Say It's Forever (Redemption Hills 2)

An unsure breath crept free. “I wasn’t sure we should come.”

Her smile deepened. “I hope there’s no question now…that you belong here.”

My chest pressed full, and I thought to deny it, to act as if this little family across the street hadn’t already marked themselves on my heart, but the confession bled out. “And you have no idea what that means to me.”

“I think I might.”

Tears burned in my eyes, and I stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. “I realize I don’t know you that well, but I do know you and Trent belong together, and I’m so grateful to get to witness it.”

“I still can’t believe it. I feel like I’m floating. I feel like the luckiest woman alive,” she admitted when I stepped back.

“I think you might be.”

She gazed at me with the gentle smile she always wore, though her attention kept peeking over my shoulder to the force I suddenly felt pressing in from behind.

Commanding and potent.

She squeezed my hand again, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “I think sometimes we stumble upon it when we least expect it.”

She angled her head toward Jud and moved his way, and I swiveled just in time to see the emotion crest on Jud’s face. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he curled his arms around her shoulders, holding her head against his chest.

I was sure it was meant only for her, but I could hear him mumble the words, “Thank you for seeing him for who he is and not what he’s done.”

She mumbled into his chest, “I couldn’t have seen anything else.”

Energy pulsed through the air. I tried to look away, tried to remind myself it was none of my business, that Jud and Eden were sharing a private moment, but I felt like I was snared.

Held as he looked at me in remorse from over her shoulder. I fumbled back, only I bumped into another body. I whirled around and another set of big hands shot out to catch me.

“Logan. Hi.”

I’d quickly been introduced by Tessa to the third Lawson brother before the party had started. He was as handsome as his two brothers, but different, as if he held all his intimidation in the lines of his arrogance.

He smiled down at me with these sparking emerald eyes, a tease and something wicked in their depths. “We didn’t get a chance to talk, so I thought I’d come over here and remedy that.”

Jud suddenly was at his side, smacking Logan on the back of the head.

Logan rubbed at the spot, laughing and glaring at Jud. “What the hell, man? Why always so violent?”

Jud grunted, staring his brother down while somehow glancing at me. “Don’t.”

Logan’s brow lifted, and there was a grin playing around his mouth as he looked between Jud and me.

“Don’t…what?” A tease was woven into the words, a ribbing that made the muscles in Jud’s arm bulge.

“Just…don’t.” Jud’s words were hard, and that lump in my throat grew tighter.

Because Jud kept looking at me in a way he shouldn’t.

Possessively.

Indulgently.

Intensity lapped.

Lifting and burning and wrapping me into this confusion that I couldn’t afford to feel.

“Ahh.” Logan smirked. “I see how it is.”

“Not in the mood, Logan.” The rough warning scraped from Jud’s mouth.

“Well then,” Logan said.

Jud grunted again, though he tipped his chin at Logan.

The two of them shared a silent conversation.

I shifted on my feet when they both looked at me.

“It was nice to meet you, Salem,” Logan said as he backed away, amusement playing across his features as he did.

“You, too.” I forced the strangled words from my throat, then I turned and darted for the hall so I could escape.

I needed a breath. To clear my head. To rid myself of the mayhem the man incited.

Only it grew as his heavy footfalls echoed behind me.

Out in the desolate hall, I whipped around and lifted my chin. “I don’t know what it is you want from me.”

Jud stepped forward and backed me against the wall. My heart ravaged in my chest. I should be afraid, and I knew I had a problem when it had the opposite effect. When I wanted to sink forward and press my nose to his shirt.

“I’m sorry.” His words were sharp.

I forced myself to remember his reaction from Wednesday night. “It doesn’t matter, Jud. Just forget it.”

“Maybe I don’t want to forget it.”

“Why?” I challenged.

Those eyes glinted beneath the hazy lights that hung from above. “Because the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.”

“You can’t hurt me.” The defense was out before I could stop it, even though it was a lie.

From the banquet room, I could hear the clinking of a wine glass before Eden’s voice echoed down the hall.

“I want to thank you all so much for being here to share in one of the most important days of my life. I can’t express what it means to see you here. I love you all. Every single one of you.”