Page 81 of Comforting the Grump

The funny thing was that he said it so casually, as if he were stating a simple fact. He didn’t even mean it as something romantic, probably—though, of course, it was to me. “Thank you. And thank you for dancing with me.”

We were quiet for a while. “Was I wrong for telling you I loved you in front of others?” Marnin eventually asked. “In hindsight, I probably should’ve waited until we were alone.”

“Why did you decide to tell me? No offense, but it seemed you had a certain urgency.”

He laughed sheepishly. “It was because Sebastian told me that fucking up with you was almost a certainty…but you’d forgive me.” He must’ve seen the confusion on my face. “I realized I was in love with you the day after your father’s birthday party. But I was terrified of what it meant because opening myself up to love also meant opening myself to the possibility of heartbreak.”

“Oh, baby…”

“I don’t want to be dramatic because you know that’s not me, but my own mother walked out on me and never looked back. As much as I’ve pretended I’m fine, it left a mark on me…and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what damage that did to me.”

My whole heart went out to him. “I can’t even imagine.”

“I can’t lose you, sunshine. I know it’s not fair of me to tell you that because it may make you feel trapped, like you can never leave me, and I’m sorry for that. But I have to say it. I’m not sure what losing you would do to me. I don’t think I would ever get over that.”

How had anyone ever thought this man was tough and untouchable? Auden had told me once that Marnin’s heart was made of gold, pure and vulnerable, and now I understood what he had meant. At his core, Marnin was a softie, a man desperate to protect himself…and after what he’d been through, who could fault him for that?

“I’ve waited a long time to find you,” I said softly. “All my life, I’ve dreamed of finding my Prince Charming, the man who would love me exactly as I am, with all my glittery, sparkly bits included. Now that I’ve found you, I have no intention of ever letting you go. This is the real thing, Marnin. The forever kind of thing.”

I doubted I would’ve had the courage to go this fast, this deep with anyone but Marnin, but he needed it. And he deserved it.

“Prince Charming, huh?” His eyes shone. “I don’t think I’ve ever been accused of being charming.”

“You can be hella charming when you want…which doesn’t happen often.”

“True.” Then he leaned in for a long, slow kiss. “I like the idea of forever with you.”

“I like that too.” I brought my mouth close to his ear. “Oh, and just so you know… Those sexy, lacy white panties you got me yesterday because you ruined that other pair?”

“Yeah?” His voice was a low, sexy rumble.

“I’m wearing them.”

He growled. “Not for long.”

27

MARNIN

I’d never considered myself old-fashioned, but I guess in some ways I was because there was no way I was even considering a future with Ennio without talking to his father first. Or was that because I had so much love and respect for the man? Whatever it was, I needed to know he was okay with this, with Ennio and me being together. I wanted his blessing, his approval. In fact, I needed it—maybe even more than I had realized until I was sitting across from him.

I’d driven to Forestville without telling Ennio. I hated keeping things from him, but this was something I needed to do alone. Not that I expected him to try and stop me, but still.

The old, cozy house where Auden had lived with his kids before meeting Keaton now belonged to the sheriff and Cora. The walls were freshly painted and the furniture was different, but the warm memories lingered in every corner.

“It’s good to see you, son,” Sheriff Frant greeted me. His handshake was as firm as ever.

Cora served us drinks—a steaming cup of black coffee for me and a fragrant herbal tea for the sheriff, along with a slice ofher famous banana bread—then retreated to the kitchen as we settled into the comfortable chairs.

“You too, sir. How have you been?”

“I try to keep busy. Retirement is not easy on guys like me who are so used to working all their lives. The winters especially are hard.”

“I would go crazy.”

“So prepare yourself for when that time comes. Find a hobby.”

Retirement. Jesus, there was a depressing thought. I was so not ready for that. “The good news is I have some time before I’m at that stage.”

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