Tinsel (Lark Cove #4)(81)

“I know. You didn’t do anything wrong. As much as it would be nice to place some blame, I can’t fault you for following your heart.”

“I appreciate that.”

“And for what it’s worth, I think it would be a mistake if you moved home.”

I sighed. “I have to.”

My dad died.

“You don’t belong there, Dakota.” Petah laid her hand on my forearm.

“I know. But where?” My voice cracked, my eyes searching hers for an answer. “Where do I belong?”

It wasn’t in Lark Cove. It wasn’t on the reservation. I really needed someone to tell me because I sure as fuck didn’t know where I belonged right now.

“With me.”

The whisper echoed through the bar.

I spun around, searching for the voice I’d been hearing in my sleep for the last two months. I found the source just inside the door. Sofia. Standing in nearly the same place as she had been the first time.

Her hair was down, longer than it had been all those months ago. She’d curled the ends and they twisted down to her waist. Her eyes were full of tears.

Tears for me.

And she was wearing those goddamn snow boots again. In October.

I’d missed those goddamn boots.

“Excuse me.” Petah stood from her seat and bent, kissing my cheek. “Good-bye, Dakota.”

I gave her a fast glance as she walked away but mostly kept my focus on Sofia.

Her eyes held mine, even as Petah passed her by and went out the door.

When it was just the two of us in the bar, I broke the silence. “What are you doing here?”

“Your dad died.”

“My dad died.” My throat burned like someone had shoved a branding iron past my tongue. I’d been repeating those three words in my head for days. Not once had they come out of my mouth.

Not until Sofia had walked through the door.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly.

Tears flooded my eyes this time. She was blurry as she crossed the room.

Dad would have told me to suck it up. He had never believed much in crying—that was something a man did on his own. But the overwhelming relief that she was here when I needed her, even after I hadn’t been there for her, was more than I could keep bottled up.

“My dad died,” I choked out.

She threw her arms around my shoulders, holding me tight. “I know, love.”

The flood came. The rush of pain and anger and hopelessness. I put it all on Sofia’s shoulders, banding my arms around her back as I buried my face in her neck and cried.

Her hold on me never wavered. It never loosened. She took everything I gave her and then some more.

I don’t know how long we were there, me sitting on a stool, her standing between my legs. The breakdown I’d been fighting wasn’t small, and I was glad no customers had come in and Thea had left us alone. Finally, when I pulled myself back together, I leaned back and took her all in.

She was here. She was standing right here with my face in her hands, my tears on her thumbs as she dried them away.

“You’re here.”

She nodded. “I’m so sorry about your dad.”

“Me too. Who called you?”

“Xavier.” Xavier must have told Thea too because I hadn’t said a word. I blew out a deep breath, then ran my hands up and down my face. “Thanks for that. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. You needed it.”

No, I’d needed her. “I’m sorry,” I told her again.

“Dakota, it’s fine. You don’t need to apologize for crying after a parent dies.”

“No.” I shook my head then cupped her cheek with my palm. “I’m sorry for New York. I’m sorry for not being there when you needed me. I’m sorry for the phone call.”

She tilted her head, the weight of her face resting in my hand. “You’re forgiven.”

“Easy as that?”

“I’ve been mad at you for months, and I’m tired of being mad. I’m letting it go.”

I breathed and months’ worth of regret floated away. “How long can you stay?”

“As long as you need.”

Years. I needed years with this woman.

I wasn’t going to get them, so I took a kiss instead.





I woke up alone in Dakota’s bed, something that had happened every morning for the past two weeks. And like I’d done each of those days, I shrugged one of his bulky sweatshirts on over my pajamas and went to search for him.

Most days I found him in the gym. Today, I found him in the living room, sitting in a recliner and staring off into space.

My heart seized at the expression on his face. It was of utter grief and despair. I walked to him immediately, touching his arm when I got close. “Hi.”

He jerked, blinking a few times as he shook his mind out of where it had been. “Hey.”

I rounded the chair and slid right into his lap, tucking my knees into his chest as I snuggled in tight.

He had a coffee cup in his hand. I took it and brought it to my lips. As expected, it was cold.

Dakota had probably been up for hours.

I rested my head against his shoulder. “What can I do?”

Dakota wrapped his arms around me tighter, cloaking me with their warmth. “You’re doing it. Stay with me?”