Sue me.
I like the way he’s looking at me, drinking me in as his gaze rakes over me. He looks hungry and that looks good on him.
“Sorry, I”—he clears his throat, his cheeks heating as his wheat-colored eyes finally meet mine—“got distracted.”
“Sure,” I drawl, my accent making the word twice as long as it should be. “What brings you over?”
“I feel like I need to lay everything out for you. I want to date you, Deacon, but I’m fucking terrified that any number of things is going to send you running and I just…”
“Why don’t you come in and we can talk? I’ll even keep my shirt on.”
His eyebrows crinkle and it’s honestly adorable to see his disappointment, but he nods and I turn to walk inside, his footsteps quiet as he follows me.
“Wow, this kitchen is beautiful. Did you do it?” he asks, awe filling his tone as he looks around. I like the praise and I like that it’s coming from him.
I like that he’s impressed.
“Yeah, I have a few more things to do and then I hope I can gift it to Jude and Arden. It’s bigger than their place now.”
“That’s incredibly generous.”
I lift a shoulder and let it fall. “Jude and I bought this place together. It’s only right that he grows a family here.”
A strange swirl of emotions flitters over his face before they’re gone, as if my comment reminded him why he’s in the house in the first place.
“I was married.”
“I know.”
“To a woman.”
I know that too but it seems like he needs to say it.
“We have a son together—Briggs. He’s ten.”
“All right.”
“You don’t seem surprised by that.”
“Do you want me to be?”
He threads his fingers through his hair before rubbing his palm down the back of his neck.
“I don’t know. I just need you to understand.” He swallows hard and I wait, trying my best to radiate my silent support as he sits on a stool at the island. “Fallon and I hooked up at a party.I was in the air force when she found out she was pregnant. We got married; I wanted to take care of her and the baby.”
“Sure.” I nod, understanding the need to provide in that situation.
“I love her and I’ll always love her. She’s my best friend, and when I came out to her, there was no huge surprise attached to it. We hadn’t been madly in love, but there waslovefor each other. Does that make sense?”
“Yes.”
“We agreed that I wouldn’t reenlist. We divorced and she moved to Clementine Creek with the understanding that I’d follow her so we could continue to raise Briggs.” Fisting his hands on the counter, he continues. “She’s married now to Otto Thayer. Do you know him?”
“Yeah, he’s kind of hard to miss,” I reply, picking my words carefully as he gives me a wry smile.
“He’s larger than life and the fourth person outside Fallon and my parents that I came out to. He wanted to fight over her and I needed him to understand it wasn’t like that.”
“How’d he respond?”
