He pulls away enough to stare at me, making me shiver with the intensity; then he shifts me into his arms. I gasp, then giggle, at the surprise of it. “It can wait,” he says.
We do, indeed, put off dinner.
For a while.
Later we eat barbecue and the fries that Jordan reheats in the air fryer, and are somehow still amazing, while snuggling on the bed and watching a replay of the game since Jordan missed it.
“Ooooh, Jonesy’s looking tight.” He whistles.
“We’re not going to get to keep him long, huh?”
“No way.” He beams at me, his expression excited that I’m retaining hockey information he’s passed along.
“You’ve already got Andrew looking at that kid from Montana.” I want to confirm what Dan has guessed.
Jordan grins and kisses the top of my head. “You don’t even need me.”
I place my hands on his cheeks, turning him toward me. “I willalwaysneed you,” I say, pulling him down to kiss me.
“I will always be here,” he murmurs against my lips.
Aside from Jordan, I don’t know the last time I lost myself completely in a kiss. It took too much trust. I had to be on my guard, always.
But not with him.
For the first time since Grayson, I have let myself believe in a man. I let myself fall with him, even when it was scary, because he was right there with me. I let myself believe he was good.
What comes next for us will not be an automatic happily ever after. I’ll carry my past with me the rest of my life, and I know from experience that despite doing my best to heal, there will be days when it catches up with me. There will be days I doubt myself and even Jordan.
Those will be the days I know he will still show up for me.
“I love you, Libby,” he whispers in my ear as I’m drifting off to sleep, and I smile at the safety I feel in those words.
“I love you,” I whisper back. “Always.”
Libby
I thought you should know that I am so in love with my husband.
Mom
Um. Good to know?
Libby
Totally, completely, utterly in love.
Mom
Is this about me saying I was coming down to Denver soon? I promise I believe you.
Libby
But you didn’t. Not 100%
I’m just telling you, you should believe me now.
Marrying him was the best decision of my life.
