Page 75 of The Run Home
Boon sighed, then kissed my forehead, his hands kneading into my tired back muscles. “I know. Thanks for helping me out there.”
I lifted my head from his chest, keeping my voice soft. As much as I wanted him to move in with me, I realized it wasn’t the best thing for Kinsley. There was still work for the two of them to do on their relationship. “I think maybe you shouldn’t move in just yet. Not until Kinsley goes to college.”
Boon immediately began to disagree, but I pinched his waist to shut him up. “I’m serious, Boon. Be with her. Spend as much time as possible with her so she feels your love completely. You’re right. You did just get your family back and you should spend as much time with her as possible before she’s gone for good. I’ll be just next door.”
Boon sucked in a deep breath. “I include you when I say family, Shae.”
There he was, being all sweet again. “I know. And I still want you to stay with Kinsley for now.”
He stared at me for long moments, then eventually nodded. “I think you might be right. I don’t like it, but I think you’re right.” He kissed my forehead again and then let me go. “Let’s get these steaks on the grill. Can’t let my woman go hungry while I have a tantrum.”
I watched him make me yet another meal, the whole time realization dawning that I was in love with Boon. This wasn’t pregnancy hormones or obligation because of the baby. I wanted what was best for him, even if it wasn’t best for me. That had to be love, right?
But like the coward I was, I didn’t tell him.
Not yet.
I had to work up the courage to admit it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Boon
I was runningoff two hours of sleep and an undisclosed number of cups of coffee. My team had just gotten back last night around midnight, a state championship trophy sitting up front on the bus. An impromptu party had broken out in the school parking lot as parents came to pick up their boys. I didn’t blame them. I was feeling high as a kite right along with them. Winning the World Series had felt pretty fuckin’ similar except this time I kept getting choked up like a total sap. Kinsley and Shae had arrived to celebrate with the team, but I ended up leaving before everything wound down to get Shae to bed. The baby needed his sleep too.
“Are you kids ready?” Mom hollered down the hallway.
Kinsley’s door slammed and I heard high heels clomping across the wood floor Emmerleigh and her crew had refinished just a year ago. I slapped my cheeks in the mirror to wake myself up and grabbed my suit jacket off the bed before heading into the living room. Kinsley had on a short white dress she and Momhad picked out over a month ago for graduation. I grabbed the royal-blue graduate robe and draped it over her shoulders.
“Don’t forget your gold cord, Miss Honor Roll.” Kinsley clearly didn’t get her brains from me. I was barely scraping by with a low GPA when I graduated. Baseball had been my life back then. It made me happy to see that Kinsley was more well-rounded.
Mom took a few pictures of Kinsley and me before I took some of her and Kinsley. Then I left them to a long photoshoot of just Kinsley while I headed over to see if Shae was ready. She was, of course, but she needed my help getting her shoes on. Somehow she’d only gotten prettier with a swollen belly and matching boobs. God, I loved her boobs when she was pregnant. Did that make me a pig?
“Ready to go, lovebug?” I stood, dusting off my suit pants and admiring the emerald-green sundress that pulled tightly across her belly. She’d just started wearing actual maternity dresses instead of just oversized shirts and unbuttoned pants. It highlighted how big the baby had gotten. I fuckin’ loved that too.
She patted my cheek, smiling up at me like I hadn’t fucked up her life by forgetting a condom that first night we were together. “Ready, bat boy.”
“Hey. You take that back,” I murmured as I kissed her.
Something had changed recently, and I was loving it. All her insults lacked their stinging power. They were half-hearted at best. I was hoping it meant she loved me back, even if she wouldn’t say it.
We left the house, hand in hand, picked up Mom and Kinsley, and headed for the football field for graduation. We parked and headed to our assigned seats. Cassie, Kinsley’s mom, was already there in a blue flowered dress, standing by herself at the entrance and scanning the crowd. I hadn’t seen Cassie since last year when she dropped Kinsley off on my doorstep, but shelooked well. Blonde hair that now held a hint of gray, blue eyes with minimal wrinkles but not much warmth behind them, and slim figure like always.
When they saw each other, Kinsley and her mom both squealed and ran into each other’s arms. Shae tensed beside me, so I put my arm around her waist and pulled her into my side. Meeting the exes was never fun, so I had to remember to check in with Shae often today.
We all got seated and Kinsley left to join the lineup of graduating seniors. The ceremony started and any chitchat among our group was shut down after I introduced the rest of my family to Cassie. I didn’t miss the way Cassie’s gaze had dropped to take in Shae’s belly and then our hands clasped together.
Cassie sat in the middle of the row, next to me. My brothers and their wives were in the row behind us. Shae sat on my other side by Mom. Shae didn’t say much, even when I whispered in her ear occasionally. When Kinsley’s name was called, my brothers and I stood up with the air horns we’d bought for this exact occasion. Absolutely obnoxious and yet exactly what was expected from the Wolfe brothers. Kinsley shot us an amused smile from the stage and then rolled her eyes. It was perfect.
I sat my ass down and felt like someone was sitting on my chest. Shae laid her hand on my thigh.
“You okay?”
I nodded, but couldn’t speak. My eyes filled with unshed tears. Goddamn, why was parenting so hard? How could I love someone so much and watch them walk away from me? How had I stayed away from her for seventeen long years and not seen the gift of her presence right in front of my own eyes?
The second I was able to get ahold of myself, I leaned over to Cassie and said what I should have said years ago. “You dida great job with her, Cassie. She’s amazing and that’s thanks to you.”
Cassie gave me a quick head nod as thanks, a tissue already shoved under her nose and tears on her cheeks. Words of gratitude were kind of meaningless, especially when I’d just thrown money at her and walked away over the years, but I had to start somewhere.
