Coddiwomple - S.E. Harmon Page 0,109

wants to be friends.”

I sighed, even as I sent Bailey a glare. “For God’s sake, Bee. The words are Journey is right behind you. It’s very simple.”

“Sorry,” she said with a cheeky grin. She didn’t look very sorry at all. “You were on a roll.”

When I turned around, yes, he was standing there, and yes, seeing him was like taking a long drink of lemonade after a thirsty day’s work. He didn’t look all that mad that I was airing our business before all these people like freshly washed laundry. He didn’t seem to notice them at all because his eyes locked on mine.

“I’m not even going to ask how the hell you keep popping up when I’m saying something I shouldn’t,” I finally said.

“Shouldn’t.” His voice was a whisper. “But did you mean it?”

“Err.” I tried to think back to everything I’d said during my frustrated rant. There had been a lot of ‘fuck this’ and ‘fuck that’ in there. At one point during my rant, I was pretty sure I’d told someone to fuck something sideways.

I scratched my head. “Which part?”

“The part where you said you loved me. More than anything or anyone in your entire life.” His mouth quirked. “I believe you said it right before you called me a fucking idiot.”

“Oh, did I?” I asked faintly. “Yes, I meant it. The love part. Not the idiot part.”

“Did you also mean it when you said that I was yours and you were mine?”

“Actually, he said ‘mine, mine, mine’,” Tim stage whispered helpfully. When we both looked at him, he held up a hand. “In the interest of accuracy.”

I cleared my throat. “Yes. I said those things. And… yeah, I meant them. I know I should’ve been telling you that, and not everyone else in town, but—”

He strode over to me and grabbed me so hard and fast that I squeaked. And then, he kissed me soundly. It took me a few seconds to unclench and get with the program, but then I was kissing him back so hard that it was difficult to tell who was in control of the kiss at all.

Realizing we were putting on a show for everyone—both four-legged and two—I finally pulled back. No one looked particularly disturbed. Quite a few faces were wreathed with smiles. Glenna and Norma gave a happy sigh as Rosy circumspectly wiped her eyes. Tim started a slow-clap, and Bailey hushed him quickly.

It was hard to look at them long because that meant looking away from Journey. Those amber eyes smiled up at me. “You didn’t answer when I texted that I was coming,” he said huskily. “I thought that was a bad sign.”

“You texted me?”

“Yes,” he repeated with more emphasis. When I continued to look at him cluelessly, he furrowed his brow. “This morning. And yesterday.”

“Kona ate my phone, and I haven’t had a chance to replace it.” Considering, I amended that statement. “Well, she didn’t eat all of it. Just parts… the good parts. The parts that make it a phone. It’s uncanny really.”

He gave Kona a look of betrayal. “Bad girl.”

She smiled happily. In her world, bad was good, good was good, she was the goodest girl, and eating my phone was all in a day’s work.

“But what about the Amazon?” Norma blurted out. She flushed as all heads swiveled in her direction… then they swiveled in ours.

Because I was so close to him, I heard the whispered “good Lord” he muttered under his breath. Then louder, he said, “As much as we appreciate all the well wishes and support, I think I need a moment to speak to Cam.” When no one moved, he added pointedly, “Alone.”

The crowd began to disperse, but not with any real speed. Bailey clapped her hands. “You heard the man. Let’s go.” She started making a shooing motion. “Move it, move it. Nothing to see here.”

Rosy was the last to go, huffing as she walked off. And then we were alone—almost. We stared at Bailey as she stared right back at us. After an awkward five seconds of my life that I would never get back, her eyes widened. “Oh. Oh! Right.”

I was hard-pressed not to laugh as she hustled off, urging Kona to come with her. “Well, the dog can stay,” I called. “She knows how to keep a fucking secret.”

Bailey threw up her middle finger, and I chuckled. When I turned to Journey, my amusement faded. He looked so… so damned serious. I’d been under the impression