Page 82 of Her Greatest Adventure

“Likewise, sweetheart. We’ll have to talk later and catch up.”

Adalyn nods, smiling sincerely. “Absolutely.”

Scarlett says something to Beth then, and the two of them begin to laugh together. I’m not sure what’s so funny, and I don’t care. I can’t look away from my wife.

I underestimated what seeing her around my family like this would do to me. She’s utterly destroyed me. Put me under a spell that I would pay to keep from breaking.

If I wasn’t already positive I was falling in love with her, I would undoubtedly know it now.

30

ADALYN

After dinner,we’re all chatting in the living room when Adam asks Cooper to help him with something outside. With a lingering kiss to the top of my head, Cooper gets up from the couch and follows his dad out to the backyard. Scarlett and I watch them leave, but Beth is quick to snag our attention again. I’m sure we look like sad, lost puppies without them, but they knew damn well what they were doing leaving us here.

It was a ploy to give Beth and Scarlett a chance to talk to me alone.

“I hope Cooper prepared you for the grilling I’m about to give you, Addie,” she says.

I tear my eyes from the patio door, straightening my spine as I look at her with an excited smile. “He did. Take your best shot.”

There wasn’t much preparation needed on the drive over besides a quick mention that his mom might have some questions for me. Truthfully, I don’t mind answering questions about myself, especially not in a situation like this.

Scarlett throws her feet up on the cushioned ottoman. “What do you have to grill her about? You’ve known her for damn near her entire life.”

Beth waves her off, keeping her attention on me. “Don’t listen to her. She’s just jealous because she doesn’t have any good questions for you.”

“Not true. I just already know all I need to right now,” Scarlett sings.

“There’s no rush. I’m not planning on going anywhere. You can ask me anything whenever you want,” I say, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.

By the way my words make Beth’s eyes glow with approval, I know I said the right thing.

“You don’t know how happy I am to hear that. I think I speak for us all when I say we’ve never seen Cooper this way with a woman before. I know that’s the most cliché thing ever, but it’s true. Right, Scar?”

The second most important woman in Cooper’s life nods, smiling softly. “She’s right. You two complement each other very well.”

Her recognition of something I’ve begun to realize myself makes my stomach swoop.

“He’s the calm to my storm,” I tell them.

Beth’s eyes gloss over before she blinks a few times. “From what you got him to do with you in Europe, I think it’s obvious that you bring out a side of him that I haven’t seen in years. You bring him out of his shell a bit.”

The shock on everyone’s faces when we told them we had gone to a nude beach is forever ingrained in my memory. I thought Cooper’s face was going to turn a permanent shade of red.

“I wasn’t expecting him to let loose so easily, but he was a really good sport about most things.”

“How is living together going to work? You’ve only been moved in for a day so far?” Scarlett asks.

I nod. “We brought some of my stuff over yesterday. Just the essentials. I don’t know how it’s going to work, honestly. I’m going to start looking for a new roommate for my apartment, but until then, I guess it’ll be just like it was when we were travelling.”

Only a lot scarier.

Suddenly, Beth blows out a shaky breath, wringing her hands in her lap. “Do you love him?”

“You can’t ask her that yet, Beth,” Scar says lightly.

I wet my lips and breathe in a steadying inhale. “It’s okay. Honestly, it’s only been a few weeks, but with him, time hasn’t seemed to matter. I don’t know if it’s love yet, but it has to be close.”

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