Page 92 of Bump and Run
“Oh, wow.” Jones’s cheeks burned pink, and he looked away, dropping his gaze to the plate of food in front of him. “Thank you.”
I nudged his shoulder with mine. “You’re welcome.”
“So.” Alice clapped her hands together. That movement reminded me so much of her son. “Are the two of you going to keep Jones’s house or get something different? It’s a nice starter home.”
I hadn’t even thought about that. I liked the house fine because it was Jones’s place. It felt like and looked like him. He had picked it because of the pool. “I’m happy if Jones wants to stay. It’s a great place.”
“It’s our place.” Jones placed his hand over mine. “And maybe, further down the road if we need more space for kids, we can think about looking at something bigger.”
Fuck. Did Jones want kids? I hadn’t thought about that until right this second. I stared at him and took in the way his hazel eyes glittered and sparkled with happiness. The smile hadn’t left his face all day. Yeah. Yeah, I think I wanted kids, too. Little hazel-eyed babies with dirty blond hair who were sweet and kind. Who saw the good in everyone.
“We’ll definitely need something bigger,” I said under my breath, but when Jones gripped my hand tighter, I knew he heard me. “Just you,” I whispered when he looked at me.
Dad coughed softly. “Would you like some help with your wedding reception? You can go as big or as small as you want.”
“I only care about the s’mores bar.” Jones took another bite of his food. “But maybe hard cider would be nice. Instead of champagne.”
I could get behind that. “Whatever you want, Bashful. I only want to make you happy.”
“You make me happy.” Jones blushed as he glanced in my direction again.
Alice clapped her hands again. “I haven’t seen my son look like this in a very long time, Charlie. I think the last time he smiled so much was when he first met you.”
“Not even when you won your first championship?” I popped a brow. When Jones shook his head, my stomach dropped. “I’m sorry.”
Jones blinked back tears. “No, baby, because you’re here now. Whatever happened before doesn’t matter because we’re together. We’re married and—”
“And I’m yours,” I finished for him. I leaned forward to cover his mouth with mine. “Forever and ever.”
Alice sighed. “You two are so cute together. Aren’t they, hon?” She beamed at my father with the smile she had passed down to her son.
“They are,” Dad agreed. “We’ll have to talk about when you want to have this reception. After the season is out, maybe?”
Jones nodded in agreement. “That would be perfect. Then we can invite all our friends. Ollie, Kit, maybe I can get Holt and Watts to come. Oh, and you can invite Beverly. I really like her. She can bring her boyfriend...”
I stared at Jones as he spoke. Going on with the list of people he wanted to come to the wedding reception. Took in the way his eyes lit up, the curve of his smile, and his hair as it curled around his ears. My heart beat so fast that it felt like it would burst from my chest. I don’t know how I thought I could live without him. I hadn’t been living at all.
“I love you,” I blurted, and Jones melted against me, his head on my shoulder. “No, Jonesy. I love you so fucking much, and I’m sorry—”
He stopped me by pressing a finger to my mouth. “I know, Charlie. I can see it in your eyes, your smile, and the way that you touch me. I know you’re sorry, and I forgive you. It broke my heart, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see the pain you’ve been carrying around because of it. I love you, baby, and I forgive you. You can spend the rest of our lives showing me just how sorry you really are.”
I kissed him before he could say anything else. Right there in the middle of the snobby, upscale restaurant that my father loved so much. Out in the open for the world to see, and I didn’t care. Because this man decided that he wantedme.Only me.And I was absolutely going to spend the rest of my life showing him how much I felt the same. When we pulled apart, Jones’s lips were swollen, his cheeks were pink, and his eyes shone like the sun.
“Charlie, I believe I owe both you and my son an apology for the way I reacted. Back when I found out you were together.” Alice chewed on her lip.
I shook my head. “No, you don’t. You had no idea. And that’s okay. Because everything worked out the way it was supposed to. A little later than it should have, but we’re together now. Isn’t that right, Bashful?”
“Yes.” Jones squeezed my hand again. “We’re married and love one another. That’s the only thing that matters.”
Jones was the only thing that mattered to me. Now and forever.
Chapter Forty-Two
Jones
I tightened my grip on Charlie’s hand as we walked down to the garage. Our little honeymoon bubble was over. As much as I hated to leave the confines of our bed, because that’s what it was now, we had jobs to return to. We had arrived at the track last night, staying in the same RV, and kept to ourselves for just a few hours longer. But now, I could feel the stares of our fellow competitors. The murmurs and shocked gasps as they caught us together, fingers laced. I kept my chin up as I nodded at a few drivers, but I felt relief wash over me the moment I caught sight of Ollie. The only other person here that I would feel comfortable with.
“So, you’re really official now.” My best friend grinned as he jutted his chin toward our interlaced hands. “I mean, in front of the world. You were already official, but now you’re official, official.”
