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He kisses me again, then moves away to open the door and set me down in my seat. He buckles me in, then hops in on his side. Even though I tell myself I shouldn’t, I want to believe him. Believe that everything will be ok.
“The furniture will be delivered in a few days,” he says as he pulls out of the parking lot.
If I leave, I won’t get the chance to see it all set up in the house, and the thought of that hurts my heart, too. There’s nothing left to be said that hasn’t been said before, so I simply place my hand palm up on the seat between us. It’s an open invitation for him to hold my hand, like a peace offering. He takes it and brings it to his mouth, placing a soft kiss on each finger.
Wyatt
Dolly is quiet on the drive back home, fiddling with the cell phone I just bought for her on the way. She balked when I put up the cash to buy it and add her new number to my phone plan, but there’s no way I am going back to work without a way to contact her throughout the day.
Her silence is fine by me as it gives me time to think through everything I need to do. I know she’s freaking out. I can’t read her mind, but I can take a guess at what she’s thinking by the way her emotions are broadcast loud and clear across her face.
I saw everything she was feeling as we stood in the nursery section, felt how she melted into my hold, then closed her eyes. It doesn’t matter that we’ve only known each other for a few days when our connection is this deep. When you know, you know, and I’m going to figure out how to make it all work.
Dolly doesn’t know this yet, but I’ve already contacted my boss and told him I won’t be taking on any more long-hauling jobs. Thankfully, one of my buddies, Davis, has been asking about picking up longer jobs to pay for his dad’s care, and he was more than happy to switch with me so I can take over his local pickups and deliveries. It means I’ll be making less money, but I have a hefty savings. More importantly, it means I won’t ever have to leave Dolly overnight.
We make the turn onto our gravel drive, and when the green house comes into view, it really does feel like coming home. Not just the place where I live, like my old apartment and the house I shared with Crystal, but home.
Our home.
“Stay here,” I tell her as I hop out and walk around to her side, opening the door and unbuckling her seatbelt. She had been somber during the drive, but she giggles when I grab her and hoist her up over my shoulder, caveman style.
“Wyatt! You do know I can walk. You’ve seen me do it lots of times.”
“Yeah, I know, babygirl. But I told you, I like carrying your little crazy ass around.” I smack her ass a few times for added effect. She giggles and squirms, nearly kicking me in my balls as she likes to do. That earns her another swat.
“Yeah, you did, but I swear you’re going to mess up your shoulder or your back one of these days, old man. I may be a lot smaller than you, but that doesn’t mean—”
I set her on her feet and take hold of her chin. “Stop right there. I could run a marathon with you slung over my shoulder.”
“But—”
“But nothing. I could—and happily would—carry you around for days just to prove my point. You’re perfect. And if you don’t believe me, then I’ll be happy to show you just how perfect each and every part of you is tonight. Every night. With my tongue. That’s a promise.”
I stalk her as she backs up until I’m caging her in against the wall. I take her mouth with a rough kiss as I run my hands up her torso to cup her perfect breasts, molding them in my palms as I roll my thumbs across her nipples over her sweater.
“If we had more time, I’d prove it to you right now, starting with these gorgeous tits.” I nip her earlobe, and she gasps as she starts to tremble, one of her hands palming the back of my head and the other squeezing my shoulder. “But I have some calls to make, and then we’re going out for dinner.” I kiss her again, slower and softer this time, before I drop my hands and step back. She’s panting, and her eyes are hooded.
So fuckable and so mine.
“What calls?”
“I ordered a TV at the furniture store after you ran out.” I shoot her a pointed look, which she ignores. “I gotta call to get the internet service set up out here and have them put in a doorbell camera and security cameras outside. Plus, I’d like to have an alarm system installed, you know, just in case—”
“In case my dad shows up.” Her eyes go wide with fear, and I see her familiar panic trying to take hold.
I push her back up against the wall, then haul her up into my arms, her legs circling my waist. I hold her up with one hand while my other gathers her hair, tilting her head back.
“Hey now, it’s ok. Look at me and breathe.”
Dolly takes in a few stuttered breaths before slowing to take deeper breaths. I hold eye contact the whole time until she calms.
“I know you’re still thinking you have to leave to protect me, but babygirl, I need you to know you’d be breaking my heart if you did. You’re mine, and I’m yours, remember?” She nods as much as she can, with me holding tight to her hair. “All those thoughts in your head that keep telling you to leave me…you’re just going to have to let those go. Can you do that for me? Can you trust that I’ll do anything and everything to keep us safe and handle your dad if he’s stupid enough to come after us?”
She doesn’t say anything or make a move for a long, torturous minute, and I swear I feel my heart shoring up, getting ready to take a blow. But finally, finally, in the sweetest voice, she says, “I trust you,” as her eyes turn glassy with tears.
“And what else?”
“And…I’ll stop thinking about leaving you.”
