Where We Belong (Alabama Summer #3.5)

My funny boy. All that commotion probably put him under even more.

I shut the door, spinning around and leaning against it, watching as Ben gestures in my direction, looks at me, then turns back and continues laying into a distraught looking Angie, her hands covering her face and her head lowered.

Do not feel sorry for her, Mia. Think about Nolan.

I continue observing their exchange. I can’t make out what they’re saying, but their voices are softer now. Ben no longer looks irate. At least, not from this distance. I watch Angie nod her head, say a few more words, then hurry up the stairs and dart inside the house.

Turning, Ben stalks down the driveway, his long, muscular legs closing the gap between us in half the time it took me to reach the truck. His expression is indecipherable, all though I’m certain he’s still annoyed.

Why wouldn’t he be?

I straighten off the door, ready to ask him what she had to say when he moves into me and presses me against it again.

“Ben,” I gasp.

His hands cup my face and slide into my hair. He bends, claiming my mouth with his, swallowing the soft, breathless plea before it dies on my lips.

“You,” he murmurs, kissing me roughly. “What did I do, Mia? What the fuck did I ever do to deserve you?”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s backing off.”

“What?” I push against Ben’s chest, just enough to peel his face off of mine. I look up into his bright eyes, staying connected to him, his hard body forming to my soft curves. “What do you mean she’s backing off? She was pissed, Ben.”

“I know. But it was you, Angel. Angie doesn’t want to compete with you. Hell, she knows she can’t. She had all this fire one minute, trying to argue with me and telling me she deserved more time with Nolan, but then I mentioned something about you being there for him and always seeing him as your own. That shut her up real fast, baby. It was like it triggered something. She started crying. She even admitted how seeing you with Nolan tripped her up.”

Ben grabs my face, dropping his forehead against mine. His warm breath tickles my mouth.

“You’re fucking perfect. Perfect for me. Perfect for Nolan. She saw that. She’s done. Unless he wants to see her, she’s not going to push anything with our son.”

I blink rapidly, trying to absorb this new information. Trying to understand it.

She’s giving up all rights to him, just like that? The only child she’s ever had, this little piece of her, the best thing she’s ever done and will ever do, she’s just going to walk away from him like he never meant anything?

“Are you serious? What the hell is wrong with her?” I yell, my own voice sounding shaky now.

I wiggle free of Ben’s hold and begin pacing in front of the truck in the grass, keeping myself locked into a pattern of mindless stepping to prevent a sudden charge up the driveway.

“Baby.”

I ignore Ben’s voice, my head down, my hands drawn into fists at my sides.

“She’s missed out on so much of his life, and she’s not going to fight for him? She’s not going to at least try and make this work? Why not? How can someone be done with Nolan? I don’t understand that.”

She’s sick. Disturbed. She has to be.

I would sacrifice anything for him. Everything. I would’ve fought for Nolan five minutes after meeting him.

“Mia, hey.” With a firm hand, Ben grabs onto my elbow, halting my hurried steps and tugging me against him. His other palm forms to my cheek. “Stop. Talk to me. Why are you upset about this? This is a good thing.”

Is it?

I stare into his eyes, seeking understanding, thinking about this a little longer than the second I took before I started moving around like a mental patient.

Angie isn’t going to fight us. She isn’t going to try and keep Nolan away from his father again. From Chase or me. She’s going to let Nolan decide if and when they spend any time together.

It’s his decision. She understands that now.

We aren’t losing Nolan.

We aren’t losing him.

My world slows. Clarity, warm and comforting, blankets me like the softest cloak.

With a shuddering breath I collapse against Ben, suddenly feeling weightless and relieved of the heaviest burden. I drop my head against his chest and bury my face there, whimpering when he wraps his strong arms around me, sliding my hands around his waist to his back and clutching at his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper against his neck, standing on my toes to get closer. “I’m so sorry. You’re right. I’m ruining this. I’ve just been so stressed out about it, Ben. I was so worried she’d try and take Nolan from us. God, I was worried. I’m just in shock, I guess. I’m sorry.”

He lifts me off the ground. “Stop saying you’re sorry.”

“Okay. I’m sorry.”

Laughing, he presses his lips against my cheek, then slides them over my mouth.

“You ready for your surprise?” he asks.

I lean away, my feet dangling in the air. “My surprise? Now?” I inhale a quick breath, remembering his odd behavior on the drive over here. “Oh, my God. Is that why you were humming?”

“Sure as fuck wasn’t because of this,” he grunts, reaching over and opening the passenger door. He sits me on the seat. “But we did get Nolan.”

“Yeah, we did,” I reply, grinning, grabbing his shirt and kissing all over his face, sliding my hands to his shoulders as I press my lips to his ear. “I’m so happy.”

“Me too, baby.”

“Please tell me my surprise involves cookies,” I whisper.

He groans and nips at my neck. “God, yes.”

Ben

“WAIT. WHAT ARE WE DOING here?”

Mia looks over at me after I shift the truck into park and cut the engine.

So adorably inquisitive. She still has no idea what my plans are for us, only that it involves hours and hours . . . and hours of me worshipping her perfect fucking body. I won’t give her any more details. Not yet.

I don’t need to. It’ll all become clear in a minute anyway.

With her nose wrinkled and her finger tapping her chin, she stares ahead out the window, then leans close enough to whisper, “Is this where we’re having sex? Like . . . in one of their rooms where they can hear us?”

I give her a hard look as I unbuckle my seat belt.

Is she fucking crazy?

“Yeah, baby. I called up Reed too. Figured he’d want to listen again.”

Her eyes widen. Smiling, a quiet giggle bubbles in her throat. She brings a hand to her mouth and reaches for me with the other, wrapping her fingers around my wrist and squeezing.

“Ben, what’s going on?” she asks.

“You’ll see. Will you grab Chase? My hands are going to be full.”

Mia looks around the back seat, no doubt wondering what the fuck I’m talking about. It’s practically empty back there.

“Um . . . yeah, sure.”

I step out of the truck, hearing the shrill snap of a screen door closing.

Luke and Tessa pad down the driveway toward us while Max barrels around the yard.

Nolan leans forward and starts bouncing in his seat the moment I open the back door.