Page 130 of Sin With Me
Amelia stands frozen with watery eyes. "He's gonna be so surprised in the mornin'. I can't thank y'all enough."
"We're happy to do it," I tell her.
Wilder and I carry the gifts up to her apartment, as quietly as we can, and stack the gifts around the small tree. Her apartment is nice, but since it's only a one-bedroom, there's not a lot of extra room for toys.
"I hope this doesn't cross the line, but if you're okay with it, I'd like to move you guys to a duplex on the ranch. They have two-bedrooms and a lot of open space. You'll be close to The Lodge then, too," Wilder says when we're done. "And the rent is cheap."
"I-I don't think I can accept that. You've already done enough with the gifts and the job..."
"It's just standin' there empty," I tell her. "And we'll come help you move so you don't have to do it alone."
"Why're you doin' this? I'm very grateful, but I don't feel worthy of it."
The sadness in her eyes breaks my heart.
"I know somethin' about feelin' that way, but I promise that you are. You're a good mom doin' the best she can for her kids and with what's been thrown at her. There's no shame in needin' help especially when raising a family takes a village."
I beam at Wilder's response, knowing he meant it wholeheartedly.
"This is my first Christmas without my dad and if there's one thing I learned, it's how important community is. I know it's hard to accept help, whether it's from grief or pride, but my neighbors and friends really showed up after I lost him. And being able to give back to someone else the same way makes him being gone a little less sad."
Wilder's gaze meets mine and they're filled with tenderness and sorrow.
"Think about it, okay? You don't have to agree to anythin' you're not comfortable with, but it's yours if you want it," Wilder reassures her.
"Thank you, I will." She smiles, and this time, it reaches her eyes.
"Merry Christmas, Amelia. I hope you have the best day with your kids." I wrap an arm around her cautiously, not sure if she's a hugger, but then she fully embraces me.
"Thank you. So, so much."
After we quietly exit and we walk back to the truck, Wilder pushes me up against the passenger door and cages me in with a devious look on his face.
"What're you doin'?" I step up on the curb so we're more eye-level.
"Can I give you an early Christmas gift?"
"I thought we weren't doin' that?"
We agreed not to exchange since we just had our honeymoon and neither of us needed anything.
"Well...there's one thing money can't buy."
I furrow my brows, confused. He tilts my chin and presses a soft kiss to my lips.
"My therapist says I shouldn't keep things in or they'll eat at me."
"Right. Okay?"
"And I don't think I can wait another day to say this before it eats at me."
"What is it?" My heart races with the possibilities.
"That I'm madly in love with you. I have been for a long fuckin' time and planned to wait until we made it to the thirty day mark so I didn't freak you out by movin' too quickly. But I needed to tell you now because each day I get to wake up with you next to me is another day wasted not tellin' you."
My chest squeezes with joy, and I wrap my arms around him, crashing our mouths together.
"It's about goddamn time." I laugh against his lips. "I'm in love with you, too."
