Page 29 of Summer Ever After

“He catches everyone off guard,” Hannah muttered. “But the way Aaron always steps in…”

“He didn’t even blink at Ian’s nonsense. He just shut him down,” Beth said softly, still amazed.

Then she bit her lip and stared at the computer screen in front of her. She could still hear Ian’s voice, sharp and dripping with accusation, but over it came Aaron’s steady, calm, unshakable voice. That, more than anything, had kept her standing tall.

“I don’t know what I would’ve done if he hadn’t been there,” she admitted softly.

Jules reached across the desk, resting her hand over Beth’s. “That’s why he was there.” Her voice was unusually gentle. “And, from the way he looks at you, I don’t think he’s going anywhere anytime soon.”

Beth felt the warmth of those words sink into her chest, unsettling and soothing all at once. She swallowed, blinking back the prickling behind her eyes.

“I’m not ready for… whatever this is,” she whispered, almost to herself.

She’d wanted to kiss him, yes, but was she ready for more? Could she chance it?

“It doesn’t look like you really care if you’re ready,” Hannah teased lightly, though her eyes softened. “Sometimes the good things come when you’re not ready. Like with Owen and me.”

“And the rest of the Wildflowers, for that matter,” Jules jumped in. “God knows I wasn’t ready for Damion. I mean, I was, but I wasn’t, you know.” She shrugged.

Beth laughed weakly, shaking her head as she glanced at her work.

“We’ll let you get back to work.” Jules touched her shoulder.

“We’re here if you need us or if you just want to gossip,” Hannah added.

After they left, she couldn’t stop the tiny smile tugging at her lips at the friendships she’d gained along with the job.

She couldn’t shake their words, because, in all honesty, they weren’t wrong.