Epilogue #2
I drop my foot onto the asshole’s back, shove him back down when he tries to get up. “I’m fine. You?”
A jerky nod. “I dropped my phone, but Caitlyn called the police. They’re on their way.”
I open my mouth—
Sirens echo through the air.
The next hour is filled with questions from police officers and giving our official statements and watching as they pack the asshole in the back of the cruiser.
I learn that she doesn’t know the man, that this was likely a random attack.
Not that it makes it any better.
“Are you okay?” I ask as the cops pull off.
“Yeah,” she lies, shaking, her hands clenched together so tightly her knuckles are standing out.
“Laines,” I murmur.
Her throat works and she bends to pick up her bag, her phone that Caitlyn, the woman working at the store, retrieved from beneath Lainey’s car.
“I’m fine,” she says. “I, um, just wish that Ollie wasn’t having that sleepover. The house is empty and—”
“Want me to come over?”
“N-no,” she says quickly. “No, no.” A shaky breath. “I don’t know why I mentioned it—” She presses her lips together. “Forget I said anything. The guy’s in jail. It was just a random wrong-place-wrong-time situation.”
I step closer, take her trembling hands in mine. “I’ll drive you home, Laines. Check out your house, make sure no one’s there.”
A shudder. “You will?”
“Yeah, honey.” I lift a shoulder in a careless shrug.
Even though none of this feels careless.
“You’ll know you’re safe and we can call one of the girls with you if you still are worried.”
“But, I—”
“Let’s go.” I wrap an arm around her shoulders.
Guide her to my car.
I drive her home, check out her house, but when I go to leave, hating every step that takes me away from her presence (even under these circumstances), her hand wraps around my wrist.
“Sawyer?” she asks when I halt, glance down.
“Yeah, Laines?”
“Will you stay?” A beat. “Just a little bit longer?”
Thank you for reading Harper and Leo’s story!
I hope you enjoyed their journey to happily-ever-after as much as I did writing it!
The next book in the Grizzlies Hockey series is ONE NIGHT WITH NUMBER NINETEEN.
I told him it was just one night…he said it was forever.
Lainey and Sawyer’s story is coming soon!
And if you want to learn more about Ace and Vi and her tenure at the Blue Line Matchmaker, check out MATCH ME IF YOU CAN, book one in my new series, Blue Line Matchmaking. I wasn’t looking for trouble. Then I found her.