“Hard to hide it.”
“I want you back,” she whispered, which isn’t what she’d meant to say. Exactly.
“For how long?”
“As long as you’ll have me.”
He drew a shuddery breath. “So this is you, fighting for what you want?”
“Yes.” It was hard to concentrate. His hand was on her hip, slowly making its way north until it cupped her breast. His thumb glided over her already pebbled nipple, his expression a mixture of heat, affection, need, and so much more that it took her breath. She slid her arms around his waist and laid her head on his chest, shivering when he cupped the back of her neck. “I came to Lucky Harbor out of obligation, but really, I was looking for something.”
“Did you find it?”
She loved the way his voice rumbled through his chest, his body radiating into hers. “Yeah, I found it. I’m staying in Lucky Harbor, Jax. We’re going to rebuild. For the first time in my life, I fit. I have my sisters, a place that’s mine-well, it’s only one-third mine, and we still owe you a ton of money, not to mention it’s half charred-but you know what I mean.”
His lips twitched.
“And!” She drew a breath, because this was the big one. “I let myself love and, in return, be loved.”
He went utterly still, his eyes twin dark pools. His fingers brushed up her spine, sinking into her hair. “Did you?”
“Yes.” Her heart clenched that he’d doubted it, even for a minute. “I love you, Jax. And you love me back.”
“I do,” he said, warm emotion thickening his voice, and all her worries began to fade completely away. He pressed his mouth to the beat of the pulse at the base of her neck. When he lifted his head and met her gaze, his eyes were shining fiercely. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
Looking at him, she saw her future and felt all the ragged tears in her heart heal themselves. “I fit,” she whispered in marvel, stepping into him. “I fit with you.”
He nodded and wrapped his arms around her. “Perfectly.”
Maddie’s Boyfriend Scarf
Materials:
One skein super-bulky yarn, at least 100 yards
1 pair size 13 needles (straight)
1 size G (4 mm) crochet hook
Instructions:
1. Cast on 15 stitches (or enough stitches to make the scarf 6 to 8 inches wide).
2. Knit every row-this is called a garter stitch-until your scarf is 60” long. (If you have more yarn left and a very tall boyfriend, you may choose to make the scarf a bit longer.)
3. Bind off.
4. Use your crochet hook to weave in the ends at the top and bottom. See how easy that was!
Personalize your gift:
1. Feel free to use a different weight of yarn but check on the label to see what size needles are recommended and use them instead.
2. Knit with two different strands held together throughout. This creates a unique yarn only your beloved will have.
3. Create stripes by buying several colors of yarn, starting a new color (which will be woven in with the crochet hook during step #4 above).
4. Add fringe: Cut 64 lengths of yarn approximately 10” each. Take four lengths of yarn and fold them in half. Insert the crochet hook into one of the corners of the scarf. Pull the loop through the scarf with the crochet hook. Then bring the ends of the yarn through the loop and tighten. On the narrow edges of the scarf, make 8 tassels spaced evenly.
Jill Shalvis
