movement beyond clapping would shatter her. Pepper had done it! She’d earned her degree and had a wonderful job. But she’d be leaving Sloane…very soon. They’d only see each other occasionally instead of…well okay, they didn’t see each other all that often now. Not with everyone’s work schedule. But at the end of the day, Sloane knew that her sisters were sleeping at the cottage. They were all under the same roof. In the mornings, Sloane could hear her sisters moving around, getting ready for school or their jobs, maybe heading out for a study session with their classmates or meeting up with friends for coffee, which was rare because they worked so hard. If they weren’t working, they were studying, writing a paper, or preparing for the next exam. If they weren’t doing any of that, they were at work. But they found time to eat together at least once a week.
That would end now. Rayne would be in California and Pepper in New York. They were adults and would scatter to start their new lives.
“Sloane!” Josh growled. A moment later, Sloane was pulled against his hard body, his strong arms wrapping around her and she didn’t have the strength to pull away, to tell him that this wasn’t appropriate. There had been tense moments over the years when one or the other would accidentally touch, but after a long, startled glance, they would step back, putting space between them as if the other person was on fire.
This…this was different. Right now, she couldn’t put any space between herself and Josh. She needed his strength. In a moment, she’d find her strength again. She’d be strong and competent. She would smile and clap and her dignity would return. But at this moment, knowing that her wonderful, amazing sisters were moving on, that this was basically the end of their sisterhood together, she couldn’t help but be so proud and so painfully sad!
So instead of pulling away and finding her dignity on her own, she pressed her face against his chest and absorbed every ounce of understanding she could. She let it all out, releasing everything she’d been trying to control for the past several months in anticipation of this day.
And after the tidal wave of emotions abated, she remained in the circle of his arms, her cheek resting against his chest, listening to the steady thud of his heart. Once again, Sloane told herself to pull away but…she stood there for another moment, selfishly enjoying the feeling of his arms around her. She wanted to snuggle closer, to press her face against his bare…!
Bare what, she mentally gasped. Bare chest? Bare neck? Bare…nothing! Her thoughts had gone rogue.
“Thank you,” she whispered, finally finding the strength to pull away. Wiping the tears away, she breathed in and released the breath slowly. Looking around, she suddenly realized that she was actually sitting on his lap!
“Oh, good grief!” she gasped and stood up. “I’m so sorry!”
Josh stood as well, those green eyes of his, for once, not filled with grumpy frustration or teasing amusement. “Feel better?” he asked softly, his voice rough and several octaves lower than normal.
She nodded, still wiping at her wet cheeks. “Yes. That was silly of me,” she told him, looking around. “Um…where is everyone?” she asked.
The auditorium was basically empty, the rest of spectators having filed out of the area to meet up with their graduate and re-congratulate them. There were a few stragglers, but they weren’t part of her immediate family. “Where are Rayne and Jefferson? Wilma?”
“They went to meet Pepper,” he explained, his voice low and grumbly.
“Oh. Well,” Sloane wasn’t sure what to say to that. “How long did I cry?” she asked, feeling painfully awkward.
He shrugged and looked around, seeming to look for a clock or some other gauge that would give him an indication of time, even though he wore a one hundred thousand dollar watch on his wrist. When he looked back at her, he didn’t seem to care about the time, looking down at her with a sort of veiled concern. It was almost as if he didn’t want her to know that he cared. “I suspect that you’ve been holding that in for a while now.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and glanced at the exit. “Do you want to go meet your sister now? Or do you need another minute?”
She sighed, feeling silly for her outburst. “I probably need to repair my makeup. I must look like