Page 83 of More Than a Helping Hand

They walk into the house, and I stop outside the door and wrap my arms around Anderson. “As much as I want to read that text, I’ll be kind to Parker and have dinner first. But tell me this, am I going to like you after I read it?”

“I may have been a tad too honest. We’ll just have to see what you think.” He winks and opens the door. “Let’s eat. I’m hungry.”

Mom has somehow squeezed in two extra chairs, and I will swear to my dying day that this is the best Thanksgiving ever. I’m not sure anything can top how I feel today.

* * *

After Brooke has headed homeand Bailey has been tucked in bed, Anderson and I snuggle on my couch, and I open his text. I deserve an award for holding off this long.

Before I can start reading, he puts his hand over the screen. “I was sleep-deprived when I wrote this, so keep that in mind.”

I push his hand away. “Noted.”

Clarence:I typed this out at least fifty times because finding the right words isn’t easy. But I’m going to try to find ones that are good enough. I love you. I don’t love you because you are a single mom who needs help or because you have an amazingly intelligent daughter. I love you for a thousand selfish reasons. You’re beautiful. And my heart does this funny little thing when you smile at me or gape at my chest. I love the way you feel in my arms and the look on your face when I admire your figure. I love who I am with you. You keep talking about what I deserve. But love isn’t about what we deserve. Love is one part attraction and two parts decision. That’s what I think. And I’ve decided. The men who walked away from you and Bailey were stupid. Anyway, I wanted to say all this when we were driving home that day, but I convinced myself that it wouldn’t be fair to you. But I won’t be able to get a good night’s sleep until I’m honest, thus this text. There is probably a rule about telling someone you love them in a text. But I can’t keep it to myself any longer. I love you. I think I said that part already. I’m thankful I sat on that silly cactus. And even if I never get to kiss you again, I’m grateful for the time we were together. And just in case I haven’t been clear enough, I’ll say it one more time. I LOVE YOU. I know I said I’d let you set the pace, but I can’t let you walk away without fighting for what I want. And I want you, Prim.

“It’s really long, and I planned to read it through again before sending it. But I let Brooke read it, and she swears she sent it by accident.” He takes the phone out of my hand and sets it aside. “I’d feel a lot better if you’d say something.”

I climb into his lap and snuggle against him. It’s going to take me a second before I can say anything because of this massive lump in my throat.

He wraps his arms around me. “I guess this means you still like me.”

“I’ve been miserable since breaking up with you. Remember when you were at dinner and made the comment about how I didn’t feel safe?”

“Yes.”

“Somewhere in the middle of our relationship, I started feeling safe. Not because you’re big and strong. I mean, I like that about you. But I feel safe at Mom and Dad’s because I know they’ll love me no matter how badly I mess up. Even when I feel like a black sheep, they never ever treat me that way. And I felt safe with you. Because I felt loved. Loved in ways I’ve never experienced before. And when Kyle showed up, I was so afraid that you’d change your mind that I broke up with you.” I tilt my head to meet his gaze. “This is a really long way of saying that I love you too. But you’re wrong about one thing.”

“What’s that?” He’s stroking my hair and smiling at me.

“I guess I agree in principle, but the attraction part feels underweighted. Because I’m massively attracted to you.”

“My heart just did that funny thing again.”

I straddle him and slide my arms around his neck. “Maybe you should see a cardiologist about that problem.”

He teases his lips on mine. “I never said it was a problem.”

CHAPTER30

ANDERSON

Sweets is decorated for the season, and holiday music plays through the overhead speakers. My plan to surprise Primrose this Christmas might be overly hopeful, but I have to try. Worst case, her surprise will happen sometime next year.

Garrett walks through the door, and Tessa runs into his arms. After kissing her, he points to my table. She waves, then kisses him again.

I can’t make fun of the mushy scene because I know how they feel, and Primrose and I aren’t even engaged. Yet. I have no doubt I want to marry her, but for her, dating in public is a big step. I’m not sure she’s quite ready for a proposal. And I’m willing to wait a few months if it means she’ll be more comfortable with the idea.

Garrett takes a seat across from me at the corner table. “So you’re hunting for someone?”

“I am. Thanks for meeting me. I mentioned to Parker that I needed to hire a private investigator, and he told me to call you.”

“That’s what I did before working at the ranch.” He watches Tessa across the room, then looks at me. “And I’m happy to help. If it’s not something I can do for you, I still have contacts who work in that world.”

I lay a sheet of paper on the table. “I need help with two things. The first is my priority. I want to find these two ladies. They were friends of Primrose, but she’s lost contact with them.” I’ve pieced together every tidbit I could find about the ladies. “I want to be able to contact them. One is on Facebook, and I sent her a message, but she hasn’t seen it.”

“Lots of people don’t check their message requests.” He taps the page. “Finding them should be pretty straight forward. What’s the other thing?”

After a glance around the room to make sure no one is listening in, I lean closer and slide him a note. “This man is engaged to a woman. And he’s been lying to her. I’d like for the fiancée to know that she’s about to marry scum. She wants kids. He’s had a vasectomy. And he fathered a child with whom he has no contact and for whom he signed away parental rights. The poor woman has no idea of his no-kids stance. But I don’t want anything tied to Primrose or Bailey. The fiancée can’t know about Bailey.”

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