Laura

As the memory of his kisses from a year ago flooded through her body, she found herself surrendering to him. He returned the kiss that she had started, and she could feel him begin to get excited. With all the relief she felt, she could let herself be taken right here, right now, in this snowstorm if he wanted her.

But then she remembered just who she was kissing. This was the man who never called. This was the man who had his secretary tell her off. This was the man who didn't care. She pushed herself away from him.

What the hell am I doing? She thought, hating the way she already missed kissing him. She should never have kissed him in the first place.

“I'm sorry,” she told him, backing away and figuring out the quickest way to the shed door. “I didn't mean that. Forget I just did that.”

She stumbled past him and ran out into the snow. The temperature difference between the shed and the outside was a shock to her system. She didn't realize how much the wind chilled her. The storm was coming hard and fast now, with big, wet white flakes. It was a heavy spring snow that would probably break branches on trees. It was a good thing Dallas wasn't stuck out in this.

She sprinted across the snow, heading directly for the main house. She tried to think only of Dallas, but Ethan and that kiss wouldn't leave her head.

She kissed him.

Why in the world did she do that?

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” she whispered to herself as she ran through the snow. The man didn't want her. He'd made that incredibly clear. And she'd just let her body do its own thing and kiss him. She slowed to a walk as she neared the house.

“It was just the shock of finding out he was okay,” she told herself. “Yeah, that's it. Just shock. If any male had been there, and possibly any female, I would have done the same thing.”

She nodded to herself, but deep down she knew it wasn't anywhere close to true. The only person she would have kissed was Ethan. She was just lying to herself and she knew it.

She pressed her hand to her lips, still feeling the lingering warmth there. She was going to be thinking of him all day now. She pulled her hand away, determined to get past this. Besides, she was at the house.

She threw open the kitchen door and entered, stomping the snow from her boots before getting too far inside.

“Where is he?” Laura asked Mia once her feet were clean enough to come inside.

“They're almost here,” Mia assured her from the kitchen table. She was sitting in one of the chairs while Emma stood with the baby beside her.

Laura nodded and paced by the door. She wasn't sure who she was actually more anxious would walk through it: Dallas or Ethan.

The door finally opened with a flurry of snowflakes sneaking into the house. Ella led the two boys by the hands into the house while Jace followed behind with Jupiter in his arms. Once inside, Jace set the dog down. Jupiter promptly shook wet snow everywhere.

Laura ran to Dallas, falling to her knees and hugging him tight to her. He felt so small in her arms, so fragile. She tucked her face into the boy's shoulder, trying to keep her sobs of relief to herself. Thankfully, Dallas didn't push her away.

“I'm okay, Laura. Promise,” he whispered, giving her a hug back. “You are squishing me!”

She chuckled and loosened her death grip on him. She didn't let him go, but used one hand to wipe the tears off her face. “Don't do that again, okay?”

“It was an accident,” Dallas explained. “We were playing fetch with Jupiter and the ball hit a rock and went crazy. Jupiter chased after it, and it was funny. So we threw it again.”

“And that's how you walked away from the barn?” she asked. She ruffled his brown hair, just glad that she was able to touch him at all.

Dallas nodded. Laura looked over to see Ella sitting in one of the kitchen chairs with Elliot in her lap. She had her arms wrapped tightly around him looking fierce and relieved at the same time. Jace stood behind them with his hand on Elliot's shoulder with a matching expression.

“Then what happened?” Laura turned back to Dallas.

“We just kept playing until it got really cold.” He looked down at his shoes and frowned. “But, we didn't know how to get back. We couldn't see the house anymore. Jupiter didn't know where to go either. We tried following him since dogs are supposed to be good at that kind of thing. He wasn't.”

Laura pulled him into another hug. His cheeks and hands were still cold from being outside.

“Then Mr. Jace and Ms. Ella saw us,” Dallas continued. “They brought us home. Jupiter was going in the wrong direction.”

“I'm so glad you guys are okay,” Laura told him. “You scared me really bad. I thought... I thought...” Her voice caught and she had to take a breath. “I thought I was going to lose you, too.”

Dallas' eyes went big and wide. He slammed himself into her chest, nearly knocking the two of them over with the need to hug his sister. “I wouldn't leave you, Laura. Never. You don't leave me and Ivy. We don't leave you. That's how it works. We promised.”

Laura felt fresh tears trickle down her cheeks. That was the promise they'd made each other at their parents' funeral. “We don't leave each other.”

A blast of cold air followed the door opening again, but Laura didn't let go of her brother. From the corner of her eye, she could see Ethan coming in and shaking the snow from his shoulders and boots. She ignored him, focusing on her brother. Luckily, he just went to the far side of the room to talk to Emma and Mia.

“We should get you and your sister home before the snow gets too bad,” Laura announced, standing up and holding out her hand for her brother. He took it and held on tightly. She turned to the table. “Jace, Ella? Thank you so much for finding him.”

Ella hugged the boy in her lap a little tighter. “I'm just glad we did.” She smiled at Dallas. “It was nice to meet you, Dallas. I hope we see each other again some time.”

“Thank you Ms. Ella,” Dallas replied politely. He smiled up at Jace. “And thank you, Mr. Jace.”

Laura squeezed his hand. “Goodbye everyone. Thank you for all your help today.” She gave a nod to Mia and Emma, ignoring Ethan as best she could, and hurried out into the snow.

The two of them walked quickly, hand in hand, to the old garage to pick up Ivy. The snow came down in wet, heavy flakes that stuck in clumps to their eyelashes. Dallas held onto her hand, not letting go for anything. She was grateful, because she didn't want to let go either. She couldn't wait to get home and cuddle with her siblings in front of a movie.

She pulled open the door to the garage and Kenna ran to greet them.

“You found them! They're okay?” Kenna asked. “Security gave me a radio, but I was still worried. Where's Elliot?”

“He's still at the house with the others. I just came to get Ivy so we can go home,” Laura explained, shutting the door behind her to keep the snow out. “Thank you for watching her.”

“She was a perfect angel,” Kenna assured her. She let out a sigh of relief and smiled at Dallas. “Thank you so much for finding them.”

“It was Jace and Ella that found them,” Laura replied. “I just wandered around being panicked.”

Kenna chuckled. “That's basically what I did here, too.” She hugged Laura. “Thank you.”

Laura nodded. She didn't hold any hard feelings against Kenna for losing track of Dallas. Laura knew first hand how easily the kid slipped away. He was right at the age where he could be trusted most of the time, but would forget he should ask permission before he left to do things. He was definitely going to be grounded for the next ten years.

“Okay, Dallas and Ivy,” Laura said as Ivy put on her coat and gathered her things. The girl walked over and hugged her brother. Laura was glad she didn't know just how lost he had been. “Let's go home.”

With one more round of goodbyes and thank yous to Kenna, they headed back out into the snow. Laura walked silently, hand in hand with her siblings. She was thinking of everything that happened today, but the kiss kept floating into her mind. That kiss. Of all the things for her to focus on, it was a kiss that shouldn't have happened. She shook her head. She needed to forget about Ethan White.

Except, as they came to her old beaten up pickup truck, Ethan was standing in the snow waiting for them.