Page 89 of Falling for a Grumpy Hero

“But mostly Ford?” She laughed when I felt my cheeks turn the color of an overripe tomato. “Mostly Ford, then.”

“Yeah.” I sighed, turning my gaze back to Rook just in case he tried to run off. “I haven’t told him any of this yet, though. We haven’t even said I love you yet.”

Well, I had, but I definitely wasn’t going to go telling my mom about that particular moment. She frowned, her eyes kind but definitely confused. “Why the hell not? It’s obvious he loves you too. Just tell the man.”

I grimaced. “It’s… complicated, but things are going really well and I’m afraid I’ll ruin it if I overwhelm him with something like this.”

“Something like what?” she asked. “The truth?”

“Sure, but it’s so much more than that. I just feel like he’s the one for me, Mama. I love him and I want to marry him someday, but you can’t just go around blurting all that stuff out to a guy who’s been through as much as he has.”

“Bull nuts.” She waved me off. “If anyone knows how short life is, it’s people who have been through what both of you have. You know better than anyone not to let time pass you by.”

“And you want a grandchild sooner rather than later?”

She laughed but shrugged, batting her lashes at me. “Well, yes. It’s definitely about that too.”

Rook was chasing seagulls, running around happily until he was suddenly spooked by a trio of pugs. He yelped and came racing back to me as if his life depended on it, squashing his body into my leg.

Mom reached for him and stroked the backs of his ears. “Is there something wrong with him? Like is he… all there?”

I smiled. “He’s fine. He just thinks he’s a human, is all.”

She chuckled. “In that case, I agree, Rook. Pugs can be super creepy.”

“Mom!” I groaned. “I think they’re cute.”

Patting me on the back as if she thought I was cute, she launched into telling me stories about all their friends and neighbors. Eventually, we went back into the restaurant and rejoined Dad and Ford just as our food was being served.

We shared seafood platters and had some sodas, laughing and talking all the way through. Ford really seemed to be getting along with them and something in my heart solidified, like this was yet another sign I’d been waiting for.

On our drive back home, I started wondering if I was imagining things, though. It felt like Ford and my parents were all being a little secretive and squirrely, and Ford was purposefully driving around, showing Dad the homes in his neighborhood but deliberately avoiding his street.

When he drove past the fourth time, I finally turned to him. “Have you forgotten where you live or something?”

He grinned at me. “Nope, but you’re right. I think we’ve taken enough time.”

“Enough time for what?”

“You’ll see.” As he said it, he did a U-turn and drove around the block to his house. We turned the corner and the first thing I saw in the fading afternoon sun were fairy lights. Strings and strings of them between so many of the trees on his street.

The gazebo was lit up as well. People milled about in the street and children zoomed around on their bicycles. It took me a minute to figure out what was going on. “Is there another block party happening? How did I not know about this?”

“Because it’s for you,” Ford murmured. Glancing at me, he pulled into the driveway of his home. “You put so much effort into the last one and I know you didn’t get to enjoy it as much as you wanted to because of me, so we’re having a redo. This time, I promise I’m not going to ruin it for you.”

48

FORD

Iwatched Lila bounce around the block party we were throwing in her honor. Taylor and Addy were there, as were Dan and his wife, Jared and the new girl he was seeing, as well as a few of the people she’d grown close to in the support group.

All the neighborhood dogs had been invited this time too, and strangely, Rook was actually playing with Jared’s dog. Lila seemed to have made even Rook more sociable. He was a lot friendlier these days and he seemed to enjoy having friends to play with even though he used to snub his nose at them all.

Once again bestowed with the highest honor at a block party, I was behind the grill, talking to Taylor, Dan, Jared, Mr. Winslow, and some of the other men who lived in the neighborhood. Taylor and Dan were right next to me, and Taylor grinned as he clasped my shoulder.

“How are you feeling after you shared?” he asked. “You been okay? We haven’t had the opportunity to catch up after, but your story really moved everyone. Even one of the new guys started opening up a little this week.”

I grinned. “Yeah? Glad to hear it. I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Jared has been roping me into some of his commercial projects.”