Juniper Hill (The Edens, #2)

by Devney Perry

He opened it before I could knock. His gaze tracked a tear as it dripped down my cheek.

“I want to not feel so alone. I want my kid to smile when I pick him up from daycare. I want Drake to have a normal life, and I feel like this is so far away from one, I can’t even see which direction to start walking. I want you to kiss me again. I want to never eat a peanut butter sandwich again. I want⁠—”

“There’s one want granted. What else do you want?” I leaned into him and told him the terrifying truth. “You.”

“Ah. That was nice.” She gave me a smirk, like she knew exactly what I was doing in this room. Maybe she did.

Memphis was beside her cleaning cart, her eyes glued to my ass.

When she realized I’d caught her staring, she simply shrugged and smiled.

“Lester Novak.” Lester Novak. Fuck. Me.

The first person I wanted to tell was Memphis.

“Guess what?” She smiled. “What?”

The compliment was given so casually, like she was stating the obvious. The sky was blue. Snow was white. I was the best chef in the world.

I was banding my arms around her, trapping her to my chest, when a throat cleared from the doorway.

“Should I pretend I didn’t see that?” Eloise asked.

“It’s too late now, honey. She’s not blind.”

“Oh my God.” She brought her hands up to her cheeks, whispering, “I’m going to get fired.”

“Eloise, Memphis is worried that she’s going...

“Knox,” Memphis hissed, poking me...

“Small town, honey. No one cares.”

“And since it is . . . when you’re done here, would you make me an early lunch? I forgot one today and I’m starving.”

“He told me it was a bold move to serve him mac ’n’ cheese. I told him I had a woman at home who’d promised me it was the best in the world. He agreed.”

So I could climb Knox like a naked tree.

That was not a small bulge behind his zipper.

Sleep. Please, baby. Sleep.

“Your house has a lot of windows for a caveman.”

“You are mine. Whether we do this tonight or not.”

“Don’t come,” he ordered.

“Don’t come. Not yet.” “Then you’d better stop.”

“Why are you trying to talk me out of having sex with you?”

“You are . . . you are a dream,” he breathed. “I gave up on those.” My breath hitched. “So did I.”

“Come.” Knox dropped his mouth to my pulse and sucked. Hard.

Drake looked content in Knox’s arms. Knox seemed happy too.

Friends who weren’t really friends. I still liked their photos on Instagram. They sent the occasional text to check in. But our lives had gone in different directions.

Because not long after, I’d met Oliver. And he’d brought chaos to my life.

“Sorry, honey. Gotta say . . . I’m not cool with your dad.”

“What did I say wrong?”

“Nothing.” Knox stood and carried Drake to the guest room.

My stomach knotted as Knox turned and acted as though he’d walk straight past me.

“Today was your second-best day.” “Well . . . yeah. What’s wrong with that?”

“It was just a normal day, honey.”

“Because today was normal.” He threw up a hand.

“Just a normal, good day. You worked. I worked. We came home. That’s it.”

“Then here’s another truth. I’m going to take them. I’m going to take all of your bests. Every damn one until you can’t keep track of the top five anymore because there are so many bests that you’ll need a hundred to capture them all.”

Drake would have a happy life. She’d make sure of it. And after last night, I would too.

She’d given me her best days. I’d give her mine. Both of them.

Drake answered by popping that fist free and letting out a squeal that filled the house. The noise startled him, his eyes wide, and then he did it again, stretching it out louder and louder. Memphis laughed. “This is his new party trick.”

“Couple more to go. Then I’ll hook you up, little man. We’re not doing boring baby food in this house.”

“You’re really not going anywhere, are you?”

“This is new. We’ll take a little time. Get used to each other. But I’m not the kind of man who gives up what’s good. And we’re good. We’re fucking good, honey.”

I’d told her I’d give her an extra vacation day over Christmas if she worked for me, she’d sent a string of heart and eye-roll emojis and a single thumbs-up.

“Kiss me.” She leaned in but stopped, a whisper away from my lips. “Say please.” “What if I don’t?” “Then I won’t kiss you.”

Drake gave a wail, causing Memphis and me to freeze. Then we both laughed when he kept on babbling, testing the acoustics of my house.