Page 138 of Fierce-Michael

He snorted. “Did she say she knew all along?”

“Yes,” she said, smirking. “The truth is, I might have needed to hear it. Not that I need her approval.”

“Sure, you do,” he said. “I think we all need approval for some things in life.”

“Yes,” she said. “And she does have a good track record. I think we had a good thing going.”

“Had?” he asked.

“Have,” she said. “Still.”

“We do,” he said. “And we can continue if we work it out. Like we are now.”

“We are,” she said. “I’ve waited so long for you in my life. I’d be crazy to walk away. Just like I was crazy to walk away without talking to you twice already. I won’t again.”

“And I won’t jump to conclusions again either. I promise.”

“Sure, you will do it,” she said. “Just like I’ll walk away. But we have to stop the other. Right?”

“We do,” he said. “I know we can do it.”

Kelly got up and moved over to him, her arms wrapping around his waist. “We absolutely can,” she said. “I love you. I feel this is like a broken record, but are we good?”

“We’re good,” he said. “Our record is strong.”

“Good thing,” she said. “Because once Jolene sees me smiling tomorrow, she’s going to say she is the one who wrote our song first.”

He laughed. “Let her think it if it makes her feel better.”

“She’s going to believe it anyway, so might as well.”

“It’s Jolene. She’s never wrong,” he said.

“And she wasn’t this time either!”

EPILOGUE

Four Months Later

“Santa came,”Ty screamed when he ran into Michael’s bedroom on Christmas morning. Kelly was coming out of the bathroom. She’d gotten up already and Michael was standing there dressed. She’d been warned that Ty would be up at the crack of dawn to come in and get them.

She was probably more excited this year than any other year for Christmas.

It’d been a great few months.

Things had settled down with her and Michael. She was spending most weekends at his house and life couldn’t be much happier in her mind.

Ty didn’t talk about his mother and often made comments to Kelly about them being a family.

“I can’t wait to see what he brought you,” she said and ran out of the room with Ty and down the stairs.

Ty was giggling the whole time as she tried to playfully shove him out of the way to see the tree.

The laughter in this house she needed in her life. She’d like to think she played a good part in it being part of Ty’s life.

“Dad!” Ty screamed.

“I’m right here,” he said. “You two took off running before I could get out of the room.”

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