Page 87 of Awakening the Sheriff

He turned onto his back, his eyes heavy. “Tell me again.”

I leaned in and kissed him. “I love you, Keaton Perry. You’re my everything.”

With my arms wrapped around him, I held him for a long time, and every few minutes, we whispered it again.

I love you.

I love you so much.

31

KEATON

Auden and I had spent as much time together as we could over the last four weeks. Getting to know each other without pressure had been amazing, and I’d learned so much about him.

That he was generous, for example, both with his time and money and with his affection. He’d been holding my hand in public, hugging and kissing me without any reservations. He’d never been concerned about others seeing us, not even when he’d been in uniform, and it dawned on me that I’d still been expecting some hesitation. The man had just come out after all, but nope, he’d embraced it with ease.

And gosh, the way he’d gone to town on my ass, ruining me and then fucking me into a near coma… He was the most generous lover I’d ever had, and our bodies fit together like we were custom-made for each other.

We’d found plenty of things to do together. We both loved going for walks, and we’d strolled through town countless times. I’d helped him build some sets. Much to my delight, I was getting better at it. Auden had booked us a surprise workshop in rapping in Seattle, which had been an absolute blast. I’d had the time of my life, while he had looked every bit as uncomfortable as he must’ve felt. But he’d taken it all in stride. Afterward, we’d watched some action flick, which he had loved. I’d loved holding his hand through the entire movie and snuggling, so it had been a win-win.

We’d FaceTimed my parents so I could introduce them to Auden, and we’d chatted for a good hour. They’d loved him, which was a big relief. They’d never cared much for Mandy. We were planning on visiting them next month during spring break. Auden and I had had dinner with his parents as well, which had been lovely. Cora was such a warm personality, and she’d welcomed me into the family with open arms. Ennio was a riot, flamboyant and sassy, and so comfortable in his own skin. I loved how close he and Auden were despite the age difference.

Which left our biggest challenge: our kids. Everything we’d done together had been without our kids, his or mine. We hadn’t planned that, but we both understood we needed some time for us, especially after all the drama with Byron. But if we wanted a future together and to blend our families, we’d have to take that next step. So we had decided on a family meeting with all the kids.

My house was bigger than Auden’s—though not by a lot—but my living room still felt packed with the six of us sitting there. Auden’s girls sat on one couch, Auden and I on the other, and my boys had dragged in two kitchen chairs. Auden looked at me. Oh, jeez, was he expecting me to kick things off? Well, it was my house, so that made sense. Okay, then.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my slacks and took a deep breath. “We wanted to talk to you because… Well, Auden and I… Your father and I…”

Auden took my hand. “We want to have an open conversation with you about our relationship and where we’re headed. Because we’re in love with each other, and we’re building a future together, a future you all will be a part of.”

I might be the English teacher, but in moments like this, Auden was far better with words. The nerves were killing me. What if the kids reacted negatively? I wouldn’t even know what to say, how to respond. So much was on the line here, and I was losing it while Auden seemed as calm and collected as ever.

“So we wanted to give you the opportunity to ask us questions about that, and we promise we’ll be honest and explain as much as we can,” Auden said.

“What kind of questions?” Milton pushed his glasses back up his nose.

“Anything you’re maybe worried or wondering about.”

“Are you guys getting married?” Dani asked without hesitation.

I could’ve put money on her being the first to ask something. She had an insatiable curiosity, and I loved that about her.

Auden squeezed my hand. “I told you before, sweetheart, I sure hope to marry Keaton, but not right now.”

Violet raised her hand. “Would you want more kids?”

Oh, I hadn’t seen that one coming. Auden and I made eye contact. “We haven’t talked about that, to be honest, so I don’t know,” I said. “Not babies, I can tell you that. I’m past that sage. But adoption or fostering, maybe? I don’t know. But that would be something we’d discuss with you guys as well.”

“A-are you moving in together?” Milton’s voice was soft, but I was proud of him for speaking up.

“We’d love that, but there are logistics to figure out,” Auden answered.

“Are we gonna move into your house?” Dani asked me.

I shook my head. “We wouldn’t fit, and your dad’s house is too small as well. We’ll need some time to find a solution, but it would mean selling both houses and finding a bigger one for all of us.”

“Would we have our own rooms? ‘Cause we do now, and no offense, but I don’t wanna share with Dani.” Violet shot her sister an apologetic glance. “I need my privacy.”

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