Page 27 of Practice Makes Perfect

When we’ve both come down and caught our breath, Billie rolls to the side and lays next to me. The loss of her body heat and the sweat evaporating from my skin causes me to shiver. My head turns to Billie and her face lights up with something before she moves off the bed. “Wait right here,” she tells me. As I watch her gloriously naked body retreat from my room, I sit up and wonder where she thinks I would possibly go when I have someone like her in bed with me. A minute later, she comes back carrying a large box with a red ribbon over it and places it on my lap. “I got this for you. I was going to give it to you last night, but we, uh, got a little caught up.”

Her cheeks flush a deeper pink than they already were and I stifle a smile at her getting a little shy talking about us having sex while we’re both sitting in my bed without a stitch of clothing on. “You didn’t have to get me anything,” I tell her.

Her shoulder bobs and she scoots closer to me. “I wanted to,” she confesses. She taps the lid of the box and looks at me expectantly and if I’m not mistaken, with a bit of nerves as well. “Now open it.”

Nodding, I pull off the ribbon and lift the lid of the box, my eyes widening when I see what’s inside. “My dad’s flannels?” But when I pull the familiar material out of the box, it isn’t a series of shirts that come out but is instead a large quilt. As my eyes roam over the blanket, I see each large square is made of a different shirt that had been owned by my father and worn by me. The back is reinforced with a thick, dark green material that feels soft against my skin, but it’s the front that I can’t stop looking at. Lifting the blanket to my nose, I inhale and even though I am sure it’s only in my mind, I swear I can still smell the woodsy scent that clung to my dad wherever he went still lingering there. My throat gets thick with emotion and moisture gathers in my eyes, not just at the bittersweet memory of my dad, but at the thoughtfulness of the woman next to me.

“Do you hate it?” she asks, her voice small and quiet.

Her voice should only ever be bright and happy, just like her, and especially when I’m getting choked up because of how incredible the gift she got me is. “No I love it. I love…” The words trail off because I want to tell her I love her, but this moment seems too beautiful to shatter with that confession. This is about her thoughtfulness and care, not about my feelings. “Thank you, Billie.” Pushing the box aside, I pull her next to me and spread the blanket over the both of us. “This is incredible and easily the best gift anyone has ever given me. My dad would love it, and both my parents would have loved you.”

Billie’s eyes dance with happiness at the declaration and she smiles. Her expression turns playful before she swipes her hand dramatically across her forehead and I hear a breath whoosh out of her lungs. “Thank goodness. I was worried that you might be upset that I had your dad’s shirts cut up.”

Shaking my head, I lean down and kiss her lips gently. She’s trying to lighten the mood, but my feelings are too serious for me to take the bait. “No, Elskling. You’ve given me a way to keep my dad close, and not just with this.” She has shown me a way to honor my dad in my own way and in my own style while also making sure I would be able to have the safety and comfort that the old way provided. “You’ve given me a lot, and I hope you know how much I appreciate it.”

“I do.”. The seriousness on her face tells me she means it, but her mouth soon pulls into a smirk before she snuggles closer to me under the blanket. With a wink, she reaches down and squeezes my thigh with her hand before trailing it up my leg. “Maybe after a little rest you can show me how much you appreciate it.”

Returning her smile, I take her lips in a kiss. “Why wait?” As we slip down into the bed and I pull the blanket over our heads, I proceed to show her just how grateful I am for her gift, and for her.

Chapter Twenty

Billie

The first night Carter and I slept together was amazing, so amazing in fact that in the month since then, we haven’t spent a single night apart from one another. Whether it’s in his bed or mine, we end the day with sex and snuggles before we both slip into the sweetest slumber either of us have ever had. At least, it’s been the sweetest for me. From the contented look on Carter’s face when we wake up every morning, it’s safe to assume he feels the same way. He is my new favorite body pillow, and I’m already used to his presence not only in my bed, but also in my heart. The desire to spill my feelings is hard to resist, but I do it every day because even though I’m pretty sure I’m in love with Carter, I still have no idea of what I’m supposed to do with my life.

The party planning didn’t pan out, and since then no other ideas have really come to me. I enjoy working at Hodgepodge. Each day brings a new set of people to chat with and steer around the store, helping them find exactly what they need or didn’t know they wanted until I showed it to them. It also allows me to explore my more creative side by talking with the artisans and always keeping an eye out for new and exciting items that the store might want to showcase. As much as I love my time there, it’s not exactly what I went to school for and if my parents weren’t already disappointed in me for getting so off track in life, they certainly would be if I wasted the education they paid for. Maybe they would just be happy that you’re happy.

The thought springs to mind just as Maya returns from her lunch break, a bag from the local craft supply store dangling from one hand. No doubt it’s full of more yarn for her to create baby booties and stuffed animals with for her crochet business. Ever since the beginning of August when JJ started going to preschool and I’ve gotten the hang of things at the shop, she’s been spending more of her time on her own thing and doing quite well if the sheer number of orders she’s been fulfilling are any indication. As she bounces over to the front counter, a grin comes over her face when she sees me. “Hello,” she says cheerily. Her smile is so bright it almost hurts to look at it, but it’s impossible not to return it either.

“Welcome back,” I tell her. Grabbing the bag, I peek inside and chuckle at the multiple skeins of yarn that confirm my earlier suspicions. “I can see that your lunch break was productive.”

Maya laughs and starts to unpack her purchase. “Very.” Brown, black, and white yarn is pulled out along with other smaller items that she will use to make something spectacular that I have no name for. “I’m starting on two pairs of brown bear booties with matching stuffies today for a couple who is expecting twins. How cute will that be?”

“So cute,” I agree. Picking up the brown, I run my hand over the soft fabric and smile at the thought of asking Maya to make booties for my own baby someday. When I picture my future child, they have moss green eyes just like their dad’s, but that won’t become a reality if I don’t get my act together. When my eyes move up to hers, she smiles knowingly at me but says nothing. I’m not sure what her brother has told her about us, but it’s clear that she knows something is going on. Still, I’m glad she’s not commenting on it. Unlike the yarn that is meticulously wrapped and orderly, my thoughts and feelings are a tangled mess. Maya’s expression is the exact opposite, full of confidence and a certainty of self I can only imagine having. “You look happy.”

The emotion is practically radiating from her every pore as her smile grows. “I am happy,” she states matter-of-factly. Her eyes study mine for a moment before she speaks again. “Are you?”

The question has me immediately thinking about Carter and my mouth pulls at the sides. Spending time with him makes me happy, working here with him at the store makes me happy, but when I start to think about my professional future, the question draws a blank and makes me feel a little less sure about everything else in my life. My shoulder lifts as I struggle to answer the question. “I don’t know. Maybe?” The words sound so stupid when I say them aloud. I am beyond privileged to be in the position I am, spending time with an amazing guy while working a job that is satisfying and living in a great town. Anyone else would probably answer with a resounding Yes, but I can’t get past my own jumbled thoughts to say it.

Maya comes around the counter and pulls me into a hug. She smells like apple pie and my stomach growls at the thought of having a slice. She chuckles at the sound and pulls back, but not before giving me a pointed look. “Well, you either are or you are really spectacular at faking it, but I don’t think you’re that good of an actress. No offense.”

“None taken,” I admit. My heart feels happy, but my mind is another story, so the answer to her question is still a bit of an unknown.

I look over at Maya to see her eyes narrowing at me slightly. “Have I thanked you for your help at the shop? I know you had a rough couple of days in the beginning, but you have been invaluable. In fact, the only person I’ve seen run things as well as you have is my mom.” Maya’s eyes get a little glassy, but she blinks away the tears that threaten. “They would have loved you, you know? My parents.”

“Carter said the same thing,” I confess. The amount of happiness that brought me is immeasurable. That he thinks his parents would not only approve, but love me, makes me feel a sense of belonging that I’ve been missing outside of my own family.

She nods like this isn’t news to her and simply smiles at me. “Well, he’s a pretty smart guy, and for whatever it’s worth, I’ve never seen him happier than I have since you showed up.”

My heart soars at her words, but I’m not sure what to say in return, so I stand there and nod dumbly. All of this information is helping to clear away the mess in my head, but not entirely. The back door opens and at the sound of heavy footsteps, we both turn to see Carter striding in carrying a toy box. My heart nearly beats out of my chest with excitement at seeing him, but the thought that he deserves more than a woman with a giant question mark where her future is concerned creeps in and dampens it slightly.

As he strides closer, I can see the color of his eyes is slightly more jade than evergreen today, and I wonder if it isn’t the happiness Maya mentioned broadcasting out through them. “Good afternoon, ladies,” he says. He nods at his sister before leaning down and kissing my temple. We haven’t really discussed public displays of affection, but I find that I don’t mind the modest show of how he feels, even if it does have his sister looking at the two of us like we’re a pair of adorable puppies.

“Aww,” she coos, snatching her yarn up and dumping it into her bag. “I’m going to go take my afternoon coffee break.”

Carter lifts a brow at her. “Didn’t you just take your lunch?”

Maya scoffs as she makes her way toward the door. “Part-owner’s prerogative.” After sticking her tongue out at her brother like the mature twenty-something she is, she smiles at me and saunters out the door.

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