He hops down the stairs, and Trey is beaming from the sidelines. Their setup is playing out smoothly.
“If I get hypothermia,” he says when he reaches me, “I’m blaming you, babe.”
I press my hand against my chest. “On me? It’s not my fault you enjoy flaunting your naked self around in the freezing cold.”
I can see his breath releasing into the cold. “Please be honest with me, Chloe. That’s all I want for Christmas, and your honesty will provide me the energy to make my way back inside. Otherwise, I’ll probably freeze outside and die.”
I shake my head, still laughing. “I can’t believe I’m even entertaining this.”
He grabs me by my waist, and his chest is freezing. “Tell me how you feel about me, Chloe. No bullshit. Look at me and tell me you don’t care about me the way I care about you.”
I gulp, and my heart races so hard that I’m waiting for it to fall out of my chest. “I … I don’t care about you, Kyle.”
His face falls.
“I mean … I do … but I more than care about you.”
A smile takes over his face. “Say it.”
I cover my face with my hands. “Oh my God. I can’t believe I’m about to declare my love to a half-naked man sporting a Santa hat, who looks like he should be featured in an X-rated Christmas calendar.”
He takes my hand and kisses the top. “I’m more than happy to get you a calendar with my pictures in them.”
A tear falls down my cheek, and his finger is cold when he wipes it away.
“I love you,” I say with no hesitation, regret, or unease.
He stares down at me, his white teeth showing as he grins wildly. “And, damn, do I love you.”
He tilts his head down and kisses me. He pulls away and inspects me, and then his lips hit mine again.
I glance back at Trey while smiling. “I take it, there are no pies?”
Trey shrugs. “They must have forgotten to stop on their way home.”
“Did you say pie?” Kyle chimes in. “Weird, I have plenty of them in my house.” He snags my hand in his and leads me toward his porch while calling out for Trey to come on.
“Did your mom make the pies?” I ask when we make it inside.
Kyle grins. “Would you think any different? I told you, I want to always impress you, not give you food poisoning.”
“I got you something,” Kyle says.
After we devoured the sweets Kyle had brought home from his family Christmas dinner, we went to the living room to watch Christmas movies.
He hops off the couch and walks barefoot to his bedroom while Trey snores in the background.
“You … you didn’t have to do that,” I say when he hands me a small box.
“I know I didn’t. I wanted to.”
I stare at it, moving the box around and inspecting it, before undoing the bow. I gulp, unsure of why I’m so nervous about opening a present. It’s a jewelry box. My heart races when I pop it open.
Nestled inside is a necklace.
I pull it out, playing with the thin string, and inspect it. I cover my mouth to conceal my whimper, and tears flood my cheeks. On the necklace hangs a heart pendent that says Mother and inscribed are Trey’s and Gloria’s names.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you,” I whisper.
Kyle’s face is filled with pride, and he nods toward Trey. “He helped me pick it out. He said he’s always seen you as his mother, not anyone else, and we knew nothing better would suit you.”
I frown, and he uses his thumb to gently rid me of my tears. “I didn’t buy you a gift.”
He tips his head down to kiss my lips. “Don’t worry,” he says against them in a low tone. “You can give me mine later.”
The thought of him touching me, of being in his bed, of us together again, sparks happiness inside me. If Trey wasn’t sleeping on the other side of the sectional, I’d be straddling Kyle right now.
I blush. “You can’t joke around about that even if he is asleep.”
He draws back with a grin. “Huh? I want a night full of you repeating you love me over and over again. That’s what I want as my gift.”
I chuckle. “This conversation is mirroring one of those Hallmark movies we just watched.”
“I’ll take it because Hallmark movies always end up with a happily ever after.”
Thirty-Three
Chloe
Two Months Later
Even though today is Trey’s birthday, you’d think, with the excitement beaming from me, it was mine.
“It’s official,” Trey says. “You’re my mother.”
Tears fall from my eyes.
When we finally opened gifts on Christmas, Trey slipped me a letter, asking me to adopt him. Kyle talked to his parents, and Michael agreed to sign over custody to me. Trey still wants to get to know his family, but he wanted to make sure he was always my son. I’d been reluctant on adopting him for years in hopes that Claudia would change, but Trey deserves a good mother who loves and appreciates him.
I shut my eyes as a tear slips down my face. I wish I could’ve done the same for Gloria, wish I’d done it years ago. It’s bittersweet, celebrating being Trey’s parent while also wishing you could’ve done the same with his sister.
Kyle wraps his arm around my shoulders and walks with us. “You know, since we’re in the county building, we can go upstairs and get married.”
I throw my head back and laugh. “You always make jokes.”
He squeezes my side. “No joking. You say the word, and I’m throwing you over my shoulder and making you my wife. Absolutely no fucking joke about that.”
“I’m nervous,” Trey says from the backseat of Kyle’s Jeep. “I’m meeting a brother and sisters I never knew I had.”
“Hey, you met me before,” Kyle says in an attempt to lighten his nervousness.
“Yes, but you were super cool when we first met.”
Kyle elbows me from the driver’s side while I’m in the passenger seat. “Listen to that. He knows I’m super cool.”
I shake my head. “He’s calling you super cool because you got him out of a shoplifting charge.”
Kyle’s grin drops. “Ah, man, and here I thought, we were best friends.”
Trey smacks his shoulder. “Trust me, dude; we are best friends. Any other cop would’ve arrested me with no questions asked. You never made me feel like anything but a normal kid.”
Happiness radiates through my chest—the opposite of how I thought it’d be when we got here. I’m going inside, facing Nancy and Michael while we share a dinner. Michael and Nancy reached out, and before we threw Trey into the mix, we had a meeting at Kyle’s house. Michael apologized. I accepted but will never forgive him for the pain he’d caused my family. Trey needs a father, and he’s working on accepting Michael not being there for him before.
We’re taking chances in our lives.
Losing Gloria convinced me to take a step back and realize what I wanted in life—to stop being scared and be happy.
We count to three before getting out of the Jeep, and Trey looks around in awe at the home.
We see Sierra first when we walk in. She’s skipping down the stairs with her boyfriend trailing behind her.
“I don’t understand why you keep hanging out with Maliki,” he mutters behind her. “You close the bar with him every night, and it’s not even your job.”
“He’s my friend. Get over it,” she snaps.
Her boyfriend snorts. “I bet you wouldn’t be okay with me having a friend who was a girl.”
Their conversation ends when they notice us.
“What’s up, big and little brother?” she greets.
I cover my face to stop the joyful tears. She’s treating Trey as if he’s one of them and not creating any awkwardness.
“I’m Sierra, the best sister in the world,” she adds.
“Hell yes!” Rex comes roaring through next. “I’m your big bro, Rex. If you think Kyle is cool, prepared to be shocked by the incr
eased coolness factor of me!”
I glance at Trey, expecting him to be nervous, but he’s smiling from ear to ear.
Dinner goes by smoothly. I don’t share words with Michael, but he acknowledges Trey and isn’t acting like an asshole, like the first time I had dinner here. Kyle said he’s changed since news of his affair broke out. Nancy was done, her children supporting her when she called a divorce lawyer, and it opened Michael’s eyes.
By the time we’re loading back into the Jeep, Trey and Rex have plans to go to the arcade tomorrow.
Kyle slides into bed next to me after we finish brushing our teeth. We’re shoulder-to-shoulder as we lean back against the headboard.
He stares ahead when he speaks. “I know you just adopted Trey, but you told me you wanted another child as well. Children, if I’m certain.”
My attention shoots straight to him, and my eyes meet his green ones. I clutch my stomach and swallow without saying a word.
He doesn’t stop for my reply. “I did some research and got in touch with organizations I know through the force.” He turns, opens the nightstand on his side, and eases a folder from inside it. “Here’s a list of babies in need of adoption. There are other options, Chloe, so many other options, and I will be by your side on any path you go on.”
I cover my mouth, my hands shaking as I open the green folder, and tears glisten in my eyes. “You did all this … for me?”
“Yes, because I love you more than I’ve loved anyone in my life. You own every part of me, and I’d love nothing more than to create a family with you, a life with you, with us turning old and gray together. I want us to live together, so I can always say my good mornings from our bed.”
The tears fall, landing on the paperwork on the folder, and I set it aside to curl into his arms. “Thank you, Kyle. You are everything to me. I never believed in love, never thought I’d have it, until you barreled through my insecurities.”
He kisses the top of my head, my nose, before tilting my chin up to kiss me on the lips. “Also, let me know when you’re ready to be my wife.” He winks. “They say it makes it much easier to adopt when you’re married.”
I grin and shuffle through the folder. “Get me a folder with a marriage license to sign, and I’m game.”
Also by Charity Ferrell
BLUE BEECH SERIES
(each book can be read as a standalone)
Just A Fling
Just One Night
Just Exes
Just Neighbors
Just Roommates
Just Friends
STANDALONES
Bad For You
Beneath Our Faults
Pop Rock
Pretty and Reckless
Revive Me
Wild Thoughts
* * *
RISKY DUET
Risky
Worth The Risk
Acknowledgments
My Other Half: Without your support and everything you do, I wouldn’t be able to write as much as I do. So, thank you for everything—accepting that home cook meals are a rare occurrence in our lives, when I tell you we’re stuck in the house because I’m meeting deadlines, and telling more people about my books than I do.
To the Readers, Bloggers, and Book Community: You’re the real MVP. Thank you times infinity. Everything you do seriously means the world to me. You take so much time helping authors, promoting them, reading, and reviewing.
Jill: I can get a little … okay, a lot of anxiety not only when I’m writing but with the behind the scenes business. You’ve helped me with Just Neighbors so much with everything from plotting, beta reading, dealing with my doubts, and going out of your way to help me. I’m so glad Dallas brought us together and now you’re stuck with me forever.
Jovana: Best. Editor. Ever. You do so much magic on my books, and I’m grateful that even when I ask last minute or am running behind, you work with me.
Virginia: Thank you for taking me in last minute with the proofreading.
Paris and Zoe: Forever my BFFs.
Ivy: For setting goals with me that are rarely met.
Much love,
Charity
Just Neighbors Page 24