Page 52 of Sticking Out

“The anatomy was all wrong.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’ll have to see you naked again and do a better study.”

“That can be arranged.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Right now, however, we need to get cleaned up before your parents arrive.” All happiness from earlier dissipates. Telling my parents we were dating was one thing. Telling his, that’s another thing altogether. Will they think we’re disrespecting them, the memory of my late husband—their son? The last thing I want is to hurt anyone.

I start breathing a bit faster, and Conner puts his hands on my shoulders. “Hey, it’ll be okay.”

I swallow around the lump punching into my throat. “Maybe this is a bad idea.”

“Dani, we don’t have to tell them if we’re not ready.” I take in the dark shadows under his eyes. Has he been worried about this too, or is it what we discovered in the box that’s preventing him from sleeping properly. “If you want to wait until you’re pregnant, we can.”

I consider it. “That might just be a double whammy if I get pregnant.” I let loose an uncomfortable laugh. “Maybe I won’t even get pregnant, and this is all for nothing.”

He frowns, and says, “I think we should tell them then.” He places a soft kiss on my forehead. “They both want what’s best for us too, and with any luck, they’ll react like your family did.”

“They must be wondering what today is really about? They haven’t been to my place in a long time. I just don’t want to upset them, you know.”

“I know.” He gives me a soft, comforting smile. Why don’t you run up and shower and get dressed. I’ll clean up down here.”

I stare up at the man I love as he gives me a tap on the backside to set me into motion. I go up on my toes and give him a kiss full of love.

A moment later, I’m making my way upstairs and I go to my closet and pull out a sundress. My gaze strays to the boxes on the floor. Some sealed with tape. My insides tighten, and I drop to my knees, tugging one to the front of the closet to examine it. I stare at it for a moment, my body tight, and when I pick it up, it’s pretty light.

I shake it like it’s a present under the tree on Christmas morning. I somehow think the contents inside won’t bring a smile to my face. I debate on opening it for one whole second and then push it back like it might contain spiders, and just like our friend Noah, Conner’s teammate, I hate spiders. Not that I could ever bring that up. Brighton told us gals Noah’s ‘spider incident’ in private. To think a grown-ass man, a hockey player at that, lost his cool when he came face to face with a spider.

What if it’s the letter you wrote Conner, Dani?

I gulp. Is it possible that Alec took the letter out of Conner’s room and he’d never known it was there? It’s awful to think I want to believe that. Maybe that’s easier than to think Conner never wanted to be anything more than friends with me. If I dug into those boxes, maybe I could find the proof. If I don’t find proof, however, it might just hurt all over again, and I’m not sure I want to go back to that hurtful place, when we’re here now, in a better place.

The sound of tapping from downstairs, no doubt Conner putting the paint lids back on the cans reaches my ears and prompts me into action. With a knot still in my stomach, I hurry to the bathroom and have a quick shower. Once I’m done, I dress, head downstairs and find Conner in the backyard, on his phone.

I step outside and he quickly ends the call and turns to me. “Everything okay?” I ask.

His gaze rakes the length of me. “Yup. The guys are talking about a meet-up for a game of pool Tuesday night. We want to bond with the new guys.” His gaze rakes the length of me. “You look gorgeous.” He pulls me to him again and kisses me deeply. “I’d better grab a shower too. Mom and Dad will be here soon.”

“Steaks are marinating, and salads are ready. Your mom said she was bringing dessert.”

“The only dessert I want tonight is you, my sweet thing.”

I laugh and shove him. “Go.” I shake my phone. “I want to check on the dogs.” As he walks off, I think back to our visit to the nursing home on Wednesday. It was weird and I can’t quite put my finger on it, but he was totally distracted, looking around and listening. The first time we were there, a woman’s laughter seemed to throw him off. Was he searching for the person behind that laughter? Could that be what’s keeping him up at night?

God, maybe all my surging hormones are making me paranoid.

His footsteps pounding on the stairs reach my ears as he hurries to the shower, and I open the app and smile as I check on my dogs. Once done, I head to the kitchen and make some iced tea. It’s such a gorgeous, hot day and I’m super thirsty from painting my portrait. By the time I’m done, Conner comes downstairs and after giving me a kiss, he heads back outside. I pour him a glass of iced tea. Before I meet him on the deck, my phone pings and I receive a message from Brighton that there’s a girls dinner Tuesday night, when the guys are off to play pool. Smiling, I step onto the deck and Conner ends a call.

“Brighton just messaged. The girls are meeting up for dinner Tuesday night.”

He takes the iced tea. “That’ll be fun.”

“I think so.” She didn’t say who was going, and this might sound awful, because everyone was so accepting of me, but I sort of hope Summer doesn’t come. She rubbed me the wrong way at the pool.

We sit and enjoy the sun as we have our drinks, and I jump up, my stomach coiling when the doorbell chimes. Conner pushes to his feet, and takes my hand. “It’s going to be fine. Come on.”

I follow behind him as we head to the door, and of course his parents won’t think anything about the two of us hanging out. We’ve been friends for years. Conner opens the door and gives his parents a hug.

“Cherry pie,” his mom tells him as she hands it over. “Not as good as Beverly’s, but I tried.” As we laugh, Darcy turns to me and opens her arms. “Dani.” Darcy pulls me into a hug. “I think the last time we saw you was the night the Bucks won the cup.”

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