Page 97 of Poppy Kisses
“I think we all deserve a root beer.” I plugged the order into the phone, then ran to the store for some drinks and precut fruit. While I was out, I marveled over how this could be many nights. For many years. I liked that thought.
By the time I was done with that, our order was ready. I walked up to the house with the pizzas and the bag of goodies. Poppy and Auggie peered out the living room window, grins on their faces. First, Poppy waved and then Auggie followed suit. My heart damn near exploded. They were waiting for me, watching. A small moment like this was everything I had wanted. Poppy had no idea how often I’d walked into an empty house.
I was in love with Poppy.
She whipped open the door and lifted the grocery bag from my fingertips. “Let me get that.”
She and Auggie had already set the table. We sat around it and dug in. Auggie peppered us with questions on how the week would go.
Poppy patiently answered them all. “Alder and Evander will be hauling tables and chairs over in the morning on Friday. Apparently, Evander stocked up for when they do pumpkin harvests.” Poppy’s eyes brightened. “Hey, maybe we can participate this year. He has quite a party—all of his cousins and their kids show.”
“Do we get to pick the pumpkins?” Auggie asked, hopeful.
“He even lets you keep a few.” She stiffened, then caught my eye. “I mean, if that’s okay with your dad.”
It was more than all right. “Absolutely. I’m not going to stand in the way of a pumpkin harvest.”
I’d heard about the pumpkin gathering from clients. Evander and Violet were growing the event, and pumpkins showed up everywhere in town afterward. Auggie had wistfully commented on them before, asking if we could grow some. We had, but when it was just him picking them, it wasn’t as fun. Now Poppy was inviting him right into the center of the whole thing. He’d be thrilled.
We cleaned up, and when the kitchen was returned to its shiny state, Poppy went for the sliding door. She stepped onto the porch that overlooked the expansive backyard. Auggie sprinted past us and charged into the middle of the grass.
We stopped at the railing, and I stood close to her.
“It’s really going to happen,” she murmured.
“Afraid you won’t be able to get away after you say I do?”
She turned and put her butt against the railing. We were still close, a breath apart, but far enough away that Auggie would think we were only talking. Her eyes searched mine. “I am a little afraid.”
Worry spiked in my blood. “Of what?”
She took in the house. “This weekend has been so…”
“Perfect.”
Her gaze met mine and a small smile graced her face. “Yeah. Perfect.” She licked her lower lip, and if Auggie wasn’t around, I’d lean in and bite it.
When could we go public with our loved ones? When would it be less confusing for my son? Mom likely wouldn’t have an issue. She’d been polite about Hassie staying with her, but she’d seen long before I had how our relationship really was. Would Poppy’s family mind? Would she tell them?
“Have you got a name yet?”
She turned sheepish. “No. I’m so close to being official, it’s just… No.”
Since she was still scared, I didn’t bother to ask if she’d lined up clients. She could keep subbing when her doors opened. It just seemed as temporary as our nuptials, and my anxiety and pride were not comfortable with that after my first marriage.
“I’m opening the center,” she continued. “I’m getting married. My dad and Aunt Linda still have to sign off on us. I dunno, it just feels like there’s a lot out of my control on how things will go.” She tapped a finger to her chest. “And it’s giving me that panicky feeling again.”
I stroked my fingers down her cheek, uncaring of who saw. She was opening up to me, and I wouldn’t brush her off because my feelings were hurt. “Hey, it’s okay. It’ll be fine. You’re a good tutor. I don’t have to see you work to know you’re a hell of an occupational therapist.”
“But it won’t matter if people don’t trust me not to scam them.”
“They’ll trust you. All they have to do is see you with Auggie, watch you with your team, to know.”
“Kids are easy.” Her eyes shimmered, and she scrubbed both hands over her face. “Why did I think I could start a business reliant on fundraising and not have my past haunt me?”
“Because you were innocent, and the people in charge threw you under the bus.”
“Pushed me right off the train platform.”
