"Hi, Ashlyn," Mila settled onto the sofa beside Abel and smiled through the screen. Though her eyes looked weary, and the lines of her forehead spoke of her exhaustion, Ashlyn could see the markings of joy etched into her brow, the sparkle in her blue eyes. Mila was a mother so wholly in love with the sleeping babe in her arms. The three of them spoke for a few moments about their respective lives, when Luka began to stir, his eyes opening. Ashlyn was struck with a fondness so intense and consuming, one that she'd never experienced before when she looked into those gorgeous baby blues. Something stirred within her at the sight, something new and unusual. She'd always found babies to be an adorable sort, and her walls had always been ineffective against their charm. But this time, things went beyond the usual awe and flutters in her chest. There was a stirring she felt deep in her gut, a desire for something she'd always thought an impossibility for her, but now perhaps had more hope

Running a cloth underwater, Derek began to wipe the sauce away from her forehead, her cheeks, her throat. He worked his fingers through her curls, pulling out pieces of tomato and onion, his fingers massaging her scalp as they worked.Everywhere that he touched burned, his touch igniting the desires she'd tried to suppress. Her breath was shallow as she watched him work, his eyes following the cloth.His knuckles grazed along her jawline as he cleaned the side of her face, his fingertips brushing the corner of her mouth as he wiped the bridge of her nose. They lingered on her mouth for a moment longer, the pad of his thumb brushing her bottom lip.She gulped when his eyes lifted to meet hers, a desire burning fervently in their depths. Up and down, her chest rose with the force of her breathing.What would it take, she wondered, to close that gap between them. An inch? Maybe two?As though guided by the mere thought of it, Ashlyn began to lean towards him, the invisible thread th

Sorry about your face, she added with a grin. His eyes followed her hand as she wiped the sticky residue on her shorts. When he saw that he'd been caught watching, his gaze snapped to the flyer in his hands, a brush of pink embellishing his cheeks."Fourth of July bonfire, huh?" he asked, reading the print on the flyer he'd used to wipe his face and hands.Ashlyn nodded, the smile breaking in her cheeks as she took the flyer from his hands, stood, and took it over to the bin.It was only two more weeks until the Fourth of July, and preparations for the festivities were already underway, and Ashlyn's excitement continued to grow. Next to Christmas, it was her favorite holiday, and she was thrilled to have someone else to share it with. There was nothing better than a day spent with friends beneath the twilight.Wiping her hands on her shorts, Ashlyn came back to stand in front of Derek, offering her hand, which he took. Pulling him to his feet, the two of them resumed walking towar

She's still scared. I hope they're not far, she answered, looking over Derek's shoulder and back towards the path they'd been walking.There were no roads around this part of the cliff, so they would have to walk out to find them here. She really hoped that they would have understood Derek's directions. She worried her bottom lip, wondering what would happen to Joan if the marine rescue team didn't find them there.Derek took her hand in his."She's going to be okay. They'll find us," Derek reassured her. She nodded, leaning her head to the side so she could look at Joan's face.She didn't know much about the way that turtles displayed their emotions, but the eyes she gazed into were a depth of darkness and pain, and she couldn't help but feel saddened by the predicament Joan had found herself in. Joan blinked. If turtles could have wept, Ashlyn had no doubt that she would have been crying a stream of tears.By the time Ashlyn noticed the flashing lights that approached signaling

"Poppy, Sage. This is my very good friend, Ashlyn," he addressed each of the girls. She tried not to flinch at his choice of words, her heart yearning for a different word to have been used. But they hadn't yet had that conversation. Perhaps they never would.Quickly, she pushed that thought aside and reminded herself of the words he'd said that afternoon behind Salt. Words that had been proven true countless times since. It didn't matter what they were or were not, only that he was there, and that at some level, he cared.Pushing back the thoughts that threatened to ruin the day, she chose to focus on the people before her, and the good that she felt.Ashlyn waved to each of the girls, her smile warm. As she gazed at both of the girls, she could see the playful spark and curiosity in each of their eyes. The hints of those cheeky smiles they each possessed hidden in the corners of their lips were evident, much like they had looked in all of Derek's photos.The way that Derek spoke