Page 53 of About Last Knight

I nod. “I have. It’s been an amazing ride the past ten years. I’ve been to so many different countries. I’ve lost count.”

“Has anyone ever traveled with you?”

I shake my head. “No, I’ve always gone alone. I guess I never had anyone to bring. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

She slowly nods. “Yes, I would. I’ve traveled some, but looking at these pictures, you really immerse yourself in the culture. I would love to experience that.”

“I’ll gladly take you. It would be amazing to have you with me.”

She smiles as she continues looking at all of the pictures. Eventually she gets to portraits.

She runs her fingertips across one of them. “Is this Jade?”

“It is.”

“She’s stunning. Her eyes are incredible. They look so familiar. They’re exactly your eyes. Was her mother a model?”

I shake my head. “No. She looks nothing like her mother. Amanda’s a petite brunette with dark eyes. For better or worse, Jade is all me. Amanda often jokes about it.”

“How tall is she? Her body looks so long in the pictures.”

“These pictures are a little dated, but now she’s nearly six feet tall.”

“Wow, I thought I was tall. Is she comfortable in her skin?”

“I assume so. Why wouldn’t she be? Look at her.”

She gives me a knowing smile. “While I appreciate my height and body a bit more now, it’s hard as a teen to be different. I was tall and unattractively skinny at a very early age. I towered over all the girls, and most of the boys for a long time. It’s not easy.”

I shake my head. “No, Jade has a lot of self-confidence. I think she’s happy with the way she looks.”

“You better lock the doors, McGinley, because boys will be knocking them down.”

I widen my eyes. “What? Boys? She’s too young for that. I don’t think she’s into that yet.”

Melissa smirks. “That you know of. I promise you, she’s getting a lot of attention from the boys.”

I run my hands through my hair. Boys? I hadn’t even thought of that. She’s still my little girl. My baby. I growl, “We need to change the topic of conversation.”

She laughs. “Okay. Why don’t you show me where you’re thinking of putting her. We can figure out the space.”

We spend the next hour laying out what will become Jade’s room. Melissa’s extremely helpful.

I want her to meet Jade, but I know it’s early on in our relationship. I want to respect what Amanda asked of me and make sure this is the real deal before I bring Jade into things. I know it is, but I also know that we need some more time together to progress things.

We order Chinese food for dinner and enjoy a bottle of wine. In addition to being beautiful, Melissa’s smart and funny. I enjoy spending time with her. I’m so enamored with her.

At some point I ask her, “What did you mean earlier when you said you didn’t appreciate your body when you were younger?”

“Exactly what I said. I was always the tallest girl. Until my junior year, I was taller than all the boys. Despite my efforts to eat, I was incredibly skinny. Not in a remotely attractive way.”

“I can’t imagine you as anything but attractive. When did you start to feel comfortable in your skin?”

She thinks for a moment. “I suppose I felt good when I got to college and started attracting a decent amount of attention from the boys. But then I was a giant pregnant hippo by the end of my sophomore year and in a marriage I didn’t want, so it was short-lived. It’s not like you ever feel quite the same after you have kids.”

I think for a moment. “You know, I’ve never been with someone who has kids until you. You’re my first.”

“How’s that possible? I imagine you’ve had plenty of girlfriends and plenty of sex over your lifetime.”

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