Page 14 of Trevor

“Do you think she’ll want a family?”He asked his dad, who, knowing full well who he was talking about.“Henrie, you goof.Have you even told her that you love her yet?”

“No.Mostly because we’re getting used to one another.To be honest, Dad, I’m not sure why my brothers haven’t been teasing me.Especially Jenson.Just last week, I told them that I was never going to find someone to love, and the next afternoon, there she was.”He laughed a little.“She’s great, don’t you think?I mean, even if you don’t consider that she saved my life, she is wonderful to be around.”

“Your mother was just saying the other day that she likes that she fits in so well with the other women.I think she was saying that she’s just as sarcastic as the others.But I’d not ask her about that.”Trevor told his dad that he didn’t have a death wish.“No, you’re a good deal smarter than that.What are you going to do about her being wealthy?I mean, from what Jade was able—”

“Don’t tell me.”He nodded and said he was sorry.“Don’t be sorry.I just want to learn about her the old fashion way.Through the two of us getting to know one another.And I do want to get to know her before we get too far along in what I feel for her.”

“You love her.”Even though it wasn’t a question he told his dad that he did love her.Very much.“But she doesn’t know if she loves you.That’s something else I heard.”

“Henrie told me about the conversation that she had with Jade.I might have been offended if not for how hard she was laughing about it.Jade said it caught her off-guard.It was her that was usually the one that was grilling someone about feelings.”Dad laughed again with him.“I think that Jade was a little pissy that she’d been able to do that to her.I love it for no other reason than it’s to see that Jade can be had.I believe that they’ll be the best of friends now.”

“I think they all want to welcome her into the family but are waiting on a signal from you.”Hesaid he could see that.“Good.The sooner you get your ducks in a row or whatever it is you’re working with, we can have another wedding and have a good time.I bet she’d have her grandda walking her down the aisle and crying the entire way.He’s an emotional man and I have respect for him for allowing others to know that about him.”

“I really like the two of them as well.Henry told me that he’s been emotional since the day she was set in his arms.I can see that, too.The two of them would have been in their fifties, I think, and would have welcomed her with open arms.They’re good people, I think.”Dad said he enjoyed being around them as well.“Good.One less thing that has to be worried about.Everyone is happy.”

It didn’t take long for the house to be set to rights.They were short three lamps for the living room, and he forgot to order a grill for them to eat out on the patio this summer.But he did have towels to bathe with, as well as dishwasher detergent, which he thought was a good thing.And he’d also remembered to get a vacuum as well as a dust mop so that he could take care of the hardwood floors in most of the house.Mom asked him about the apartment that is over the garage.

“I was going to ask the Banisters if they wanted to live there.I can have an elevator put in with no problem because it’s so open in the back end.It’ll be just for them, and I think they’ll enjoy being close to us.”Mom told him that was a brilliant idea.“Yeah?I have them on occasion.”

“Smart ass.”She smacked him on the arm and hugged him.His parents had always been huggers, and he knew why.Mom’s mother had been standoffish and cold and would only allow them to hug her if she had on a large towel so as not to mess up her outfits.After much more of that, they stopped hugging her altogether.It was just too much work to get a hug that seemed to not mean all that much to her.“I’m going to have some company over in a few days.We’re working on the baskets for the holidays.Do you think that Henrie will be well enough to help us out?”

“I don’t know.You’d have to clear it with Jade.She’s been keeping a close eye on her and her moving around.I don’t think I’ve ever broken a rib, but I can’t imagine that it’s all that easy to get over.”Mom told him that she’d had a broken rib before, and it took her months to get to where she wasn’t hurting every time she had to move.“Then I think you have your answer.But I’d invite her over.If you don’t mind.That way, she can be a part of the family without having to injure herself by hanging out.”

“Good idea.”Mom kissed him again before leaving him to sort out the things in the pantry, and that was when Henrie joined him.

Once she closed the door, he felt his heart race a bit.It was the first time that they’d been alone anywhere in the house, and he was slightly nervous.He asked her if she was all right.Shaking her head and then nodding, he smiled at her.

“If you were to ask me that question right now, I’d have the same answer.Really.How are you feeling?Are you in pain?”She said that she was, but it was tolerable.“Good.Don’t overdo it too much.You’re on the mend now and—”

“Will you kiss me?I know that people are saying that you’re in love with me, and I’m coming to the conclusion that I don’t mind that so much.”He cocked a brow at her.“Give me a minute.This is all just coming to me.I’ve been kissed before.I mean, plenty of times if you count my parents and grandparents.But I have a feeling that it’s going to be really different with you.Like…I don’t know, just different.”

“I would love to kiss you.”He took a step toward her, putting the boxes of cereal he had in his hands on the shelf.“Are you talking about a kiss like your parents give you?”He kissed her on the forehead, then her cheek.“Or your grandparents might give you?”He kissed her firmly on her cheek and then looked at her.They were only a few inches apart by then.“I don’t want you to be disappointed in me if I give you the wrong kiss.”

“I doubt that anyone has been disappointed in your kisses.”She put her hand on his shoulder.“Remember to be careful of my ribs and kiss me like you mean it.”

He kept telling himself as he was lowering his head toward hers that he couldn’t take advantage of her right now.He knew that he could hurt her, and he didn’t want their first of what he hoped weremany kisses ruined because he had pulled her too close to him.

As soon as his lips touched hers, he felt her tongue slide across his lips.Gentling his movements to match hers, he was glad now that she had shut the door.Christ, he was in love with this woman.

He didn’t pull away, but he didn’t press her to him either.Careful of his every move, Trevor decided that if he didn’t end this soon, he’d have her pressed against the nearest wall and have her naked before too much longer.Instead of taking the chance, he held her while she laid her head on his chest.Even that seemed to be pushing him into wanting more from her.

“I was wrong about your kisses.”He started to ask her what he’d done wrong, but she spoke before he could.“You’re much better than I’ve ever known, and I’m reasonably sure that you’ve been devastating women all your life with your mouth.”

It caught him so off guard that he threw back his head and laughed.Kissing her again, quickly on her mouth, he held onto her while he put the cereal onto the proper shelf and opened the door to leave.His mom and grandma were in the kitchen and he kissed them both on the cheek as well.It was cause for celebration.

He was the best kisser known to men and women.Laughing again, he was happier than he’d ever been.Finding his future wife was like having his cake and all the icing in the store, too.Yes, he thought to himself.He was deliriously happy.

~*~

Sitting in the office, Henry was as nervous as he’d ever been.Today, they’d started on the elevator that would get him and his lovely wife up to their apartment, and he was excited about that, too.His emotions were all over the place today, and he didn’t know how to calm himself down.Sitting on his hands usually worked but today nothing was.The doctor had called him in, especially today and he didn’t care for that.

Once a month, Henry had to go and get bloodwork done.He’d been a diabetic for the last ten years, and because of Anna, his A1C, glycated hemoglobin, or the measurement of his blood sugar levels.His numbers had been right on the dot for it not getting worse since they’d begun testing him.But today, just this morning, he’d been called and asked to come in.The call had taken him from work, too, something that he never did before.

“Dr.Weston will see you now.”Nodding at the pretty little receptionist, he made his way into the office.He wished now that he’d asked Anna to come with him, but he’d not told anyone where he was going, just in case.In case, what?He hadn’t any idea but he knew now that was the dumbest thing— “Mr.Banister?”

“I’d like to call someone in to be with me.It might be nothing at all, but I want to call someone.Do you think you could be put off for a few minutes while I call someone?”She smiled and told him that would be fine.“Thank you.I’ll let you know if it doesn’t work out.”

“You go ahead and call who you wish, Mr.Banister.I’ll just take a patient back early.Mr.Todd is always early, hoping to get out earlier.I think he does this to win something from his wife.You go ahead and make your call, and I’ll bring you in as soon as he or she gets here.”He went to sit down and make his call while she called in Mr.Todd.

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