Her Collateral Bride: A Lesbian Age Gap Romance

around her shoulders. She didn’t want to let go. She didn’t

ever want to stop kissing her. She’d dreamed about this

moment since she left. She’d thought about it with the sort of

fixation she’d reserved solely for the piano.

“Everyone tried to break you,” Haley panted against

Claire’s mouth. “But they didn’t. You made yourself hard. You

were the person who kept yourself from shattering. You had to

put yourself together entirely alone and that must have been so

hard. I know you don’t want to take a chance on being hurt

again, and I’m the worst person as far as chances go, but I’m

here and I promise I won’t ever let you go back to that dark

place again.”

Claire seemed to have climbed out of it just fine. Her eyes

danced with life. This wasn’t the same woman Haley had met

at the start of the summer.

She wasn’t the same woman either.

“I’m cooking again,” Claire admitted shyly, like it wasn’t

obvious. “And I love it just as much as I did before.”

“I’m so happy you’re doing that.”

“I did it because I had holes that needed filling and time that

needed to be taken up. It’s actually very therapeutic. I’ve been

teaching Jean. He’s messy, but he’s learning.”

Haley laughed, but she grew serious, and she studied Claire.

“You’re amazing. You’re so freaking resilient. You’re so

inspiring.” She bracketed Claire’s face with her hands. “Please

tell me that my grandma and I can stay for dinner so we can

taste your amazing cooking. She’s missed you, you know. She

remembers you perfectly well.”

Claire’s smile was so bright that it rivalled the sun outside.

That kind of smile was magnetic, and Haley could see why