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I couldn’t wait to see what else we’d be doing together.
Chapter 14
“William, we still have a day until my parents come over, and they’re not going to quiz you on their likes and dislikes. Breathe.” I said, stroking a hand over his arm as he yet again asked to be run through their hobbies, past travels, and any other interests.
It was weird seeing him this rattled, and I tried my best to be patient with him, but I could only revisit the topic so many times before I got tired of it.
He sighed, leaning on the shopping cart next to me while carefully weaving through the crowd of people.
“I know, but it makes me feel better to have that information so I can make conversation. They’re already uneasy about the idea of me dating you. I don’t want to do anything to make that worse.”
I could understand that, and if our positions were reversed, I’d probably be every bit as nervous.
“You’ll be fine,” I said, pulling him down to kiss his cheek. He relaxed a bit, his arm sliding around my waist, but before he could say anything, a voice snapped us back to the present.
“Ah, young love, I remember when my husband and I were like that.”
I smiled at Mrs. Bream, one of my favorite regulars at the clinic. “Oh, hi. How are Mr. Bream and your adorable puppy doing?”
She laughed, waving a hand. “The same as usual, though you’re the only person I know that would refer to my Great Dane as a puppy. He almost bowled you over the last time we visited.”
Yeah he had, but I’d loved every minute of it.
“He was just excited to see me. I’ll never complain about that.”
Her eyes warmed with approval, then she looked at Will with a teasing smile. “You better hold onto this one, young man. She’s a good one.”
Warmth crawled over my cheeks and from the corner of my eyes, I caught the same flush working over Will’s face. He nodded through it, lips curling upward as he did.
“I plan to and yes, she definitely is.”
He met my eyes, the happiness there perfectly mirroring mine, and Mrs. Bream chuckled.
“I suppose it’s only a matter of time before I’ll be hearing the happy announcement from you two?”
I frowned, confused as to what she meant, but apparently William understood because he froze, color leaving his face as the previous happiness disappeared.
“Ah, isn’t it too soon to-.” He started to say, his grip on my hand almost bruising now as Mrs. Bream hummed, raising a brow.
“There’s nothing wrong with thinking ahead for the future. Do you not intend to go that route?” There was a note of disapproval to her tone now and I frowned, completely lost in the conversation.
Will’s palm was sweaty and he wiggled away to wipe it on his pants, the decidedly ill expression on his face sitting wrong with me as he spoke.
“We only just started dating. I think we have time to consider that stuff later on.”
Mrs. Bream went to speak again, her eyes narrowed with something I didn’t like, and I cut her off.
“What exactly are we talking about here?” I asked, and Will tensed at the same time that Mrs. Bream smiled.
“Why, marriage of course.”
I nearly choked, my grip on William’s arm turning to steel as I managed to sputter out. “He’s right; we’re not even ready to consider that yet.”
He relaxed next to me, but that didn’t last long.
Mrs. Bream tipped her head, confusion clear. “Well, I suppose it makes sense to be sure it’s what you want before committing. If you two intend to have children though, it’s better to do it when you’re both young and full of energy.”
William looked even paler now, and I couldn’t blame him. We’d never talked about our views on kids or marriage before, and now we were being put on the spot. This was one of the few things I didn’t like about living here.
