"Do you want to just go home?" he asked, pulling back to look at me. His crystal blue eyes were full of concern, tugging at my heart. God, this was definitely the man I was supposed to be with.
"I don't want to ruin your night. Or your brothers' nights. I really want to meet them," I answered. I didn't want his brothers' first impression of me to be that I was over-dramatic.
He smiled softly at me, then took my hands in his, squeezing them gently. "Hey, it's ok, we'll see them tomorrow. Let's go home, just the two of us."
I smiled up at him. Those were exactly the words I wanted to hear.
"Are you sure?" I asked.
"Yes. They're both annihilated already because Chris is twenty-one and that's what he does, and Dan is nineteen, using a fake I.D. Trust me, they won't even know I'm gone," he grinned, rolling his eyes.
"Ok. Let's go home," I said, squeezing him tighter.
We walked toward the exit, me in his arms. I had to admit, I was incredibly relieved to be leaving. I had been so preoccupied with the prospect of meeting Todd's brothers, I hadn't even thought about the chance of running into anyone from the past. I shuddered, thinking about how many potential men I could possibly "run into."
I drove back to Todd's, and we made our way quickly up to his apartment. I had a nervous energy the whole drive there. What was he thinking about that encounter? Was he going to ask me more about it? Or worse, was he going to stew until he boiled over? Not that we fought often at all, I just hated the thought of him not happy with me.
He seemed somewhat quiet and reserved as we settled down on his couch. I sat, trying to study him out of the corner of my eye. He turned on the TV without saying much, tossing the remote on the table. I tried to snuggle against him, but his body was a little stiff. I knew him well enough at this point. He wasn't acting like himself. Oh god, I definitely did not have enough liquor in my system to have this conversation. But I knew it needed to happen. And I knew I needed to be the one to bring it up. He was definitely in full-on stew mode.
"Yes, I knew that man from before. But no, I have absolutely no interest in him," I said suddenly, not bringing my attention from the TV.
He inhaled deeply, not turning his attention away either. "Ok."
Ugh. He was upset. I knew it.
"Ok? What does that mean?" I turned toward him, trying to command him to look at me.
"It means it's ok," he responded simply. He was infuriating sometimes.
"So there's nothing else you'd like to ask me, then?" I asked. Let's just get it over with.
He now exhaled and turned to face me.
"Is there anything I need to know?"
I wasn't sure what to say.
"I don't think there's anything you need to know. I think that was a chance encounter," I replied finally, meeting his eyes. I was holding my breath, anticipating his response.
He smiled softly, bringing his hand to my chin. "Shannon, I know you have a past. You know I have a past. It's ok. That's what it is, the past. You have to know I love you at this point, right?"
I felt the weight of his words hit me like a giant tidal wave. "You love me?"
He grinned. "Yes, baby. I do. I love you so much."
I felt tingles shooting all over my body and I couldn't contain my smile. "Well I love you, too." God, it felt good to say it. I would run into past hookups everyday, if this is what it got me. He told me he loved me.
"Well good. I'm glad we got that cleared up."
I nestled back into his arms, still trying to absorb what we had just said.
"When did you know?" I asked, peering up at him.
He brought his hand to his chin. "Honestly? The night I went out with Ben and you had Lacey over."
"And you waited this long to tell me?" I exclaimed, playfully hitting his arm.
"Well, I didn't want to seem too eager, I suppose," he chuckled. "What about you? When did you know?" His thumb traced a line up and down the skin of my shoulder.
I sat quietly for a moment, pondering. "Looking back, I guess it was after our little miscommunication night, when you stayed with me after I went off the deep end." Maybe I hadn't been ready to say it then, but I know that's what I felt that night: love.
He nodded his head, smiling. He suddenly lifted up the remote, turning off the TV.
"I'm not really in the mood for TV."
A smile crept across my face. "What are you in the mood for then?"
"You. I want to show you how much I love you."
He stood up, reaching his hands for mine. I took them, rising up. I wanted to show him as well.
I awoke the next morning to the hair being brushed off my neck.
"Good morning, my love," Todd whispered.
I smiled. "Good morning to you, my love."
I turned to face him. He had his head propped in his hand. God, he looked so gorgeous, even first thing in the morning. His hair was always the perfect amount of messy, and it was an excellent opportunity to see his chest muscles.
"Are you ready for a day full of food, family, and football?" he grinned.
"Absolutely," I replied.
He bent down, kissing me deeply. I still couldn't get over the fact that this man loved me, and I loved him. I felt his kiss intensify as he climbed above me. Time to start the day off right...
We pulled up in front of Todd's childhood home. It was a sweet two story house, white with blue shutters. I was excited to see him in a new environment. We stepped out of the car, and he grabbed my hand as we walked through the front door. I could hear shouting coming from down the hall.
Todd glanced at me. "Football."
"Oh, ok," I said, nodding my head.
We walked further down to where the noise was coming from. I looked to my right at a forest green wall with several old photos hanging on it. I grinned as I recognized Todd's. I didn't want to delay the introduction to his family, but I knew I wanted to come back later to scope those out better. We entered a modest-sized living room with hardwood floors and a large, bright bay window. I saw three men sitting on a blue couch, a football game playing on the giant TV screen.
"Hey guys," said Todd.
They all three turned simultaneously and looked back at us. I couldn't help but feel like I was being gawked at, like I was an animal in the zoo.
"Well, well, well. How did you hit the jackpot?" joked the one with brown hair.
I felt myself start to blush. Todd squeezed my hand tighter.
"Yeah, what's a douche like you doing with a hottie like her?" said the blonde.
"You are all hilarious," said Todd.
The man whom I assumed was his dad, got up from the couch quickly. He had on a red and blue plaid shirt, and had light blonde hair. I could tell Todd got a lot of his looks from him. He walked toward me with a genuine smile on his face, his hand extended.
"You must be Shannon," he said warmly. I took his hand, shaking it.
"Yes, I am," I replied.
"I'm Craig. I'm the dad of the group," he laughed. "I must say, we are all very excited to meet you."
I smiled. "It's nice to meet you."
Even though I was in a room of strangers, I instantly felt comfortable.
"Yeah, you're the first girl Todd's ever brought home," called out the blonde.
I was slightly surprised to hear that. But I guess if he wasn't having true relationships, he wouldn't be bringing anyone home. The thought made me feel special.
"Ok, enough, dick," laughed Todd. "That's my brother Chris, and that's Dan," he said, pointing to the blonde and the brunette, respectively.
I gave them a small wave. "Nice to meet you guys."
"Here, why don't you guys come have a seat?" offered Craig, motioning toward the open matching blue loveseat.
We walked over, taking a seat. We settled in, and Todd placed his arm around me. Dan started snickering.
"What?" asked Todd, rolling his eyes.
"Oh nothing. This is just... weird. Is it not weird?" he asked, looki
ng at the others.
"What's so weird?" I piped up. I didn't want to just sit quietly; I wanted to join in.
"Just that Todd has a girlfriend."
"What are we, twelve? Just shut up and watch the game," Todd joked.
I smiled up at him. He was doing a good job maintaining his cool despite the teasing. I was rather enjoying it. Seeing his family dynamic was helping all the puzzle pieces fit together.
The afternoon continued, and I was just taking pleasure in watching all of them interact. I had suspected correctly; there was a lot of testosterone in the room. And they all seemed to have the same sense of humor. I could tell Todd was slightly embarrassed when they would make a crude joke, but I honestly was glad they were comfortable enough to be themselves in front of me. Each time I felt him tense up, I would squeeze this hand, trying to reassure him.
"Ok, chef, you wanna check on the bird for me?" asked Craig.
"Alright, I can do that," answered Todd, rising up from our seat. "Wanna come?" he asked me, his hand reaching for mine.
I winked at him. We both were thinking, "that's what she said."
Before I could answer, Chris yelled out, "Oh no. She's staying with us! We need to fill her in on you."
I grinned up at him as he rolled his eyes. He bent down and kissed me before heading toward the kitchen. "Whatever they say, it's not true!" he called over his shoulder.
I giggled, turning toward the guys. "So, spill it. What do I need to know?"
Chris and Dan turned toward each other with shit-eating grins on their faces.
"What's something embarrassing we could tell her?" asked Chris.
"What about the time he went streaking with the lacrosse team and got brought in by the cops?" laughed Dan. "I remember waking up in the middle of the night, and the police had brought him home. He was wrapped in a blanket, with nothing on underneath."
I gasped, bringing my hands to my mouth. "Oh my god, seriously?" So he had always been a little frisky.
Craig was shaking his head while the other two cracked up. "Yes, I'm afraid so," he said, chuckling.
"Tell me more!" I cried. I bounced excitedly. I recognized this was a rare opportunity and I needed to take advantage while I could.
"How about the time when we were little and he cooked the frozen pizza with the cardboard under it! He opened the oven and flames were literally shooting out," laughed Chris.
"Yes! And we called the fire department, which is right down the street here, and we watched out the window as they turned the wrong way!" Dan was bent over laughing.
"They had to drive all the way around the block to get to us. And when they arrived, everything was fine. Todd had used the fire extinguisher," said Chris.
"Oh my god, how old were you?" I asked.
"Eh, I think I was seven, so that would've made Todd thirteen," he responded.
Craig groaned. "Now that was not a pleasant call to get at work."
"I would imagine not," I smiled. I had a slight tug of sadness, thinking about why Todd had to make dinner for them. They had already lost their mom two years before that.
Just then, Todd strolled back into the room, flopping down beside me. He looked so handsome in his green polo and khakis. "So, are you leaving me after what they told you?"
I scrunched my nose. "Um, no, as long as you keep all your clothes on and don't cook me any frozen pizzas."
He laughed. "Very nice guys, thanks." He turned his attention to his dad. "Turkey's done. I just put in the biscuits, so we should be ready to eat in about fifteen minutes."
"Sounds good," Craig smiled. "Ok, you two. Go set the table." The brothers groaned as they headed toward the dining room.
I grinned at Todd. He really was the rock of their family. It warmed my heart that he allowed me to be a part of this. Craig silently stepped away into the kitchen to finish cooking.
Once we were alone, I whispered, "I love you." God, it was so fun to finally say it.
He brushed his nose with mine. "I love you too."
I playfully walked my fingers up his chest. "You know, I saw some pictures in the hallway earlier I wanted to check out, if that's ok?"
He grinned. "I suppose."
He pulled me up off the couch and led me down the hall.
"This was my senior picture," he said, pointing at the eight by ten of a blonde with a cute dimple wearing a red button up shirt. He looked the same, just younger. He had definitely been good looking all his life, but like a good wine, he had gotten better with age.
"You're so cute!" I cried. "And this must be Chris, and this is Dan?" I asked, pointing to the others.
"Yep."
We took a step further down and stopped in front of a full family portrait, including a woman.
"Is this-" I started.
"Yeah, that's my mom," he said softly.
She had been a beautiful woman, with light brown hair and blue sparkling eyes. Even just her picture exuded love and happiness.
"What was her name?" I asked.
"Emily," he answered.
"She's beautiful."
He sighed. "Yes she was."
"And your dad never remarried?" I asked.
He scratched the back of his neck. "No, I mean, he's been on dates, but no one has ever done it for him, I guess."
He had such a sad, sweet look on his face. I just wanted to hold him in my arms and never let go.
"Time to eat!" Dan yelled, bringing us back to the moment.
Todd grinned at me. "Shall we?"
I nodded my head yes as he held my hand, walking with me to the dining room. It had a large wooden table with a cream table cloth. Red stick candles flickered in the center. Craig sat at the head. I took a seat next to Todd as we passed the food around.
It was such a nice, relaxing dinner, filled with great conversation and joking around. I was absolutely loving seeing Todd like this. And I was loving his family, more than I could have possibly expected.
"So, is it time for our tradition?" Craig asked, wiping his face with a napkin.
"What's that?" I asked.
Todd shifted in his seat. "Well, we usually go around the table and say something we're thankful for."
That seemed really sweet, but what could I possibly say? I was obviously thankful for several things, but I wasn't sure I was completely comfortable saying them in front of the guys.
"I'll go first," said Craig, clearing his throat. "I'm of course thankful that all my boys are under my roof today."
I smiled. It was apparent that he was such an adoring father. I couldn't even imagine raising three boys on my own.
"Aw, so sweet," joked Dan. "Ok, I'm next. I'm thankful for my friend Ted, who got me my fake I.D."
"Very classy," Todd said, bringing his wine to his lips.
"Yeah, well I'm thankful I'm finally twenty-one, so I no longer need a fake I.D.," laughed Chris.
Oh boys.
All their attention turned to me. "Oh, I guess I'm next, huh?" I fiddled with my hands under the table. "I am thankful for the chance to get to know you all today. It's really been a lot of fun." There, that was nice, but not too sentimental. I quickly turned to Todd, urging him to take his turn to take the focus off me.
Todd smiled at me, placing his arm on the back of my chair casually. "Last but not least, I am thankful for Shannon." My heart skipped a beat. "Finding you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I've never been happier. I love you."
Tears started pooling in my eyes as he leaned over and kissed me. I was trying to block out the "oohs" from his brothers.
"I love you too," I said, my voice barely audible.
I was at that moment, head over heels for this man. As dinner wrapped up, the others went back to the living room as Todd and I cleaned up. We stood, side by side, in the kitchen, tag teaming the dishes. I realized that I could very easily see us doing this, day in and day out. I wanted to tell him, but I didn't want to seem too eager. So I decided just to try to enjoy the moment, an
d not get wrapped up in the could be's and what if's.
Chapter 19
December
The weeks started flying by even faster with it being the holiday season. Before I knew it, we were on our way to my parents' house for Christmas.
My stomach was rolling with anxiety as we took the exit for Minneapolis. I wasn't exactly sure why. I knew my family would love Todd, but seeing all these familiar sights was starting to bring back bad memories. I held my hand to my stomach, trying to stop the knots from tightening.
"Hey, are you ok?" Todd asked, glancing at me as he drove. He knew me so well.
I took a deep breath, trying to slow my heart rate. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just haven't been back in almost a year. Just a little weird, that's all," I responded, gazing out the window.
He grabbed my hand in his, bringing it to his lips. "Ok. Everything is going to be ok. I promise."
I smiled meekly at him. His words were helping somewhat.
Luckily, traffic was pretty light with it being Christmas Day. The roads were clear, but snow was piled high everywhere else. It was still a pretty white snow, not the gray slushy mess you find later in the season. We pulled into the driveway of my parents' two story brick house. Carrie's car was already there.
We walked in, and were greeted by my mom. "Hi honey!" she called, pushing back the sleeves on her bright red sweater and wrapping me in her arms. Smelling her perfume was bringing back so many memories. Good memories.
"Hi, Mom," I smiled. I instantly relaxed. It was so nice seeing her again. Why had I even been nervous in the first place? "This is my boyfriend, Todd," I said, motioning toward him with my hand.
My mom opened her arms to him as well. I could see the surprise in his face, causing me to giggle. "So nice to finally meet you. Please, call me Marie."
"Nice to meet you, Marie," he grinned. I was glad they were finally meeting. I couldn't help but think, look how much better I'm doing.
"Well, come in, come in. Carrie's in the living room. You need to see her belly! Growing everyday!" my mom said as she started walking out of the entryway to the rest of the house.
Finally, You (The Finally Book Duo 2) Page 18