Page 65 of More Than an Ex-Girlfriend

“The moon is pretty bright. I’ll send her a picture of the ring later. But I want to remember this. Forever.” I capture the memory, then kiss his cheek. “Now go put the dirt back in the hole.”

Archer uses the shovel to push dirt back into the hole, then stomps it down with his boot. Once he’s finished, he hands me the shovel and lifts me off the ground.

We stop at the double headstone, marking his parents’ grave.

Archer clears his throat. “Y’all never got to meet Lettie, but I know you’d love her.” His voice cracks, and I wrap an arm around his neck. “I miss y’all. Love you both.”

I kiss the tears off the cheek closest to me as he carries me back to the truck. This has been the craziest and most memorable night of my life, and I’ll never look at a cemetery the same way.

* * *

Archer throwsa pillow on the floor, then stretches out beside the bed.

I’m at the edge, lying on my side and looking down at him. “Remember when my mom worked nights and I was scared of staying by myself?”

“I remember. I spent a lot of nights sleeping on the floor back then.” He tucks his hand behind his head. “It was worth it though.”

“My bed back then was not very big, but this one is huge. Please don’t sleep on the floor.”

He sits up. “You sure?”

“I’m sure. It’ll be easier to talk.”

“Sounds like reason enough.” He climbs up and holds out his arm. “Come snuggle while we talk.”

“I guess we have a lot to talk about, don’t we?”

“Yep.” He kisses my forehead.

“First, I want to say that I know I’ve put on a lot of weight, but I can start exercising more, or at all, and cut back on my calorie intake. I’ll probably never get back to how I looked in high school, but...” I’m trying to figure out how to finish the sentence when he touches a finger to my lips.

“I need you to know that I love you for more than how you look. If you had been burned or disfigured in that fire, it wouldn’t have changed how I feel about you.”

I smile, thankful that he loves me even though I’m fat.

His finger moves from my lips over to my shoulder, then trails down my arm. “You should also know that seeing you again pegged my attraction meter.” His finger continues its journey over my hip. “I want you healthy, so I won’t tell you not to exercise, but I like what I see, Lettie. So very much. You have no idea.”

“You aren’t just saying that to make me feel better?”

Mischief twinkles in his eyes. “Are you going to make me swear on my parents’ grave? We can go back to the cemetery.”

“No. I believe you.” I laugh, then shift so I can look at him. “About my message, I understand why your grandmother said what she did. My mom’s troubles were gossiped about all over town. Your grandmother thought I was like my mom. But I’m not. I get that my mom was trying to cope with pain and grief, but that’s not an excuse for all the stuff that’s happened. Your grandmother wanted you to pursue your dreams, and you did.”

He hugs me to his chest. “It was hard to read. I won’t lie. And in that town, some people were more open with their prejudice, but I never heard a whisper of it from my grandmother. It’s like I never knew her at all.” Rubbing my back, he’s quiet for a bit. “What changed your mind, Lettie? What made you decide to move to Stadtburg?”

“Your grandmother’s funeral. You wouldn’t even look at me. I knew that you were doing what you loved, and I wanted to see what your life was like. I wanted to see you happy. Then I saw that you were still single. And every time I caught a glimpse of you or heard people mention your name, I wanted more. But I was afraid that telling you what your grandmother said would hurt you. So I hid instead. I didn’t say it made sense.”

“I get it.” He covers a yawn.

“Sleep, Hazy. We’ll talk about the wedding on the drive back.” I move to roll away.

He holds me close. “Just a little longer. I haven’t really been able to sleep much since the fire.”

I pat his chest. “I have a better idea. Take off your shirt and flip onto your stomach.”

He does as told.

Snuggled beside him, I trail my fingers along his back, and within a few minutes, he’s asleep.

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