“Kallie,” she says again, this time not even pretending that she is crying. “I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt Jacob. He is my best friend, and I don’t know where I would be without him.” I don’t interrupt her. “I’m sorry, so sorry.”

“Sorry will not change anything,” I say, and I know nothing either of us can say will make anything better. Nothing she will say will bring back Gabriel. Nothing will ever make anything okay. “I’ll see you tonight,” I say and turn to walk out of the bar. The door slams shut, and when I get to the truck, I stop and rest my forehead against it.

I get in the truck and make my second stop of the day. I pull up and park behind his truck and walk up the steps, opening the door. There is no one sitting at the front desk, and then Grady comes out from the back. “Well, look at this,” he says, looking at me, and I just smile at him.

“Hi, is Jacob here?” I ask, and he nods.

“Follow me,” he says, and I follow him back to Jacob’s office.

He looks up from his desk and smiles when he sees me, getting up. “Hey there.” Walking to me, he kisses me. “What are you doing here?”

“I’ll be at my desk,” Grady says and closes the door behind him.

“Are you okay?’ Jacob asks, and I look down.

“I went to see Savannah,” I say, and he picks up my hand and kisses it, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before I went. I just.”

“Baby,” he says softly.

“I just wanted her to know that I’m not going anywhere and that no matter how I feel about her”—I let out a big breath—“that Ethan will never feel it from me.”

“You’re amazing,” he tells me, and right before he kisses me, a siren goes off.

Grady shouts, “Shots fired at Casey’s house!”

Find out what happens with Casey & Olivia in

Southern Comfort

Epilogue One

Jacob

Five months later

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Ethan asks from beside me as he watches me climb the ladder against the tree.

“Yeah,” I huff out, holding on to the ladder that tethers left and right, making me hold my breath while it wobbles.

“If you fall and break something, Kallie is going to freak out, Dad,” Ethan says. I don’t need him to tell me that this is crazy right now. I also don’t need him to tell me that if I do break something, Kallie will do more than freak out.

“You are not helping, Ethan,” I say between clenched teeth as I throw the light over one branch, letting it fall over swinging. Ethan walks to it to stop it and keep it in place.