned unabashedly at Bryson’s scowl and Hadley tightened her arms around her hero.“I think it’s safe to say the pact is over.”Lowering her voice, she smiled at Bryson and said, “What do you think?”