The Ruckus

“I want that, too,” I admitted, because it was true. And it was easy enough to say the words. “But I’m still not sure how a relationship between three people is even supposed to work. I’m not saying it can’t work or that I don’t want it to work, but... there are a lot of obstacles in a small town like this. A lot of dirty looks and dirtier gossip.” I took a look at each of them in turn, then focused on Axel again. “Not to mention the fact that your mother hates my family. She won’t be happy to find out I’m in your life.”

“You’re right,” Axel nodded. “I won’t lie or pretend like it’ll be easy, but I still believe we can make it work.”

“I know for sure we can,” Micah said. “We’ll cross that bridge with the whole feud between your two families when we get to it, but if Stella can put the past behind her, I don’t see why Axel’s mom can’t do the same... eventually.”

I wanted to share their faith. I trusted them enough to know they’d both meant every word they’d said. However, trust and good intentions would only get us so far.

“Let’s not talk about it any more tonight,” I said. “Please? I just want to sleep right here between the two of you for a little while longer.”

“We can do that,” Axel answered, smiling.

“That’s right.” Micah stretched and pressed his body against mine. “We’ll have plenty of time later to convince you that we’re right about all of this.”

I laughed, and I hoped they were right about all of it. About life and love and our families and everything.

I hoped that navigating all of those moving parts would be as simple as they both seemed to think, but I knew enough to still be cautious.

Especially when it came to dealing with everyone else in town.

Chapter Seventeen

Jasmine Bailey

The sound of my phone ringing for the first time in what seemed like forever was enough for me to bolt out of bed—not so much from the surprisingly loud ringtone as my hope that it hadn’t woken Axel or Micah.

Too late.

They both sat up and rubbed their eyes as they peered at me fumbling around in the darkness. “It’s Muriel,” I whispered after a glance at my phone screen. “Go back to sleep; I won’t be long.”

I walked over to the other side of my room, that great distance of only a few steps away from the bed. “Hey girl,” I whispered. “Is everything okay where you are?”

“Oh my God, Jas. I was calling to ask you the same thing.” I heard the concern as well as the rush of relief in her voice. “How are you and the guys? Did they catch Randy Johnson? Did he hurt you?”

“Micah, Axel, and my uncle all came to find me,” I answered. “Axel and Micah brought me back to my mom’s house while my uncle dealt with Randy.”

Muriel gasped. “Did your uncle Jeff kill Randy?”

I almost laughed but managed to hold it in. It was half-funny, half-sad that everyone who knew anything about my uncle assumed the worst.

“He’s tied him up,” I said, not wanting to go into too many details. Living through the experience had been dramatic enough. I seriously wasn’t ready to start retelling the story yet.

Not to mention the fact that there was a nice warm section of the bed right in between my guys, waiting for me to get off the phone and reclaim it.

“You’re going to have to tell us all about it over drinks when this storm finally passes over us,” Muriel said. Thank God she seemed to understand my reluctance to talk about the situation at that moment.

In the background, Poppy was asking if I was okay. “Tell her I’m fine and that I miss both of you.” Even though I’d seen them when they had shown up at the door to Axel’s studio it seemed like a lifetime ago. “And I’ll try to get back to town once the sheriff takes care of Randy.”

“And once it’s safe to drive on those dirt roads,” Muriel said. “Don’t rush into town just for us.” She paused a moment. “Besides, I’m sure you don’t mind having a little extra time with Axel and Micah if they’re still around.”

I looked over at my guys again and blushed. God, was I that transparent?

But I guess it had been pretty obvious when they’d seen us in various states of undress at the studio. Well... whatever. Like she hadn’t been doing the same thing with Cameron and Hugh in that little bungalow.

Why else would she have stayed there after nearly being squished by a fallen tree?

“Okay,” was all I said. “I’m gonna go back to bed now. I’ll talk to y’all later, but thanks for calling.”