Page 6 of Undeniable You

When I’d been a little girl, there was almost nothing that couldn’t be cured by a hug from Mama. She’d wrap me up in her strong arms and tell me everything was going to be okay and I believed her. Every time.

She’d even told me that when I’d come to her and Mom and told them I was pregnant and decided to keep the baby after weighing all my options. Even though Juniper hadn’t been planned, the minute I saw the positive test, I knew that I didn’t want to have an abortion. If my circumstances had beendifferent, I wouldn’t have hesitated. But I knew at that moment I wanted to commit myself to this twist that my life had taken.

“That’s my girl,” she said as I let myself melt into her hug as I breathed in her familiar scent.

If I wasn’t careful, I was going to start bawling all over her very comfortable shoulder and I didn’t want to cry today. Crying was reserved for late at night and in the shower only.

“I’m good, I swear,” I said, not sounding very convincing. Mama let me pull back from the hug and smiled at me, her eyes crinkling.

“Why don’t you take a dip in the pool? The water will make you feel better. Wash your worries away.” I sincerely doubted that, but the look she gave me said she wasn’t going to let me argue with her.

I hadn’t brought a swimsuit, but I had plenty of old ones kicking around the house, so I put one on and got in the damn pool. It didn’t solve all my problems, or even a few of them, but I spent the rest of the afternoon playing with my daughter so much that she passed out on the way home and clung me as I carried her upstairs to our apartment.

As I tucked her in bed, I was hit with some of those big and overwhelming emotions that felt like too much to hold all at once. I’d had a lot of those moments ever since I became a mom. Seeing this little person I loved so much sleeping deeply, her eyelashes resting on her cheeks and her mouth open just a little bit. So soft and warm and safe. And it was up to me to make sure she stayed that way.

An utterly terrifying responsibility.

Chapter Three

Jo

I’d grilled Sophie for as much information about Larison and Juniper as I could get. What a cute name. I’d also gone searching online, but all of Larison’s accounts were set to private and the social accounts for the bookstore, Between the Sheets (clever name), were mostly of construction projects and just a few with Larison actually in them.

I tamped down my initialwow she’s hotreaction because that was not something you should think before a job interview. I promptly closed out of the social app and almost threw my phone to the other side of the room, like I could throw away the thought.

What thought? I hadn’t had any thoughts. No inappropriate thoughts here. None to be found. Just very professional thoughts about job interviews and negotiating skills. There was a per hour number that I had to get, and it was pretty high and that was even if I was able to say the number out loud. And what if Juniper didn’t like me? I’d never get hired.

Sure, I had a whole ass degree and I’d worked at the campus daycare for years, but sometimes kids just didn’t like you. Theywere people just like anyone else and sometimes personalities could clash. Even if I could work through an initial bad impression, why would her mom give me that chance?

I was spiraling. Absolutely fucking spiraling.

“Reid, I’m spiraling,” I said in a voice note. “I don’t necessarily have a backup plan if this falls through and I really don’t want to have to drop out of school. I can’t tell my mom because she’d suggest selling the house and I can’t. Oh my god. Please delete this.” I sent it without even thinking.

Kid, you are gonna be fine. Deep breaths. It’s all gonna work out.

Her words made me chill out a little. She was right. I was catastrophizing and it wasn’t helpful. So instead of indulging anymore in worst-case scenarios, I went online and looked for potential jobs and made a document full of application links. I needed a backup plan.

Larisonand I had agreed to meet at a local café for the interview. It was a short walking distance, so I checked myself one last time in the mirror before I locked the door and headed to the café.

The place was surprisingly crowded with lots of people on laptops with headphones on and more than one who appeared to be having video chats in public. I wanted to shame them for it, but this wasn’t the time or place.

I looked around and my entire body jolted, as if I’d taken hold of an electric fence when I saw her at a small table for two in the back of the café. She had a cup of something in front of her and was scanning everyone who walked in.

Oh.

Oh oh ohhhhh.

She was even more beautiful in person. I couldn’t even see her whole body and I needed to lay down because I didn’t know if my trembling legs were going to support me anymore in her presence.

Shit. I needed to go over to her and I couldn’t make my limbs work. Could barely even keep my lungs functioning. They kept sort of seizing and spasming and I probably looked like I was having some sort of crisis because I was.

Shit shitshit.

For a few seconds, I considered turning around and just leaving. Bailing and being a no show. But then Sophie was bound to ask me what the hell had happened, and I wouldn’t have a good explanation so I guess I was doing this.

Once I managed to convince my legs to cooperate and carry me toward the table, I met Larison’s eyes and I was hit again with that sizzling electricity. Incredible eyes. Lighter brown near the center with a darker chocolate ring around the outside. Stunning. I didn’t think I’d ever seen eyes quite like that before. And her hair. It appeared brown too, but it wasn’t just brown. The sunlight revealed rich red highlights.

This woman was utterly captivating, and also I might be having a heart attack.

---