Page 139 of Average Joe

“You’re not gonna cry, are you?”

I shook my head no, biting my tongue.

A cowbell rattled when Dylan pushed the door open for me. From behind the counter and through a service window, a gruff voice hollered, “Hey, it’s Dylan! Morning, runt!”

“Charlie!” Dylan greeted, chuckling.

“Who’s the lovely lady?” Charlie yelled through the window, uncaring that the dining room was packed and everyone could hear.

“She’s taken. Back off, old man.”

At that, the double doors in the back burst open. A gorgeous girl emerged, her hair a shade darker than blonde, but not quite brown, petite with wicked curves, bee-stung lips painted a darker shade of nude. Her eyes were dark as sin but somehow sparkled and narrowed at my son.

She delivered her plates of food to a table in the corner, then came our way, a blush creeping over her cheeks.

She pulled two menus from behind the counter and, ignoring Dylan’s sweet, “Hey, Monster,” led us to a table near the window.

Her dark eyes fell on me, and I resisted the urge to laugh. “Coffee?” she asked, avoiding Dylan’s starry-eyed gaze but struggling to hold mine.

“Yes, please,” I said.

Dylan cleared his throat, sat straighter in his chair, and said, “You can relax, Monster. She’s my mom.”

Monster’s shoulders dropped two inches at least. She released a loud exhale, then smiled and offered her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you. Nice to meet you. I’m Cleo.” She smirked, nodded toward my son. “But Dylan calls me Monster because he’s a dick. No offense.”

And before I could react, she was gone, tending to other patrons.

I raised a brow at my son. He laughed, but in that small gesture, I recognized the shimmer in his eyes. He shook his head as if he himself couldn’t believe he was in love with that fiery woman. Somehow, I knew those two were in for an epic love story.

Breakfast was the best I’d had in years. A veggie omelet with hash browns because Dylan insisted I had to try the hash browns.

Catching up with Dylan, face to face, filled my soul in unexplainable ways. Neither of us had heard from my father, and what a relief. Though, I was sure he’d turn up again when he needed something from me or his grandson. That man would never change.

Dylan whispered in Cleo’s ear on our way out, and she smiled, then nodded.

I suspected they were planning a get-together later in the day but kept my mouth shut. Joe and I had planned on asking Dylan to move home now that Harper was no longer a threat, but my independent son had already enrolled in the local college, and after witnessing the blooming love affair, I changed my mind.

When we parked around the back of my mother’s home, Joe opened my door, helped me out by hooking our elbows, and dragged me down the lawn and to the end of the dock.

As I’d grown to love, he towered over me, so close we could’ve been one.

“Hi,” he rasped before kissing me deep and tender.

The wind blew my hair, birds cawed overhead. Lake Willow was already alive with water skiers and outdoor enthusiasts.

When Joe broke the spell, leaving me gasping and clinging to his shirt, he whispered, “Hi,” again and, dear sweet raspberry cappuccino, the love in his gaze made me sigh out loud.

“What was that for?”

Joe smiled so wide and beautiful, my chest hurt and my legs turned to wet noodles. Then the scary ex-con mountain of a man dropped to one knee and shoved his hand into the front pocket of his jeans.

“My beautiful, crazy, cuckoo bird neighbor,” he said, his dimples deep. “You’re my life, my sunshine, my cool air on a hot day. My favorite badass. I want to fill your holes every day for the rest of our lives.” Eyes wet, hands trembling, he raised the box and opened the lid, revealing what I knew to be a ring but couldn’t see through the moisture in my eyes.

“Please say you’ll marry me, baby, because I’ll die right here if you deny me another day.”

I was a hot air balloon about to ascend, a baby tasting her first bite of cake, floating and flailing and bursting with joy I didn’t know how to express. “Yes, yes, yes,” I blabbered, unable to hold still, wiping my face with the heel of my palm.

Joe slid the ring on my finger, but I couldn’t look. I couldn’t do anything but jump into his arms and wrap myself around my mountain, my safe place, my home, and squeeze and kiss him with all my might.

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