Page 97 of One Bride for Three Single Dads

I swallow.

His eyes are bright and hopeful. “Don’t you think?” he asks again.

“Well… I mean…”

“It’s totally up to you, Jolene,” he murmurs sweetly. “But I can’t imagine our lives any other way, can you?”

I try. I tried to imagine it another way. It won’t work anymore.

“We make a good team, don’t you think?” he continues.

We do, I admit to myself. We make an amazing team.

“I don’t want anything to change,” he confesses.

“Things always change,” I counter automatically, surprising myself.

But there. I said it.

The words hang between us. I see him swallow.

“I guess they do,” he admits. “So let me ask you… what you want?”

What do I want? The question practically knocks me out of my seat. I can’t remember anybody ever asking me that before.

I feel like what I want has never been a priority. It’s a strange thing to think about.

I want…

I want…

I want…

“I want us to be together,” I announce.

He nods slowly. “What does that mean?”

“I want…” I begin, piecing it all together in my brain. “Dates.”

His eyebrows go up. “Dates?”

“Yep,” I reply, gaining confidence. “Dates. In public. With all three of you.”

He purses his lips shrewdly. “Okay. I think we can agree to that.”

“And romance,” I continue. “Chocolates, flowers, sweet nothings. The whole deal. Like if you saw it in a movie? I want it.”

“Romance,” he smiles with a hint of laughter. “Okay, I’ll see what I can do about that. Boone may need some tips.”

“And sex! At least four times a week!”

Now he finally grins, leaning toward me, not even glancing to see who is looking.

“Yes, baby,” he murmurs as his mouth closes over mine. “That I can definitely promise you.”

Epilogue

JOLENE

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