Coming Home
and gone. She knew where she clearly
belonged—where she'd always belonged. Time away had only made her
appreciate her home more. She thought of the wasted time, and all
the memories they could have had over the years, if only she'd been
honest with Caleb about why she couldn't marry him.
    In hindsight, she reasoned they'd maybe all
needed that time and space to grow. Also to realize what they had
couldn't be considered a whim or a phase, they all truly loved each
other. They still had a lot of decisions to make, but with
certainty, she knew they could forge a way through anything as long
as they were honest with each other.
    The closer she got to home, the faster she
drove, desperate to be in their arms again. When she pulled onto
the gravel path that led to the 4D, she smiled. Pax and Caleb were
waiting at the gates, both holding a bunch of flowers. The cheesy
gesture made her want to mock the men. Nevertheless, the
butterflies in her stomach went crazy.
    She stopped the truck, jumping down from the
cab and racing over to them. Pax shot her his pant-dropping smile
and Caleb blew her a kiss.
    "Welcome home, sweetheart," Pax drawled,
lowering his cheek so she could kiss it. She gave him a quick peck,
turning to give Caleb one, too.
    "We missed you, baby," Caleb added.
    "I've been gone just over seventy-two hours."
She rolled her eyes. "You're both so dramatic."
    They chuckled, bracketing her, and placing
their arms around her waist. Caleb moved his lips to her ear,
whispering softly before sucking the lobe into his mouth.
    "We missed you. That's not dramatic."
    Groaning, her knees buckled. About to kiss
Pax, she stalled, noticing her father walking toward them. A small
scowl marred his face, and she pulled away from both men.
    Jack shook his head. "You don't need to do
that. I've gotta get used to it, I suppose."
    "Yeah, but—"
    "No buts. I said I'd deal with it and I will.
I just came to give you a hug and welcome you home. It's good to
have you back Ne-Ne."
    She rushed to him, wrapping her arms around
his neck. "Thank you."
    "We'll talk tomorrow. Maybe go ridin'. For
now, go and put your feet up, those boys can see to emptyin' the
truck."
    He kissed her cheek before whistling for the
dog to follow him into the cottage.
    She couldn't call it an acceptance, but for
now it was more than she could hope for. She moved back to Caleb
and Pax, taking hold of their hands and led them toward the house.
Things weren't perfect. Jack still needed time to adjust, but he
wouldn't interfere. He would allow Sydney to live her life. The
life she'd always wanted. The life she wrote about in her novels.
Stifling a grin, she realized one thing: she'd become one of those
characters.
    She was living her own romance story with her
two cowboys, and it felt amazing.
The End

About the Author
    M. A. Stacie is never without a book or her
eReader. A voracious reader, with a love of sexy, yet angst ridden
novels, she loves getting lost in new worlds. Her need to write did
not grip her until after her second son was born, when her previous
rambles became fully fledged stories. She describes herself as one
huge contradiction, and though not the most conventional of
hobbies, she counts getting new tattoos as one of hers. Running
keeps her sane, and when she’s not playing with her sons, she’s
listening to loud music.
    M. A. Stacie lives in the UK with her husband
and three sons.
    M.A. Stacie's
Website
    M.A. Stacie
Facebook
    M.A. Stacie's Twitter

Also by M.A. Stacie:
    Accidental Fate
    Coming Home
    A Path of Petals
    Beneath the Surface (Reluctance Book 1)
    Behind the Scandal (Reluctance Book 2)
    Unwritten Rules

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