“I’ve been single a long fucking time.”
“I’d like to say that’s shocking, but it isn’t,” I say, expecting him to react, but instead he continues speaking.
“There aren’t many women I’d trust around my boys, or trust to stick with me if shit got hard, but I swear to God the moment I saw you I thought, She’s the type of woman you should take a chance on.”
Why the hell is he telling me this, and why is my stomach all of a sudden starting to hurt?
“Then I spoke to you and got a dose of your funny and sweet, and I thought for sure I was right about taking that chance. But then I watched you sneak out of my room and out of my house without a word,” he tells me, and I wrap my arms around my stomach, trying to control the pain there as he continues. “I know it was unfair of me to paint you with the same brush as my ex, but I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I watched her sneak out. I can’t count how many times I watched her walk away from my boys, or how I had to try to explain to them why their mom took off after she was there for a few days then suddenly gone.”
“You don’t have to tell me this,” I say, thinking I might get sick.
“I do. I fucked up. I’ve fucked up a couple of times since we met, and I hate that you’ve been the one who’s taken the brunt of that shit. I hate that my reservations about starting something up with a gorgeous, smart woman have nothing to do with her but with my own personal baggage.”
“Gareth,” I whisper, fighting back tears.
“I want to get to know you, Ember,” he says solemnly. “I want to spend time with you. I want to take you out to dinner and listen to you talk about weird scientific facts and the books you’re reading. I want to kiss you, and fuck you, and understand that tattoo you now carry around, after you tell me your reason for getting it.”
“I… I don’t know what to say,” I confess, because I don’t.
“Say you’ll give me a shot.” He sits forward, placing his elbows to his knees and looking me in the eye. “Tell me you’re willing to get to know me. Tell me I’m not the only one who feels this fucking”—he shakes his head—“whatever the fuck this is between us.”
“I feel it,” I admit without thinking, and he sits forward.
“That’s good.” He pushes up off the couch and walks toward me. No, scratch that; he prowls like a predator who’s zeroed in on its prey. “I just need a shot. I just need you to tell me you’re open to the idea of getting to know me.”
God, can I do this? Can I put myself out there with him? A guy with two kids—one of whom I already know—and as he put it, an ex who likes to mess with him. I stare into his eyes as he comes closer, and that pull in my belly that exists when he’s around comes to life. My pulse starts to pound so hard I hear it in my ears, giving me my answer.
“One date,” I say, sounding breathless, and his hand comes up like he’s going to touch me.
Before he makes contact, he drops it to his side. “Do you have plans tomorrow evening?”
I never have plans unless one of my family members drags me away from my Kindle and out of the house, so I shake my head then say, “No.”
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at 5:30 and take you to dinner.”
“I can meet you.”
His eyes light with humor at my offer and he takes another step closer to me, so close my chest meets his each and every time I take a breath. “It wouldn’t be a date if I didn’t pick you up, so after dinner I can walk you to the door and kiss you good night.” Before I can respond to his statement, he leans in and places his lips to my cheek then leans back to catch my eye. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening, Ember.”
I swear I hear a hint of warning in his tone as I feel the phantom trace of his fingers brush against mine while he steps around me.
I stand in the middle of my living room with my head turned over my shoulder, wearing my goofy nightgown under my coat and watch the door open then shut behind him. “Well.” I let out the breath I was holding. “It seems I’m going on a date tomorrow night,” I mumble to myself while I take off my jacket and walk toward the door.
I start to hang my coat on its hook, when the door opens and Gareth pokes his head inside, ordering “Make sure you lock this.”
Panting with my hand against my chest, I glare at him and hiss, “You just scared me to death.”
He grins then sweeps his eyes over me. “Seriously, that shit is too fucking cute for words.”
“Go home, Gareth.” I walk to the door, putting pressure on it as I place myself behind it, and I hear him laugh as I push it closed and hit the three locks.
With my mind filled with fear and excitement, I head for my bedroom. I don’t know why I do it, but I call April and tell her what happened. I tell her about Gareth cornering me at the restaurant, our argument, him kissing me, and me running off. Then I tell her about him showing up and laying things out about his ex—something that makes my stomach turn even just thinking about.
“So what are you going to wear on your date?” she asks when I finish talking, and I almost laugh. It’s so April to completely forget that she was mad at Gareth not long ago and be concerned about what I’m going to wear on my date.
“I have no idea.”
“I’ll come over tomorrow morning and help you go through your shit. If we don’t find the perfect outfit for you, we have time to hit the mall before and find something there.”
“Have I told you that I love you?”
“Not lately, but I know you do, so it’s all good,” she says, and I know she’s smiling.
“Well, I do. So thanks for listening to me.”
“I’m here anytime you want to talk. You know that,” she adds, and I do know that; it’s just one of the many things I’m thankful for. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bring coffee,” I say before she can hang up, then add, “And breakfast sandwiches from Marco’s.”
“Got it.” She laughs, saying, “Later.”
I start to drop my cell to my bedside table but stop when it buzzes in my hand with an incoming text. I smile when I see hot jerk do not answer on the screen.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow. Sleep well.
My fingers hover over the keyboard of my phone before I finally decide exactly what to say in reply.
Me too, good night.
I turn my ringer on silent so I’m not tempted to look at it then drop my cell to the table by the bed and turn out the light. I pull my covers up to my shoulder, and Melbourne jumps up on the bed, curls into the crook of my stomach, and starts to purr. I reach my hand out from under the blanket and run my fingers over the top of his head, listening to the sound grow louder.
“I wish you were this sweet all the time,” I tell him, and he responds by turning to nip my fingers hard enough to sting. “Jerk.” I tuck my hand back under my covers. “You are so getting a furry friend who actually likes my attention.” With a loud meow, he gets up, walks the length of my body, and then presses his face to mine like he’s silently threatening me before he curls up on my shoulder. “I’m not kidding. First chance I get, I’m talking to July about my options,” I warn, and he rubs his head against my jaw. “It’s too late to be sweet now,” I mutter, closing my eyes, and surprisingly, even with my impending date on my mind and my cat who doesn’t really like me lying on my shoulder, I fall asleep quickly.
_______________
“Finally.” April sighs dramatically as I walk out of the dressing room and stop in front of the three-way mirror.
“You think so?” I run my hands down the soft, black material and take in the cut of the sleeveless, tight dress that looks simple from the front, with a high neckline and a hem that hits me midcalf. Then I turn to look over my shoulder at the racer back that shows a good amount of skin.
“It’s perfect. Casual and sexy. It doesn’t matter if he takes you to McDonald’s or Frank’s Steakhouse.” I grin at my sister. “Though, if he takes you to McDonald’
s, I don’t think you should give him a second date, or the vagina.”
I laugh and shake my head at her, knowing for sure Gareth isn’t taking me to McDonald’s, even if I don’t know exactly where he’s taking me to dinner. When April came over this morning, she asked if I knew where we were going so she could help me find the perfect outfit, and when I told her no, she handed me my cell. I called him to ask, and he teased me, asking if my nightgown was an option. After I threatened to hang up and listened to him laugh, he told me that I should wear a dress.
“I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t tell me to wear a dress if he planned on taking me through the drive-thru line at Mickey D’s.”
“I don’t know. A dress is easy access, and fast food is… well, fast. Get it, go back to his place, and—”
“You can stop.” I laugh, cutting her off, and she smiles and stands up, coming up behind me.
“Seriously though, this is the dress. You look sexy, and I have no doubt he’s going to be wondering how he got so lucky when he sees you in it.”
I turn to face the mirror once more and examine myself before I meet her gaze. “So now what shoes do I wear?”
“Heels, the ones you have with the thin black heel, the bow on the back, and the ankle strap. Those are perfect.”
“So flats aren’t an option?” I ask half joking, because even thinking about those heels makes my feet hurt.
“You can handle heels for a few hours, Grandma.” She rolls her eyes. “Now, go change, pay for this dress, and let’s hit the food court for some grub and a coffee.”
“Sounds like a plan.” I head into the dressing room and change out of the dress and back into my jeans and tee. Then I take the dress up to the register, where I pick up some cute stack bracelets with multicolored beads and a pair of hoop earrings that April tells me will be perfect with the dress. I pay for my stuff, and after that, we go eat lunch then grab coffee before we leave the mall and go back to my place. April takes off after she talks me through how I should style my hair and do my makeup, and I promise I’ll call her when I get home to tell her how the date went.
With her gone and a few hours to spare before I have to start getting ready, I find my Kindle and make myself comfortable on my couch. I settle in, and just as I start to lose myself in a completely different world, my phone rings. The first call is not surprisingly from my sister May, who lives with April. She informs me that April told her I was going out on a date, and then she tells me I should ignore any advice April might have given me about sleeping with Gareth tonight—something that makes me laugh.
While she and I are still on the phone, June and July three-way call me, saying they talked to April. I tell both of them what they heard is true, and they make plans to meet me for breakfast tomorrow morning. Not even a minute after I get off the phone with them, my phone rings once more, and I sigh when I see my mom’s name. And I swear that if April ever meets someone she’s even a little serious about, I will pay her back tenfold for opening her big mouth.
“Hey, Mom,” I say as I put my cell to my ear.
“I just got off the phone with April,” she tells me, something I already figured out. “I just want to tell you that your dad and I spent a little time with Gareth at Cobi’s wedding, and we were both seriously impressed with him.”
“Mom,” I start, but she cuts me off.
“I know you don’t need our approval, but I want to let you know we approve. He seems like a good guy, and from what Sage and Cobi said, he’s a hard worker and he loves his family.”
“He has two kids,” I insert, thinking that’s a deal breaker, if not for her then definitely for my dad.
“I thought you wanted kids?” she prompts quietly.
My eyes slide closed. “I do, but there is a difference between having kids of my own and dating someone who already has kids,” I say, feeling a little guilty for admitting the truth. If I’m honest, the idea of Gareth having kids his boys’ ages kind of freaks me out. Okay, it really freaks me out. I know Mitch from spending time with him at school, and he’s a great kid, but that doesn’t mean he’d be okay with me dating his dad. And what if his brother hates me? What if things between Gareth and me get serious, and his boys end up resenting me? Or what if—
“Honey,” she cuts off my rampant thoughts. “You love kids; you always have. And kids love you,” she says softly. “I’m sure you’re freaked. Honestly, I’d be worried if you weren’t.” I listen to her pull in a deep breath. “I don’t know what will happen between you two, but I wanted you to know we like him.”
“Mom.” I sigh, worried she is mentally planning a wedding and preparing for more grandkids, even older ones she can spoil rotten—
“I liked him, honey,” she says, and my chest gets tight, because she’s using the tone she always uses when she really wants me to hear her. “Honest to God, it was a little scary how much he reminded me of your dad when we first got together.”
“What do you mean?”
“At Cobi’s wedding, I saw the way he was looking at you before he approached you at the bar. I saw the look on his face when he finally got your attention, and then—” She pauses. “—I ummm… saw you two together outside.”
“What?” I squeak.
“I promise I wasn’t spying,” she says quickly. “I just noticed you were a little off balance when you snuck out the back exit, so I followed you just to make sure you were okay. By the time I got out there, you were with him, and… well, I could tell you’d be okay, so I left.”
“Oh my God,” I whisper, now completely humiliated.
“It was sweet the way he was holding you,” she says dreamily.
“April was cozied up to a guy all night. Did you think that was sweet?” I ask, wanting to change the subject.
“Your sister is a different breed of woman, honey, and your father and I have come to terms with that. I don’t know what kind of man she’s going to end up with, but we’re praying he’ll be the kind of man who knows how to deal with her.”
“She needs someone to deal with her,” I mumble, still annoyed she called not only our sisters but our mom to let them all know I was going on a date. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s on the phone right now with our cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents, letting them know the news.
“Don’t be mad at her. She’s relieved that things are working out after what happened.”
Oh my Lord, I thought this couldn’t get worse, but I was wrong. “She told you?”
“She was upset.”
“I cannot believe she told you what happened,” I hiss. I didn’t mind her sharing with our sisters, or even our cousins who have the same X chromosomes, but our mom?
“She felt like it was her fault.”
It was her fault. Okay, it wasn’t, but still, in my head it kinda was.
“It doesn’t even matter, since you’re going on a date with Gareth tonight,” Mom reminds me, sounding happy once more.
As much as I want to argue, I know it will be pointless. And really, I just want to get off the phone and try to relax before I have to start getting ready. “You’re right, it doesn’t matter.”
“Exactly,” she says, and then adds, “Have a great time tonight.”
“I will.” Hopefully.
“See you at breakfast.”
Wait… what? “What?”
“We’re all meeting you for breakfast in the morning,” she says, and I blink at the ceiling, wondering how it would feel to be in a family that didn’t care at all about what I was doing or who I was going out with.
With a short shake of my head, I realize I probably wouldn’t like it much. My family might be insane and a whole lot in my business, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
“I guess I’ll see you in the morning.” I sigh.
She laughs then says what she always says when we’re hanging up. “Love you beyond each and every galaxy, beautiful girl.”
“Love you more than that, Mom, and tell Dad I love hi
m just as much.”
“He knows, but I’ll tell him anyway,” she promises, and I know she’s grinning, because I can hear it in her voice. “Have fun tonight, and be safe.”
“I will.”
“Until later, honey.”
“Until then.” I pull my cell from my ear and glance at the clock. I see I still have an hour to read before I need to start getting ready, so I turn my phone on silent so I won’t be interrupted, pick up my Kindle that’s resting on my lap, and flip it on. I proceed to get lost in a story that’s filled with adventure, magic, and romance, and while I read, I try not to think about my boring life. I try not to wonder what would happen if I had an adventure of my own.
Still, I think and wonder until I look at the clock and realize that Gareth is going to be here in less than a half an hour and I’m going to be late for our first date.
Six
Gareth
I SIT UP on my weight bench then lean forward, placing each of the fifty-pound weights in my hands on the ground at my feet, when I hear Max shout, “Dad, we’re home!” over the music I have playing.
I get up, turn down the radio, and shout back, “I’m in the garage!” listening to the sound of footsteps on the hardwood floors get closer. “Did you guys have fun?” I ask Max as he jumps through the open doorway with his brother, my twin sisters following close behind.
“Of course, they had fun,” Sejla says as I pick up my weights and place them on the rack where they belong.
“What is that smell?” Selma asks.
“It’s called sweat.” Max laughs.
“It’s gross. You need a candle or something in here,” Selma waves her hand in front of her face.
“It’s a gym. It’s not really supposed to smell good,” Mitchell informs his aunt with a smile, and I chuckle.
“Well, boys are gross,” she says with a disgusted expression.
“What are we doing tonight, Dad?” Mitch steps up onto the treadmill and turns it on before proceeding to walk backward.
“You boys are hanging with Grandma for a few hours tonight.”
“Are you working with Grandma B? Can I come to watch?” Max asks, and I shake my head.
Until December: Until Her/ Until Him Page 6