Page 160 of Stuck With You
She twists back, pressing a quick kiss to my lips, and I’m tempted to haul her right back into my room, forgetting all thoughts of taking things slow.
“Fine, if there are games, you and Ollie can build a train track. I told him, you’d be an expert track layer.”
I follow her to the living room, knowing this is the best Christmas I’ve ever had. We can take this as slowly as she wants, but I need to be sure she and the kids don’t go anywhere.
I’m falling for Sarah. Shit. I’ve already fallen, not only for her but for her kids. They are what I want and everything I’ve been waiting for.
Somehow, I have to be sure her ex doesn’t take them from me.
Chapter 42
SARAH
I hit send on the financial aid application for the speech therapy program, praying that Ollie qualifies for the next semester. Getting him back into a program to help him work on his speech patterns would be amazing.
I lift my phone and tap out a message.
ME: Hi, Sunny Cat. Do you want to have dinner with us tonight?
I press send and wait for Slade’s one-word reply. This man is killing me slowly.
We’ve spent almost every night together since Christmas, and two weeks later, the fresh tree is still up and glowing.
He’s helped me put the kids to bed, and once books were read and the house was quiet, we snuggled on the couch in front of the tree and talked. It’s been amazing.
I’ve told him more about my years with Miles and stories about my pageant days, and he’s told me bits about what it was like to be twenty and raising a teen girl. But he’d still rather listen than share. I’m beginning to see that’s who Slade is. He’s a selfless protector, keeping things locked up where they don’t hurt anyone else, but I want to be the one he lets in. I want him to let me be his protector—the one who keeps him and his heart safe.
For New Year’s, we watched football at his house and spent the day with the guys and Krissy. Then, we rang in the New Year with a very long and satisfying make-out session that ended with Slade demanding I go to bed before things went further.
Did I want them to go further? Hell, yes. Are we ready for that? I’m not sure.
Miles has texted to remind me that I can make the custody petition go away if I agree to move to New York. As scared as I am, I can’t do it. I cannot let my fear win. I’ve let him manipulate me long enough.
I’ve spoken with my attorney, and unfortunately, like with most things, you get what you pay for. I’ve documented Miles’s complete lack of involvement in hopes that it’ll somehow prove I’m the most fit to raise Ollie and Frankie, even though I don’t have his clout and financial stability.
So Slade and I are taking things slow, but I have fallen for this man one hundred times over. I can’t help but wonder if he feels that deeply, too.
I fell for a man who told me everything I wanted to hear and did all the right things that made me believe him, but I didn’t see it—the truth. It feels unfair to even think about Slade in any comparison to Miles. But it’s my ability to judge real, genuine affection and care that worries me. I’m scared of being wrong all over again and realizing I’m only a passing fancy or the object of someone’s momentary desire.
I trust Slade. I’m still just a little hesitant to give him my heart when he hasn’t quite trusted me with his.
“Oh, my goodness. Is it true?”
I twist in my chair, and Marcie and Robyn stand in my doorway, their eyes twinkling.
“Uh. . .is what true?” I set my phone on my desk.
“You were married to Miles Crawford?”
My breath catches in my throat. I stare at them. “Uh . . .”
“He is so hot. They just announced him as the new anchor on The Morning Show. His face is everywhere. Women are losing it, wondering where he’s been hiding.”
I want to gag, but first . . . “How. . .did you know we were married?” My heart starts to pick up the pace.
Marcie waves a hand. “Oh, Cory was talking about it in the kitchen this morning.”
My brain splits in two. One half is sounding off relief signals that Miles isn’t posting lies about us, while the other is firing rage that Cory has apparently spent time digging into my past. I’d like to know what he intends to do with the information he’s gained.
