Page 80 of Falling for Autumn Again

Chapter Thirty-Five

Autumn

I’ve gotmy groceries loaded when Ezra comes jogging out into the sunshine. He didn’t go home until the wee hours of the morning. He’d said so much and it all felt like Christmas morning: too good to be true and a little overwhelming.

He taps on the window of my truck and I use the circular handle to roll the pane downward. My old truck doesn’t have anything newer than the 1970s. No automatic windows for this girl.

“Where you headed?” he asks.

“Just into town.” I swallow, my heart thumping at the sight of him. “To see my mom.”

“Perfect. Can I come?”

But Ezra doesn’t wait for an answer. He jogs around the front of my truck, yanks open the passenger door, and slips onto the vinyl of my truck seat.

“Sure. You can come,” I say, my tone full of teasing.

He only winks, leans over the middle seat, and cups a hand to my cheek. He holds my gaze, making my stomach somersault and my lips buzz. “Thanks,” he says before slanting the rest of the way and kissing the corner of my lips.

My heart lurches. Maybe my lipshavegrown their own brain because I can’t control myself. I turn just the centimeter needed to claim his lips. I kiss him for only a second before pulling back. “What are we doing?” I mutter to myself.

“No longer hiding our feelings. That’s all.”

“That’s all? This feels a little grander thanthat’s all.”

“Oh, it is. It’s very grand.” He moves back in—it isn’t far to go—and kisses my cheek and jaw. “You tightened your leg around mine. And we both know what that means.”

I blink. “I didn’t tighten my leg around yours.”

“You did.”

I swallow. “Maybe I did it by accident. But that doesn’t mean—”

"That wasn't an accident, and it means what it means." He pulls back just enough to meet my gaze.

My eyes drop to his mouth, but I force them back up—innocent. “Even if I did, I don’t know what that means.”

“You do.” He tilts his head before placing one last peck on my lips. “Now, let’s go. It’s been years since I’ve seen April.”

I face forward, not looking at him. I can’t kiss and drive at the same time, so this feels like a safe bet. Half a mile into our trip, I think about Ezra seeing Mom. And how he’s referred to her.

“Why did you always call my dad Mr. Green and my mom April?”

“That’s easy.” Ezra leans back, his window down and his arm propped on the ledge. “Your dad told me I wasn’t allowed to call him Ed. And your mom insisted I call her April.”

I bubble a laugh. “Dad,” I mutter beneath my breath. “He always liked you, you know.”

“I know that.Now. I mean, I thought he did then, but after—” He doesn’t finish and I don’t ask him to continue.

I know the story. I sealed the deal and got him to leave by telling him my dad didn’t approve of him. It got the job done. But it was cruel. And something I’ll regret forever.

“He was the greatest father figure in my life,” Ezra says, making my eyes sting and my stomach flutter. “I’m not sure he knew it. But he was. He demanded respect from others. But he always gave it too. He showed me the right way to treat a woman—more specifically, a woman you love—all without ever sitting me down and talking to me about any of it.”

My throat grows thick with emotion. I knew Ezra liked my father, but I didn’t know this.

“He never judged me, Autumn. Even when he had every right to. You were his daughter and I was the guy sneaking her out at night. I was the son of Mav Bennett. Still, he didn’t judge me.”

He stares ahead and I peek at him through my peripheral for a quick second before focusing back on the road.

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