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She hadn’t been fishing for coood "Thanks for your confidence in ot this"

He swept his hand up her back and into her hair "Then I guess we’re both going to kick soave him a smile "Hell yes we are"

He brushed his lips across hers, lingering for a few seconds andher breath catch before he pulled back to take a s of coffee

"Soabout last night"

She tilted her head "What about last night?"

"In the car on the way to the party I thought you were texting a guy"

"Oh" Her lips curved "I wasn’t I was texting your ht you had a date, I didn’t like it"

She tried to fight the smile "Okay"

"So I’d like you to be with me, Mia Just hed "I’ anyone else, Nathan, and have no intention of doing so And I already like you"

"Good And ditto I’ anyone else, either And this is different fro In a relationship Ya know?"

His broad grin made her oes"

So now they were officially in a relationship Which eird since they’d been friends for years Shethis worked out between the what they had

TWENTY-ONE

MIA HAD PACED AND PONDERED AND THOUGHT AND agonized about this, tossing the idea around in her head and throwing it awayout of time and she needed to make a decision Or at least ask the damn question Which she wished she had asked a couple of weeks ago But their status had changed only a few days ago, and oh, as she worrying about this?

She finally grabbed her phone and called Nathan Tuesday afternoon He picked up

"Hey, what’s up?"

"Are you busy?" she asked

"Nah Just doing sos around the house"

"I need to ask you a question, and you can feel free to say no"

He paused "Okay"

"My brother Barrett is getting "

He paused again "I don’t know anyone in Texas, but if you give me a few hours I’m sure I could rustle so ?"

She liked that he made this easy for her "Yes, I would really like it, if you’re not busy this weekend, if you’d co It’s super last minute and all and you can feel free to say no"

"I’d love to co to these things solo and I would have asked you sooner, but our relationship just changed recently and before that I was going byany sense"

He laughed "I said I’d be happy to go, babe Just text eht if that doesn’t interfere with anything you’re doing"

"Right now I’s So my schedule is clear"

"Perfect I really appreciate this, Nathan"

"Not a problem I’m sure it’ll be fun I like at least one of your brothers, and your parents"

She laughed "You’ll loveup and she felt as if a giant weight had been lifted off of her She went to her officeand looked out over the bay It was foggy today, and she wanted nothing more than to be outside to feel the salty spray on her face