Page 68 of Forbidden You

“Kayla.” He repeats my name as if it’s filled with redemption, and I can’t seem to wipe the grin off my face. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to meet me in my full glory.”

Oh, this sweet man.

“What do you mean?” I huff. “You’re looking pretty glorious to me!”

“Oh, please, child. We both know my best times are far behind me.”

“Nonsense, you still look amazing!”

“You sound like my wife.” He laughs. “She was always adamant about everything. A persistent little thing, she was.”

“She sounds like fun.” I smirk.

“She was.”

I place my hand over his, offering him a soothing look. “You must really miss her.”

“More than anything.” He has the same green eyes as Bodi’s, but his are now laced with a sadness that seems to have a permanent position. The pain of losing his wife settled deep in his heart like an open wound.

“Is my boy treating you well?” he asks.

I want to be honest and tell him we are not together, but part of me feels like I’ll be confusing him even more. It’s something I want to spare the man from, so instead I don’t point out the details of our relationship.

“He’s the best,” I say in full honesty. “He makes me laugh, makes me happy. He even cooks for me.”

He’s a fucking dream, and I’ve been fantasying what it would be like to one day find a man like that for my own. To share my life with. Have a couple babies.

“He does?” His brows shoot up in surprise.

“Oh, yeah! He makes the best lasagna.”

“Well, the bastard never cooked for me,” he complains with a smile.

“Maybe we can make that happen?”

“Make what happen?” I turn my head when Bodi walks back into the room, followed by the doctor.

“I was telling your dad about your amazing lasagna.”

“Did you now?”

I nod with a hum, and Bodi replies with a sweet smile, then squats down in front of his father again. “Dad, I talked to the doctor. We don’t want to blur your brain anymore, but since you seem to become more confused at night, we are going to give you some calming medication before bedtime, okay?”

His dad concedes with a grunt.

“The doctor is going to give you something so you’ll be able to sleep, yeah?”

Another grunt.

“I have to go now. Kayla and I have a party. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” he hums, a little less moody this time. “Go have fun with your girl.”

“Are you going to be alright?” Bodi asks one more time.

“I’ll be fine.” His hand lifts in the air, brushing us out of the room, but not before Bodi wraps his arms around his father in a big hug.

“I love you, Dad.”

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