Page 60 of Liberating Love

He silently scans my face, and I give him the time he needs to think my offer over. “You really wouldn’t mind watching over Mom all afternoon the days I work?”

I smile gently. “And we’ll watch over her together at night, too. She’s your mom, Aiden. She raised you, which makes her important to me. And when she gets bitchy or scared, that’s okay, too. I can’t imagine what it’s like for her, how confusing it must be. But I want her to be safe, and I want you to have peace of mind that she’s being cared for when you’re at work. And don’t forget, I’ll be volunteering a couple of nights a week at that center for the convicts, so you’ll have plenty of time alone with her yourself.”

Aiden scoots forward until his head is on my shoulder. “I can’t believe we’re talking about moving in together.”

Rubbing small circles on his lower back, I huff. “I can’t believe you didn’t know it’s all I think about. The nights I stay home are brutal. It’s why I end up going to see the boys or heading to Dwayne or Chet’s for dinner. I miss you when we’re not together.”

Aiden rubs his bristly jaw against me before admitting, “I about go out of my mind when you don’t come over. I keep trying to give you space, but… it’s hard to go even one day without your touch.”

I rest my chin on his head. “So let’s do this, Freckles. When is your lease up here?”

“Two months.”

“That’s perfect. It gives us a little time to start taking Everly over to my house each day. Holds and Gav have been wanting to get to know her, so maybe you can enlist them to help get the spare room set up for her. We’ll move all my extra crap up into the attic, which runs the whole length of the townhouse, by the way, so there’ll be plenty of room for you to store things, too.”

“Oh, I don’t know about forcing Holds and Gav to get involved.” I pinch his side which causes him to squirm while saying, “Hey,” in a totally put-out tone.

“You really need to work on getting it through your thick head that we all want to be here for you, Aiden. And for your mom. You’re family now, whether you intended to be or not. You pretty much have the best support system in town if you’d just grab a hold of it.”

“How did this become my life?” he asks with a note of wonder.

I laugh against his hair. “Lucky, I guess. We’re a lot, but—”

“But you’re all perfectly wonderful. I… Wow, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… you’re sure, right?”

“Come on, put me out of my misery. Say yes. Let’s do this together. We’ll figure it out as we go, but first you have to say yes.”

“I love you, Delaney.”

I growl. “I know, but that’s not an answer.”

I feel hot air hit my skin as he blows out a deep breath. “Yes,” he says softly.

“What? I didn’t hear you,” I tease as relief courses through me.He said yes!

“Yes,” he says louder.

“What? Don’t forget I’m older than you. I need you to speak up.”

Laughing, he puts his face right next to my ear and mock-shouts, “Yes.”

I chuckle happily. “Geesh, Aiden. You could have just said so; you didn’t have to try to blow out my eardrum.”

Aiden kisses my cheek and I turn my head to catch his lips in a triumphant kiss before lying him down next to me. Side-by-side we begin making plans, and Aiden’s somber mood from the evening dissipates as hope, for not just the care of his mom, but for our future takes root.

When I got out of prison, I hid how nervous I was—to some degree even from myself. The future was so uncertain. While I didn’t commit a crime, and knew nothing about the drugs being trafficked through the factory, I’d been convicted and was now a felon. Although I was sure of my relationship with Jameson, my future with Jovany had been teetering, and I knew if my ex and her family had anything to say about it, he’d disconnect from me forever. I wasn’t sure how I’d ever find someone to date, more less love, having to tell them my history. But one night changed my life. This beautiful man sitting at the bar who’d been looking for nothing more than an outlet had become the fulfillment to every need I didn’t dare voice, more less hope for.

“Hey, you’re getting quiet over there. You okay?” Aiden asks.

“Better than okay,” I say. Then all talk for the night is over as we seal our new arrangement without words.

22

Aiden

Taking a deep breath, I say to Jovany, “I found something.”

He looks up from his desk, giving me his full attention. “What is it?” I chew on my lip for a moment because I’m unsure of how he’s going to take this, and I guess Jovany sees my nerves because he adds, “What, A? You can tell me.”

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