Page 125 of Blindly Yours

I can’t stop the grin from forming. “He told me he loves me.”

“Rose!”

I nod, even though I know she can’t see me. “Yeah, and I said it back.”

“Rose!Oh, you two are actually gonna go the distance, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know. I hope so. We’ll see,” I reply quietly. What I really want to say though, is ‘Yes, absolutely. I’m going to make sure we go the distance, because I got one of the good ones, and I’m never going to let him go.’

“I’d better be in the wedding.”

“Well, that’s a given.” I laugh. “I hope mine’s as beautiful as the one last night. I wish you’d been here. All the ladies think George lookedextrahandsome.”

“Stop,” she says flatly.

“He had no one to dance with.”

“Stop,” she repeats. “I should have never told you.”

I laugh again just as my mother emerges from her room with a cup of tea. “Ok, I’ll stop. I’ve gotta go anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“See you then. Have a safe trip back.”

I say goodbye just as my mother sinks down next to me on the porch swing.

“Morning, Rose.” She notices a loose curl that hangs across my cheek and tucks it behind my ear.

I lean into her and smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“No, but your father did. He left his nasal strips at home. Sawed logs all night.”

I chuckle and turn my mug around in my hands.

“Does Nate snore yet?”

“Yet?”I ask.

“They all do, eventually.” She rolls her eyes.

“No, he doesn’t,” I laugh again.

“Enjoy it while it lasts.”

I stare out at the glossy surface of the lake. “He doesn’t saw logs, but he’s an excellent tree feller.”

“What on Earth is a tree feller?” she snorts.

“He chops down trees. He even won a competition.”

She takes a deep breath and sips her tea. “Can’t say I ever expected you to fall for the lumberjack, but I get it. We all have our type.”

I shrug. “I didn’t fall for him because he chops wood, Mom. I fell for him because he’s a good guy. He’s stable. He’s responsible. And I feel like I can be myself with him.”

She looks down at her cup and frowns. “Do you feel like you couldn’t be yourself around anyone else you dated? Or… even around me?”

I inhale slowly. Last night, after she asked Nate if they could ‘start over,’ I decided to leave things be. I didn’t want to ruin a good thing. But now, it’s time to talk. “I don’t think I have trulyknownwho I am before now. I think I’ve been trying to squeeze myself into a mold that didn’t really fit.”

“Rose.” She takes my hand and waits until I look at her. “Your life is going to change drastically if you stay with Nate in the long run.”

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