Page 78 of Purr For Me
Chapter Twenty-Five
Stella and Kendra were busy helping her pack and load her Jeep with her few possessions.
“I’m so happy for you, Kade’s an awesome guy.”
Stella’s words sounded wistful, and when Kendra left to carry another box to the Jeep, she had to ask. “What’s going on between you and Marcus?” At Stella’s silence, Lexie added, “I saw you coming out of Bad Boy Autos one night, and you were kissing. It looked like you two were an old married couple.”
Stella’s eyes welled. “I wish.”
Lexie rocked back on her haunches, the book she was about to place in a box forgotten. “What?”
Stella angrily brushed the tears from her face. “I’ve stupidly fallen in love with Marcus. Please don’t tell Kendra, she’d try to get involved and it will only make everything worse.”
“When did this happen? Ithoughtyou acted strange at Kendra and Tom’s wedding. You grilled me as to whether I’d ever had a thing with Marcus.”
Stella plonked down on the floor. “I’ve never been a woman who wanted marriage and kids. My father is on wife number five so the idea of what many see as a disposal piece of paper wasn’t important to me. I loved playing the field, and Marcus was one of my friends with benefits. Then Connor came along, and I saw Tom and Kendra with their son, and suddenly, as if a bomb went off, I knew I wanted that too. With Marcus. My clock is ticking.”
The words “bad choice in men” kept echoing in Lexie’s head.
“But you know Marcus. He doesn’t want to be tied down, and he’s shown no desire for kids.”
“So what are you going to do?”
Stella began repacking a box. “Nothing. What can I do? I tried pulling back, and I hoped he’d miss me, but I’m not sure he notices me unless I’m in his face.” She gave Lexie a sad smile. “Do you think you’ll ever get married again?”
Lexie opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“Don’t know, huh?” Stella said for her.
“Don’t know what?” Kendra asked as she came through the door.
“If I’d marry Kade.”
Kendra did a little dance. “So he’s asked you already!”
Lexie jumped to her feet. “Oh, no. No, he hasn’t… but I found the most gorgeous ring in his pocket.”
“Do you want him to ask?” Stella asked, looking up from the floor.
Lexie’s heart pounded in her chest and her mouth went dry. She didn’t know.
Kendra walked forward and hugged her. “I guess not. You’d immediately know if you did. Give it time. You’ll know when it’s right.”
She hugged Kendra back. “I’m so happy just to be moving in with him. I love Kade. And I know we can be happy. I don’t need a ring to tell me that.” She bent and taped up the box she’d just finished packing. “Come on. This is the last of it. The boys will be arriving soon to collect the furniture. I’m donating it to Pastor Sal’s mission.”
Happiness suffused her heart, and even though she wasn’t ready to marry Kade, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t be ready in the future. But for now, she was thrilled about moving in with him. To be starting a new life and journey with a man who loved her.
After one last look at the place where she’d licked her wounds, she shut the door, ending the worst period of her life, and jumped in her Jeep to drive back to the man she loved with every particle of her being, anxious to begin the next chapter of their lives together.
