Page 102 of Unbreakable Love

“Yeah, but Mere’s crazy and we all know it.”

Although she was killing it in Nashville with her matchmaking business.

“Don’t let her know you think that,” Cameron teased, “but I am serious. What did Dad always say when he talked about meeting Mom and then getting married in a few months?”

Oh, that I knew well. “Why would I waste my time waiting for my life to start, when I could spend my time living the life I want?”

“Truer words, man. All this bullshit aside, Ava and I will make it through this, but during it, there isn’t anyone else I’d want at my side. You feel that way about a woman and you know it almost immediately.”

He wasn’t wrong, but he wasn’t exactly right. “You and Ava knew each other for years, and Caleb and Emily weren’t exactly strangers when she walked into his life.”

“Yeah, but you want me to tell you how much I regret, especially now, waiting so long to be ready for Ava and not going for what I wanted back in high school? That shit sucks, man. Don’t let it happen to you.”

“I’m not denying anything, Cameron. I’m saying it’s new. And there’s Josie to consider.”

“Bite me,” he snapped back. “Josie loves her and you do too.”

“Fine, I’ll propose to her tonight. Happy?”

“I’ll kick your ass if you do it before Christmas. Ava wants to meet her, but she’s not quite ready to be back there, so wait for me, would you?”

“So now I have to waste time waiting before I start living?”

He let loose a growl, but we both laughed.

“I’m in no hurry, Cam. You two focus on your shit and I’ll take care of Penny. Just don’t be an ass when you meet her.”

“Please,” he scoffed. “When am I ever an ass?”

“How many examples do you need?”

“Point made. But tell me about her. Family loves her, but outside of her being a teacher and being pretty, I want to know.”

My brother was having a shitty month and had a long road ahead of him, for him physically, and both him and Ava emotionally. So I told him everything. I gave him all the details about Penny and her sister. I talked to him for another half an hour and by the time we got off the phone, I learned two things.

Big brothers were smart and right even when you thought they were jackasses.

My dad was wise, and I needed to spend more time listening to what he had to say.

And most important of all, I was without a doubt falling in love with Penny.

A week and a half flew by where Penny and I spent almost every night together, either alone or with Josie. We alternated between dinners at my house and Penny’s, and occasionally, Josie chose to go home with Penny after school instead of taking the bus to my parents. I’d spent weeks fighting Penny’s pull, and now it all seemed so ridiculous when she slid so seamlessly into my life. We’d only been together for weeks, and yet it felt like years.

We’d had more than one night alone together, and yet, while we were having fun exploring each other, and while I’d taught her a lot and we’d learned together, we hadn’t yet gone all the way. Penny wanted it. She made that clear.

I was so desperate for her it was all I could think about.

But whenever that deciding moment came, I pulled back. She told me late in the dark when we were talking on one of the few nights we had alone and were at her house, she’d never intended to stay a virgin. I figured she wanted me to know she wasn’t waiting for marriage or anything like that, but then she’d gone on to say that with how she was raised, she decided when she was a teenager that she wanted to know the man would stick around after. She needed that commitment first.

I was that man, most definitely. But until I felt it was the right moment to declare my love for her, until I was certain Penny felt the same way I did, I wanted to wait. She might not need a ring on her finger or a legal certificate, but the least I could do was wait until the time was right, and we weren’t rushing anything.

It was killing us both, and while I sat in her bed, listening to the shower run as she got ready for the day, I figured tonight was the time.

Josie was at my parents’ house until Christmas Eve. My mom declared she needed her help getting things ready for the large Christmas Eve dinner we shared together.

Like hell, it took her three days to plan and put everything together, but I didn’t argue when she suggested it to Josie.

I’d spent last night at Penny’s house, and tonight was going to be important. It was our first official date night in town.

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