Page 191 of Small Town Firsts
“Do we?”
“Oh yeah. If you want to.” I wrapped my hand around her ponytail and tugged. “With or without a baby, I want you again. In every goddamn way possible.”
Her chin trembled. “But the baby is important to you. You wouldn’t have gone to a lawyer to draw up a contract if it wasn’t. It wasn’t a lark.”
I was tempted to deny what she’d said, but I couldn’t. She was the only person I’d always been honest with.
Her and my little girl.
“Yeah, it matters. Not just because Laurie’s asked for one. That might be a passing whim, who knows.” I shuffled my feet, feeling idiotic. Still, telling the truth was important. “Growing up without my mom around for more than random holidays wasrough. Not because my dad raised us, but because he wasn’t into it. He cared more about his work. And yeah, I know I have the tendency to get caught up too, so I want some insurance Laurie has what I did.”
“Your twin,” Ally whispered.
“Yeah. We always had each other. Even when he stole my Legos or hid the second Xbox controller or put rice in my socks, the little fucker.” I had to grin. “She should have that too, and soon, before the age difference is too much. She’s already almost four, and it’s not like there’s anyone special in my life.” I sucked in a breath. “Except you.”
She shifted out of my arms, but not before the wetness in her eyes stole the oxygen right back out of my chest. “Ally?—”
“Give me a few days, okay? Some time to work through all of this, to figure out how I feel.”
I wanted to argue. To try another tack. That was what I did. I negotiated for new angles, new perks to throw into the deal. Whatever it took to close the sale.
And she deserved so much more than that.
“Okay.” I nodded and shoved all the jagged edges inside me back in line. “As long as you need.”
She glanced back, surprise erasing the raw emotion on her face. “Seriously? Maybe I wasn’t the only one who needed to get laid.”
I laughed, shocking us both before I leaned forward to press my lips to her forehead again. “Definitely not.”
Though it about killed me to walk away from her, I headed for the door. I placed my hand on the knob and looked back, memorizing the way the lone overhead bulb gave her dark hair an angelic glow. But those deep brown eyes were temptation unparalleled.
“If people ask what we did in here, don’t suppose you could say you found out my little problem was miraculously solved?”
Her lips twitched. “Never said it was a little problem, Hamilton. All your problems,” she cleared her throat, “are huge.”
I grinned and stepped out, shutting the door behind me. Now I just had to wait.
A peal of girlish laughter flowed down the hall and my grin widened.
And eat ice cream with my baby girl.
NINE
“No,Bart, I don’t foresee any additional holdups with the check. Like I told you yesterday, we’re just waiting on the bank to?—”
“Fucking bureaucrats,” Bart Jenkins mumbled. “I don’t have time for their bullshit. Maybe if I golfed more often with old man Chandler, I’d get better service.”
“Doubtful. I’ve heard his swing is killer. He’d probably annihilate you.”
Bart huffed out a laugh. “You know, Hamilton, you’re the oddball in your family, aren’t you? Your father and Oliver, they’re the serious ones. The sharks. You just make jokes and amble through life, smiling at everyone while you quietly pile up your assets.”
“Some of my friends would debate the quiet label, but yeah. That’s me in a nutshell.” I smiled and kicked back in my chair, crossing my legs at the ankle on the edge of the desk. It was almost lunchtime, and I was starving.
Maybe I’d meander over to the diner and?—
Nope. With a side of hell no.
Ally had asked me for space to make up her mind, and I was going to give it to her even if it drove me crazy. I was already more than halfway there, so it wouldn’t take long.
