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I swallow and give him a weak smile. “Uh-huh.”
Carter takes the dress out of my hand and adds it to a pile of other pieces of lingerie. Then he calls out for the store clerk, who seems a little too eager to take us to the checkout line. As soon as we leave, Carter’s arm drops to my waist, and he steers me in the direction of the food court. There, he leaves me sitting at a table, replaying the conversation in my head. When he returns with two milkshakes and a plate of fries, I almost sag with relief.
“Thank you,” I mumble between bites of food.
Carter gives me an amused look. “It’s one of the many perks of you being pregnant, dove. I get to spoil you rotten, and you get to make up for the weight you lost over the past few months. It’s a win-win.”
I finish chewing and glance down at my stomach. “I’m going to be fat by the time this is over.”
“You will always be gorgeous, dove. And I can think of at least a few different ways for us to exercise after the baby comes.”
I glance up at Carter and blush. “Aren’t you tired?”
Carter takes the straw between his teeth. “I’ll never be able to get enough of you, dove.”
“I’ll remind you of that,” I tease in between bites of food. “You know when I get fat and swollen, and I can’t even see my own feet.”
Carter gives me a wicked smile. “You’ll still be the sexiest woman in the world.”
I finish eating my fries and reach for a napkin to dab my mouth. “I’m really glad we got to do this today.”
Because it’s giving us a chance to bond in a way we haven’t been able to.
“Me too.” Carter sits up straighter and reaches for my free hand. “When I was away from you, I met this old drunk at a bar this one night, and I realized something.”
I pause. “What’s that?”
“He reminded me a little of myself,” Carter admits with a frown. “And I suddenly saw myself twenty years from now, sitting on that same barstool, drinking myself into a stupor and getting into fights.”
I squeeze his hand. “That’s not going to be your future.”
It’s not what I expected Carter to say. I’m even more surprised he’s choosing to confide in me, like I’m getting another peak at the man behind the mask, but I can’t deny that I’m thrilled.
I didn’t think I’d ever be okay with Carter leaving. Although I don’t know everything he’s been through yet, there’s no denying the transformation he’s undergoing.
Or the changes he’s trying to make. Finally.
Carter clears his throat. “You’re damn straight it isn’t. Not if I can help it.”
Carter and I have been through a lot together, and even though we’re still wading through an unfamiliar labyrinth, I’m no longer filled with panic at the thought. With Carter by my side, I feel like I can take on anything and be anyone I need to be, and I’m drunk on the feeling.
Like the two of us are invincible.
For the rest of the day, Carter’s attention is focused almost entirely on me. He drags me to store after store, and each time we’re shown to a room in the back, he insists on a private show. Indulging him, I try on piece after piece of clothing, a quiet thrill racing through me the entire time. In between, he buys me snacks and plays with my hair, and I’m touched by the normalcy of it all.
By the intimacy and vulnerability.
Having Carter back feels strange, especially with this new, more open side of him, but I don’t want to dwell on it too much. A part of me is afraid there’s a clock ticking, limiting our time together, but the other part of me is determined to ignore the vicious voices in my head.
Because none of them matter as long as Carter is here.
By the end of the day, when Ernesto is trailing after us, carrying several shopping bags and working up a sweat, Carter leads me to the underground parking garage. There, he opens the car doors for me and exchanges a quick word with Ernesto while he loads the bags into the back. Then the front door opens, and Ernesto slides in, pausing to give me a warm smile in the rearview mirror. I give him a smile in return, then twist to face Carter, who slides in and pushes the button for the partition.
As soon as it’s up, Carter pulls me onto his lap and digs his nails into my waist. “I’ve been wanting to be alone with you all day, dove.”
I giggle and wriggle against him. “We have been alone more than once.”
Carter exhales and places his head in the crook of my neck. “I know, but we’ve got a lot to make up for.”
