Pushing the Limits

Her siren smile lit up my world. “Noah.”

“Echo. You look …” I let my eyes wander up and down as I approached the car. “Appetizing.”

Her laughter tickled my soul. “I think we’ve had this conversation before.”

yawned and closed his eyes. I touched the side of his head. It wasn’t the first time he’d said the words to me, but it was the first time since Carrie and Joe allowed me back in my brothers’ lives.

“Me, too. I love you,” Jacob added.

“I love you both

When I first introduced them a month back, my brothers had been shy around her. Then Echo drew a picture of Jacob and Tyler and the wall between them shattered. They thought it was cool that a grown-up loved crayons as much as they did

Echo and Tyler laughed as Isaiah flipped Tyler over his shoulder, grabbed Echo’s hand and ran across the yard to keep Beth from “finding” them. Beth slowly followed, pretending she had no idea where the three of them had gone. My throat swelled at the sight. I finally had a family

I’d lost the dreams I had, but won new dreams.

Everything in her life was in flux and she needed strong, steady and stable. Oddly, she found those three things in me. Who would ever have guessed I’d be the reliable sort? “Besides, taking it slow creates buildup. I like anticipation.”

Her body rocked with silent giggles and my lips turned up. I loved making her happy.

Contentment and happiness were unfamiliar emotions, but ones I could learn to live with.

“Do you mind?” she asked in a small voice that indicated nerves. “That we’re taking it slow?”

“No.” And it was the truth. Happiness and contentment were going to be a little harder for her than for me.

I’m in love with you.”

Echo settled her head in the crook of my arm as her fingertips lazily touched my face. “I know. I love you, too.”

She became my world. Filling my senses so that all I felt and saw and tasted was her. Kisses and touches and whispered words of lov

“I’m not stopping you. You plan. I’ll kiss.”