Page 62 of Never Say Yes To Your Best Friend (I said Yes)

She relaxes into me, and one of her fingers twists through the back of my hair. Time for a haircut. But we’ve been here for a few weeks, and I can’t cheat on my barber. He’d be destroyed if I went anywhere else. It’s been wonderful being out here, but we’re going home to Tampa in a few days. It’s Evilla’s fourth trip out here with me, and we both took three weeks for the grand opening of the castle. Neither of us have come here for more than two weeks before.

She must be thinking about another bench at another time when we were two different people over a year ago—different but still very much the same.

“I’m sorry that it seemed like I didn’t have enough faith in you that day when you told me about this in the park.” I was right. She was definitely thinking about that day. “I just saw the worst coming for me, but it was my past dictating my vision. I told myself I would never let that happen, but it did. I didn’t mean for you to have to defend yourself. Not from me.”

She’s dry-eyed when she looks up at me. She’s perfectly sincere, without regrets or the heavy weight of the past dragging her down. “Hey, we’re all allowed to have a past. We’re allowed to have hurts and feelings about it.”

“I didn’t ever think of you in the same way as someone who would just cheat on me and bail on me and the life we were supposed to have. I’ve never even thought for a fraction of a second that that’s the kind of man you are.”

“I know,” I assure her gently.

“Today just had me going back to that moment on the bench, but right after that fraction of doubt, I thought about what came next.” I love the sweet smile she gives me. I’ve never seen her bestow it on anyone else. “The moment where you first kind of said you love me, and I kind of said it back. I knew I’d remember that afternoon forever, even as it was happening. I thought about this moment too. The day this place would be finished. I thought about coming here with you, and I thought about thinking about it as it was happening, and I did.”

“It’s a beautiful place. I could build you one of your own if you like.”

“Oh, goodness.” Her finger makes a corkscrew out of my hair, twisting until it pulls a little. But I don’t mind it. “As much as I feel like a historical lady from the pages of old, I’m not sure Iwant to make Scotland my permanent home. It’s so nice to come and visit your parents, but I would really miss Tampa.”

“I could build you a castle anywhere. We could find one somewhere else and fix it up. Or we could build a metaphorical castle. A modern one, wherever you want.”

“Does it make me sound terriblyprovincialthat I like our condo?”

My condo has become our condo, and it’s the best thing that ever happened to it. For our first Christmas together, Evilla surprised me by decorating while I was here in Scotland. I came home to a house that was fully festive, including garland and lights strung up around the bearandthe sheep’s arse.

“Mrrrhrrmhrrrm, darling…” That’s my best sexy bravado drawl slash growl. “Do you know how sexy it is that you’re learning historical turns of phrase from all those romances my mom begs you to read?”

She pulls a face. “In that case, it makes choking back anotherDuke Who Seduced Me, Duke Who Bedded Me, Duke Who Fake Married Me, Duke Who Poked Me,andDuke Who Licked Meall worth it.”

“What’s this about poking and licking?”

“I’m kidding. They all have blatantly smutty titles, but those are just ones I made up on the spot.”

“How disappointing. It would be rather amusing to find a book with the cover photo to match.”

“Oh my god, they’re so awful. The Scottish ones are okay, and I’m glad your mom likes those best. Sexy highlanders are always more fun than Regency stories. I find Dukes to be so uptight, but then, I guess that was the whole era. It’s just not as much fun.”

“You could just say no the next time she begs you to read it so you can have your own little personal book club. She could join a real book club, even if it’s just online.”

“Oh, but if I refuse, she gives me thewell-used mopsad eyes, and I just can’t say no.”

“I remember you once accused me of being ball-less when I was in the same boat.”

“I didn’t truly understand, but if I must be ball-less, then I will be equally as ball-less and happy for it. I love being a part of your family.”

My heart has grown accustomed to singing in her presence, but there are special moments when it hits a high note. Like right now. “I love both those things too.”

She elbows me. “You’re silly.”

“I know,” I say with a smirk.

“I love it.”

I love hearing her say the word love, especially when she’s telling me that she loves me. I never thought I’d be so cheesy about it all, but for this woman, I would do anything. And I know she would return the favor. She’s been fearless when it came to blending our lives together and making all of this work, even when we were in two different countries. She was hurt in the past, hurt terribly, but she threw her whole self into this relationship with me and never held back.

“I know.”

“I love you.”

I don’t care if this is the world’s goofiest grin right now. Let the world see it. I’m not ashamed. I’ll never be ashamed of how deeply I care about this woman and how I’m so head over heels in love with her. “Do you now, my lady?”

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