Page 47 of Believe In Us

He squeezed my hands, something flashing in his eyes. “I know. I get it. For different reasons, I’m terrified of loving anyone. But I also know that sometimes we don’t have a choice. Do you feel like you knew me before we kissed?” he asked.

“Yeah. I know you, Lincoln.” I looked up at him, holding his gaze. “You’re loyal, steady, strong, protective, and kind. You’re a really good brother and son. And, well, you’re also sexy.” Heat blazed into my cheeks.

His lips quirked. “Well, that’s convenient.”

I grinned up at him, taking a slow breath. “So what do we do now?”

“Well, I was thinking we could start with a kiss.”

“Okay.”

That was the funny thing about Lincoln and me. Whenever we were connected physically, I forgot the static of doubt and insecurity and loss. In this moment, I very much needed that physical connection. All it took was his lips brushing over mine, his arms sliding around my waist, and I forgot the rest. Once again, we fell asleep together.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chloe

Friends who show up

Lincoln and I settled into a routine, we were sleeping together every night. I started to feel comfortable, and that terrified me.

“Hey, Chloe!” Maggie came walking into my office. She always had a brisk, almost rushed walk. That was her baseline, even when she wasn’t in a hurry. She was wearing an apron, as was often the case, this one with goats scattered all over it, a gift from Kendall.

“Hey!” I smiled up at her from my desk. She paused in front of it, tapping her fingertips lightly on the surface.

“What’s up?” I started to blush, because I knew that look in her eyes. She was so genuinely, overwhelmingly happy about me and Lincoln.

She let out a little happy sigh. “I’m so happy for you and Lincoln. No pressure or anything.”

“Maggie,” I said dryly.

“There is no pressure,” she rushed to assure me.

“Maggie, there’s a little pressure. You want all the things right now.”

“Okay, maybe I do. I should calm down about it, huh?”

I let out a low laugh. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do, but it worries me. I love this job. Actually, it’s the best job I’ve ever had.”

She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, just beaming. “Is it really?”

“Yes, Maggie, I love it here. I’m so glad my dad and I came here. I love this job, and I don’t want to mess it up. What if things don’t work out for me and Lincoln?”

“Don’t you worry,” she said stoutly. “That will not affect your job at all.”

I tipped my head to the side, eyeing her. “It could be really awkward. Things just happened, and here we are.”

Her gaze sobered. “Okay, I understand. I should ease up.”

“You do you, but I’ll worry. Worrying is kind of a sport for me and I’m really good at it, I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“Who broke your heart?” she asked suddenly, and my eyebrows flew toward my hairline. “I can tell someone broke your heart,” she added.

I contemplated what to say, because that was the thing when really painful things happened. It was awkward to address openly, and people rushed to reassure you and tell you all kinds of things. I knew Maggie wouldn’t feel awkward about it, not like most people. She didn’t shy away from big, hurtful things, probably because she’d been through her own share. But sometimes I didn’t want to dive into it, and right now was one of those times. “I had a bad breakup.”

“Mmm.” Maggie nodded, and then almost to herself, she rolled her eyes. “I know people who have been through bad breakups, but I was lucky. I met the boys’ dad, Grant, in high school.” A soft smile played at the corners of her mouth. “We fell in love, and that was that. He was a good man.”

“Not many people get that.”