Page 86 of Unravel You

“Really?”

“I got your back, girl.”

“Thank you. Henry is going to hate me for keeping you away from him.” On the other side of the window, Henry, Nikki’s fiancée, and Derek were in deep conversation.

“Derek’s keeping him company. He’s fine.” Her cheeks turned red when he met her gaze.

“Hey, Mom, can you tuck me in?” Max pulled on my dress. He looked so tired. Poor thing.

“Go. We’ll do the dance when you get back.”

Max in his mini tuxedo made my ovaries hurt. I opened the door to his bedroom. “How about you brush your teeth while I get your PJs?”

He got ready in record time. Though by the time he climbed into bed, his feet were dragging. “That was the best party.”

“It really was.” I pulled the covers up to his chest and tucked them around him.

“I like it here.” His eyes closed for a moment. “Can you save me some cake?”

I tickled him right below his ribcage, and he wiggled under me. “Don’t give me that look. I saw Nikki feeding you cake right before the ceremony.”

“That was for my wedding jitters.”

“You were nervous? You didn’t look it.”

“The magic cake worked. I was afraid the rings were going to fall out of my hand. They were very slippery.”

“You did an awesome job, thank you.” I kissed his cheek.

A light scratching on the door made him sit up. “That’s Pirate. He’s been hiding in the cottage all day. Come here, kitty.” He patted the covers when I let the furry cat in.

Pirate limped his way to Max and cuddled next to him. They had their own little routine. This family life with Derek and Max felt as if it’d always been this way, as if the bad stuff had never really happened.

In two minutes flat, Max snoozed off next to a snoring cat. What a pair. I kissed Max’s cheek again and walked to the window to draw the curtains. From up here, I had a new appreciation for the size of the party. The ceremony chairs had already been removed to make room for the dance floor. On the opposite end, a live band played under the arch of the altar. Twinkling lights hung from the flower garlands and provided a romantic ambiance. Nikki had thought of everything.

Near the pool, Derek stood by himself, away from all the guests. I didn’t blame him. Weddings could be such a sensory overload. I owed Nikki big for thinking of getting us out of here early. To get started on that honeymoon, as she’d said.

I darted out of Max’s room and into ours down the hallway, eager to get back to Derek. A quick look in the mirror told me how right Nikki had been to send me upstairs. I had a long streak of mascara down the side of my face. Happy tears. I’d take that any day of the week.

With Derek in my line of sight, I exited through the terrace and took the grand stone steps down to the garden. When he spotted me, he made a beeline toward me. That smile of his made me ache for him the way I used to when I lived in his cottage and thought he couldn’t be more than an erotic fantasy. How was I supposed to know Derek could not only be the husband type but also a dad to Max?

He sighed when I reached the bottom of the stairs and snuggled close to him. “I’m ready to take you away from here and make love to you all night.”

“All night? Is that even possible?”

He raised an eyebrow at me, tipping my chin toward him. “With proper incentive.” He kissed my lips. He whispered in my ear, and a puff of warm breath brushed my cheek. “And meticulous aftercare. Oh yeah.”

I moaned. “All of that sounds very tempting. But Nikki will kill me if we don’t cut the cake and have that first dance like we’re supposed to.”

Nikki’s voice filled the air, introducing the new Mr. and Mrs. Cole. After an awkward minute of silence, where guests glanced at each other, eyebrows raised, she called us onto the stage. I shrugged, giving Derek an innocent look as I dragged him onto the dance floor. Nikki shook her head at us, then gestured for the band to play.

The song “As Time Goes By” started, and I let Derek lead me. He had me do a double turn before he pulled me into his arms under the twinkling lights. “If you hadn’t just agreed to spend the rest of your life with me, I’d throw you over my shoulder and leave this shindig right now.”

“I’m so in love with you.” I cupped his cheek.

“Me too. How could I ever repay you for breathing life back into me?”

All I ever wanted was a home for Max. Because of Derek, I had a home and a family to call my own.

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