Page 62 of The One I Want
“You broke the pinkie promise.”
I’m confused for a second, but then it hits me. “I assumed, didn’t I?”
She nods. “When are you going to learn not to assume? It just so happens that recently divorced dads with gray eyes and scruff are my type.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Because youassumed.” She puts her arms around my neck, her fingers lightly stroking at the nape. “Wes, this is new for me too. No, I haven’t been married, or know what it’s like to date a single dad. But I do know that we can’t go back. I don’t want to go back. I don’t know what the future holds, and we can figure it out as we go along. As long as we’re in it together.”
I’m glad she sat on my lap. It makes it much easier to kiss her.
I didn’t realize kisses could feel different. Last night, I might have been drunk, but I remember every moment. I remember the anticipation of finally feeling her lips against mine. Earlier, it was more of a reminder that I wasn’t making last night up in my head.
But now, this kiss feels free. Unrushed. Unhurried. There’s no desperation. There’s no questioning of whether it will be the last time. No, this is the first kiss of many more to come. It’s why I’m not sad when we break away. There’s going to be more where that came from.
“We probably shouldn’t tell the kids right away,” she says. “Maybe wait until after the holidays?”
I nod. “Agree.”
“Oh, and I should probably tell you,” she says, biting her lower lip before continuing. “I kind of, sort of, told off your ex-wife.”
I smile. “Oh really?”
“Yes. But! In my defense, she was being a bitch. She called me fat and was knocking Emerson’s clothes to her face. I was livid. She’s lucky I didn’t take off my earrings. Anyway, I was just defending us. And I’d do it again. So if you had hopes of peaceful co-parenting, I probably threw that out the window.”
I bring her in and kiss her harder than I did before.
“Oh,” she says when we break apart. “So that was okay?”
I laugh. “If I was Oliver, I’d propose to you right now.”
She leans in, giving me one more small kiss. “And like his prospective brides-to-be, I would have said no. But I appreciate the sentiment.”
Chapter24
Betsy
I feelthe light from the morning hitting my face, but I don’t want to wake up, or get out from under this warm comforter.
It’s Christmas morning, and for the first time in my adult life, I’m not waking up with immediate dread, knowing I have to spend the day with my parents. Nope. Since Thanksgiving, I’ve gone no contact. I don’t know if they realize that. They’ve texted a few times, but I haven’t responded.
Today is all about things I want to do. Later I’m going to Peggy’s for Christmas dinner, but this morning I told Wes it needed to be just him and the kids. So, my day is consisting of, in no particular order: drinking coffee, watching the parade on television, eating every single cookie Peggy brought over, and binging as many cheesy Christmas movies as I can find, especially if they feature Rolling Hills’ very own Hollie Berry.
I reach for my phone and see a text message from Wes, which immediately puts a smile on my face. It’s only been a few days, but I’ve already come to love seeing his text messages, which he sends first thing every morning.
Wes: Do you sleep naked?
I have to blink a few times to make sure I read that text right. He normally sends “Good morning, beautiful” or something like that. Has he already dipped into the egg nog?
Betsy: Wow, didn’t realize we graduated to dirty texting.
Wes: We didn’t. Though that could be fun…
Betsy: Oh, it is. Just you wait. And Merry Christmas.
Wes: Merry Christmas, beautiful.
Now that’s better.
