Page 64 of Mine to Keep

“Agreed,” he said. “Hey listen. I’m in the neighborhood and thought maybe I could stop by and we could watch a movie or something.”

“Yeah. Zadie is zonked out for the night, so that might work.”

“I’ll be there in five.”

“Don’t you have to work in the morning?” she asked.

“I do, so I’ll be leaving right after whatever we watch. See you in a few.” He slammed the gear shift into drive and punched the gas. She was only a couple of blocks away, but he couldn’t get there fast enough. He knew his feelings for her were growing and he wasn’t sure what to do about that.

They were friends.

Good friends.

And she’d just had a baby.

One that he’d fallen madly in love with.

He wasn’t sure if he could have a relationship with a woman who had a child. Hell, he wasn’t sure he could ever be in a serious committed relationship with someone ever again. The idea of long term tended to make him want to jump out of his skin. Trust didn’t come easily. Not after what happened with Cheryl.

And with his mother and Steve.

However, Bryn made him question why he had so many hang ups.

He pulled into her driveway and practically raced to her front door. He rang the bell and waited for what seemed like forever but was probably only one minute.

“That was quick,” she said as she pulled back the door. “I made some popcorn.”

“Perfect.” He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss her, but then what? So he opted to press his lips against her cheek. “You look comfy.”

She smiled. “I look like I’ve been dealing with an infant who didn’t want to sleep all day.” She waved her hand toward the family room. “For all I know our night could be cut short by a screaming kid, so I took the liberty of picking the movie.”

“Sounds good to me.” He could have cared less what they watched. All he wanted was to be in her presence. He sat on the sofa, hoping she’d join him, and she didn’t disappoint. “Why don’t you put your feet up.” Though he didn’t really give her a choice. He lifted her feet off the floor and placed them on his lap. “So, what are we watching?” he asked quickly in hopes of taking her mind off the fact that his hands were rubbing her bare feet.

It seemed to be working.

“It’s about the royal family.”

He laughed.

“Sorry. It’s late and I live alone. Thrillers and anything remotely scary is not going to happen.”

“I’m okay with that,” he said. “So, how did things go with my mom today?” He wasn’t sure he really wanted to know the answer.

“Wonderful. We had a great time and she’s having five custom pieces made. I’m really excited about it.”

“Good. I hope she was on her best behavior.”

“She told me you’d ask about that.”

He cocked his head. That took him by surprise. “What else did she say?”

“Nothing that I’m going to tell you.” Bryn lifted the remote and pointed it toward the television. “Let’s enjoy the show.”

The last thing he wanted to do was be entertained by the royals, but he sat back and rubbed her feet while staring at the TV. Only, about a half hour in, he found himself trying not to nod off. It certainly wasn’t the company that bored him to tears.

He leaned sideways on the sofa, closer to her, snuggling into her body.

She didn’t protest, so he tucked himself behind her, wrapping his arms around her, holding her close to his chest. His kness were tucked up right behind hers and he rested his chin on her shoulder.

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