“Did you just say your first word?”
“This is the best day ever!” Rumi exclaims, grabbing Evee and lifting her high in the air, repeating “mama” back at her in hopes she says it again.
I watch the two of them, my own eyes prickling at the sight.
To think how far Rumi has come in the last year—I don’t even think she thought she’d ever be spinning her daughter in the air, smiles on both their faces, in her own house, with a job she adores, and another that marks her dream coming true.
I’m just thankful I get to be part of it.
Rumi looks back at me. “So much to celebrate,” she says with a smile, walking over to press a kiss to my lips. “Congrats on your promotion, firefighter.”
“Potentialpromotion,” I correct, pressing another kiss to her lips. “And congrats on becoming a published author.”
She kisses me one more time. “Potentialpublished author,” she echos.
“And congrats on your first word, sweetheart,” I say to Evee, both Rumi and me pressing a kiss to her check, making her squeal.
Looking at Rumi, I ask, “So what are our new plans?” I take Evee back from her so she can sit down at the kitchen counter.
“Well,” she starts, her cheeks blushing, “Ava and Emerson offered to take Evee to the zoo this afternoon and then watch her overnight, and I was thinking we could, maybe, go to your place to, um,celebrateall of our good news.”
My shy girl is back, and it takes everything in me not to kiss that blush right off her checks—or kiss her until her whole body blushes.
“I like this new plan. Why don’t you show me the new changes to your book while we wait for them, and then we pack you a bag to head over to my place.”
Or your entire house,I think to myself, but I quickly let the thought fade to the back of my mind, a much more important question coming to the forefront.
“And there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” I tell her, and the way she bites her lip tells me she knows exactly what I’m about to say. “Rumi baby,” I start. “Will you be my girlfriend?”
She nods, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me hard on the lips before pressing little kisses all over my face, squishing Evee in the process and making her laugh a full-onbelly laugh. “Third time's the charm, huh?” she teases, but I can only think of one other time I asked her.
Either way, I’m just happy she said yes.
“And Evee girl,” I say through her mom’s kisses, “I have a question for you too.” Rumi leans back, a confused look on her face, this time having no idea what I plan on saying. I look down at Evee’s pretty blue eyes, feeling her mom’s on the both of us. “Can I be your mom’s boyfriend?”
CHAPTER 36
RUMI
Whoever cameup with the saying, “the anticipation is killing me”, had to have been a woman on the brink of her sexual awakening, moments away from having a night alone with the man who showed her the true meaning of sex.
No wonder Ava always talks about needing to get laid.
I’ve been thinking of being in Jack’s bed since the last time I was in it, but I’m thankful that this time he isn’t running a fever and speaking nonsense.
The drive over to his house after Ava and Emerson got home to take Evee to the zoo was excruciating. I was already buzzing with the news of Lauren’s agent, Joanna, wanting to represent me, not to mention just how anxious—in a good way—I get whenever I’m about to see Jack, the butterflies in my stomach being absolutely menacing when it comes to him and my ability to focus on anything else. And then adding the anticipation of finally getting our night together,alone? I feel like I’m seconds away from my nervous system completely shutting down.
And then he had to go and include Evee in asking me to be his girlfriend after she decided she wanted in on all the celebrating and said her first word?
I don’t know how I’m still standing.
“Are you hungry?” Jack asks as he pulls into his driveway, his hand on my thigh as he cuts the engine and turns to look at me.
I shake my head, words failing me. With so many thoughts racing through my brain, I can’t trust myself to string together any comprehensible sentences.
Jack’s eyes darken, and his hand on my leg tightens. I hope he can see that I am in no way thinking about eating, not when we have an empty house just outside his truck and a whole night with just the two of us.
Jack hops out of the truck, before coming over to open my door. He holds his hand out for me to take, helping me hop down from the truck, my feet barely hitting the ground before his lips crash into mine.
