Hopeless (Chestnut Springs, #5)

by Elsie Silver

“No, sugar. When it comes to you, I’m downright hopeless.”

Even though we’re both doing our own thing right now, it always feels like we’re … Alone together.

I wonder what he’s watching. I wonder how his interview went. I wonder how long he’s been waiting. I wonder if he’s hungry or if he ate lunch. I wonder if he’d be okay with me coming to sit beside him.

“You’re not used to anyone showing up for you, Bailey. This is what that looks like. I told you I love you. I’ve never loved a woman before. Wasn’t sure I ever would. But now I do. And you and me? We’re a team. You don’t quit on your teammates. You don’t leave a man behind. So now you’re stuck with me. I’m just being patient. Waiting for you to come back.”

And then he kisses me. The first, last, and only man to love me. And I’m okay with that.

“You fill me with purpose. Lifting you up gives me a reason. Seeing you smile makes me feel whole. And I’m never going to apologize for that. We’re symbiotic, you and me. Without you, this version of me doesn’t exist. Without the next version of you, the next version of me doesn’t exist either. We’re going to grow together.”

“Listen, I’ll be the first of us to turn into a skeleton,” Harvey pitches in. “Out with it.” Silence descends, and Bailey goes tense beside me. “So … this isn’t just Bailey’s house. It’s mine too. I’m moving here and starting a new job with the fire department.” I glance over at Cade. “Sorry, man, this is my two weeks’ notice.” He just grunts. “That’s fine. You’re the worst employee I’ve ever had.” I roll my eyes and forge ahead. “So I—we—won’t be living on the ranch anymore. We’ll come hang out sometimes, but this is home base now.” Everyone is quiet. Watchful. My dad speaks first. “That’s your announcement?” My brows furrow. “Yeah.” “That’s the stupidest announcement I’ve ever been fool enough to get excited about.” Jasper wheezes a laugh and tries to cover it with his hand. “No, listen. Winter announcing her baby’s secret paternity at a family dinner? That was an announcement.” “Gotta win at something sometimes, I guess,” she mutters from beside me. “Me telling you all that Cordelia and I are together? That’s an announcement.” A table-wide intake of breath sounds out. Cordelia covers her face with her palm, but Harvey ignores it all. “But you and your fiancée buy a house—a damn nice house—in the city, where she’s going to be spending the next, what? Seven years, at least? And you’re announcing this to us like it isn’t the most obvious thing in the world? Y’all are a bunch of attention seekers. Or dumb. I’m not sure. Either way, just wild.” He shakes his head. Winter sco...

Saving this all because fucking Harvey does it again

Bailey turns to me, eyes bright, smile wide, cheeks rosy. “This is … this doesn’t feel like alone together. This just feels like together-together.” With one hand, I grip her chin, watching her eyes dance between mine. I kiss her hard. My better half. My other half. “That’s us, sugar. Together-together.”