Page 68 of Imperfectly Ours

Her mouth fell open as I approached, holding the gifts. Each one was wrapped in the same gold paper with white snowflakes gently embellished across it. I’d tied a silver string around each of them, curling the ends in a bow.

“Three?” Her voice quivered.

“For now.” I sat them down on the bed, and she shook her head.

“But… But… I didn’t get you anything this big,” she quietly said, reaching a trembling hand toward the gifts.

“Okay?” I furrowed my brows, confused why that would matter.

“I’ll buy something tonight or—”

“Tenley, don’t you dare. Whatever you got is fine. This isn’t a competition.” I tossed my jeans on the opposite side of the bed and walked to the dresser.

“Next year, we set a limit or rules or something,” she stated, reaching for the smallest one on top. It was nearly flat, and rectangular in shape.

“Next year?” I smiled to myself, loving the fact that she so casually said we’d still be together next year.

“Duh, next year,” she grumbled and I grabbed a new pair of boxers from my suitcase as she tore open the paper. It fluttered to the floor and her hand flew over her mouth. She stared at the picture I’d framed.

Silent.

Jumping into the underwear, I kept the towel wrapped around my waist as best as I could, waiting. I wanted her to say something, but she didn’t. Instead her eyes welled up with tears.

She reached a trembling finger forward and traced something on the picture.

Blinking, her gaze lifted from the photo, wide and innocent. “Where’d you get this?” she whispered.

Flipping it around, she pointed at the frozen moment in time. There was Tenley sitting on the back of the four-wheeler, her hair a wild mess with a massive smile plastered on her face. Before she’d nearly been trampled by a bear obviously. Her arms were clutching my waist tightly, and I was looking at her, grinning. What a moment full of love. The hat wasn’t hiding my face away like it used to do. It was one of the first moments I’d felt so carefree in so many years.

One of the first memories I held so tightly to where someone wasn’t with me out of curiosity or some sick, twisted reasoning that had to do with that fateful accident.

“Annie took it, unbeknownst to me,” I replied casually, even though I wasn’t feeling very casual about it all. I grabbed the new button up Christmas shirt from the dresser and slipped an arm into the sleeve.

“You…” She quietly turned it back around to face her. “That look on your face…”

“Yes?” I tugged the other sleeve on and walked back to the side of the bed, grabbing my jeans.

Her eyes shot up to me. “When did you know you loved me?” she asked. “Because the way that you’re staring at me…” Her voice trailed off as she caressed her fingers over the picture once more.

When she had a flat tire and threatened me with the tire iron. Or at least I knew that girl was about to turn my world upside down. She had a feisty spirit about her, I recognized it then. I was drawn to it then. But if I told her that, would it scare her off?

Or should I say it was when she put Cassidy in his place for the first time? But I’d merely passed by, overhearing the conversation. That could frighten her off too.

“Do you not know?” she asked, suddenly throwing her hands against her hips.

I laughed, shaking my head. “No, I’m trying to decide how truthful to be.”

“Why?”

“You have no issue calling someone crazy to their face. I’d like to not be in that category.”

“But you are crazy.” She grinned.

“When you threatened me with that tire iron,” I stated flatly, and her mouth fell open.

“I’m sorry, but what?” She glanced back at the photo. “So then why did you fight with me at first?”

“Because I didn’t understand what I was feeling. I daresay you forget I hadn’t interacted with a woman more than in passing for something at a store as a stranger in eighteen years.”

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