Page 25 of Beautiful Crazy

“You’ve lived with my sister for a few years now and didn’t think she was attractive enough to give her your attention. So, what changed to make you crazy about her now?”

Jesus Christ has he been waiting to ask me that all night?

Easy answer.

“First of all, when she moved in, it was at your request, Wes, and I respected her time and space. Still do. We established rules in our living space. Boundaries that we didn’t want to cross, and we do a great job adhering to those rules.”

“Like what kind of rules?” Mr. Chesney chimes in again just as Emily enters the room, handing me a mug of cocoa and taking a seat sideways across my lap.

Fuck me.

Emily Chesney is sitting on my lap.

I wrap a protective arm around her, splaying my hand on her outer thigh to hold her comfortably as she answers her dad.

“Rules like eating dinner together at least once a week so we could be present in each other’s live instead of strangers sharing a living space. Rules like game nights and Taco Tuesdays. And rules like not getting involved, or dating, or kissing, or even walking around naked out of respect for each other. And Dad, Emmett has never been anything but wonderful to me. He’s my best friend.”

“But to answer your question, sir,” I add. “What changed for me was simply living with your daughter and falling in love with her because I got to know her. Love isn’t about how attractive someone is…not that I’m saying Emily isn’t drop dead gorgeous because look at her.” I squeeze her thigh a little. I don’t know why. She doesn’t have to think I’m being serious because this entire thing with us tonight is supposed to be fake. But my answer to Wes’s question is easy to answer and far from fake.

“But I fell in love with the girl who burns the chicken tenders while simply trying to do something nice for me after a bad day.” Emily chuckles in my lap, her head bowed. When I glance at her, there’s a blush to her cheeks, so I squeeze the side of her leg again to let her know I’m being sincere, and she doesn’t need to feel uncomfortable.

“I fell for the girl who laughs with me over stupid reality television. The girl who forgives me when I’m not thinking, and the wrong words roll off my tongue. The girl who holds my hand and stands by me when I’m burying my father. And I wouldn’t have experienced any of those things with Emily if we hadn’t been living together and been friends first. She’s my best friend and I love her very much.”

Emily lifts her head and gazes at me like she’s sincerely surprised with my answer. “That’s so sweet of you to say, Emm.” She leans over and kisses me square on the lips, her hand on my chest.

What the fuck?

She’s kissing me.

It may have been a chaste kiss, but it was still one hundred percent driven by her. She didn’t have to do it. She leaned over and connected her lips to mine right in front of everyone and now for the rest of the night I’ll be wondering if there’s more behind the meaning of that kiss or if it was all part of her act.

“Well, if I know one thing,” Mr. Chesney starts. “It’s that I know Thomas Fox raised four respectful, hard-working boys who are now making themselves model citizens in our community. I have no doubt my daughter is in good hands with you, Emmett. Just keep in mind…” He points two fingers at his own eyes and then turns his hand to gesture to mine. “I’ll be watching.”

Emily giggles on my lap and sinks into me with ease and comfort as if we’ve been together for years. I suppose in some way, we have. We’ve shared numerous snuggles over the years, we’ve slept platonically in the same bed a handful of times, we hug every day and hell, she’s seen me naked and hasn’t gone running for the hills or tried to embarrass the hell out of me.

In a nutshell, Emily Chesney is comfort for me.

My happy place.

I can only hope tonight she’s finally seeing it.

“Let’s have Mom open her gifts!” Wes suggests trying to move us past all the relationship talk.

Emily quickly hops up from my lap. “Oooh yes! I can’t wait for her to open ours!”

Right.

Me either.

Because what else do you get your possible future mother-in-law than a penis-shaped cheese grater?

___

“Thank you all so much for the amazing birthday gifts.” Mrs. Chesney beams through a yawn. “I’m just so glad you were all able to make it for the visit.” She lays a palm on the cheeks of Emily and Wes and says, “It really fills my heart to see my two children finding someone that makes them so happy. It’s all your father and I have ever wanted for you both.”

She then glances at Jenny and me. “And Jenny and Emmett, you two are the perfect additions to our family and we can’t wait to spend more time with both of you from here on out. Thank you for coming today.”

Emily gives hugs to her family, and we grab our coats to head out, but when Mr. Chesney opens the front door, we’re met with several inches of snow already piling up on the doorstep and beyond the front porch and it is coming down fast.

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