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Her compassion. Her empathy.
They’re obvious at this moment, and it makes my heart pound against my rib cage violently.
Instead, I pull Emery to me and plant a long, lingering kiss on her lips, surprising her and Allie both. After a brief pause, she melts into my touch. Remembering that we’re supposed to be engaged, she brings her hand up to my jaw then lets it rest there while I kiss her so hard, we’re both breathless when she finally breaks the kiss.
Our gaze never breaks as something… new passes between us.
“Welp, that’s my cue. Meet you two lovebirds inside,” Allie says quietly, leaving us alone on the wraparound porch, both of us caught up in the moment.
"Graham…” she murmurs, bringing her hand up to her lips.
I step forward, sliding my hands up her jaw. “I know this isn’t real to you, but every single second I’m around you, it becomes real for me.”
My eyes search hers, and I drop a quick kiss to her lips, then step back, grabbing her hand and wordlessly leading her inside.
I’ll let her sit on my words.
Hopefully by the time this is over, she’ll realize that I’ve been crazy about her from the start, and it won’t be fake any longer.
It’ll be real.
Later that night, with Ma’s famous red beans in front of us, we talk about everything I’ve missed since I’ve been in Chicago. Which is surprisingly a lot, since there’s only a thousand people who live in our town.
I’ve been listening to Allie gossip with Ma and Emery about a book club that’s formed in town, where they’re apparently reading romance novels that are not for the faint of heart, but the entire time I’ve been so damn nervous to tell them the news, I haven’t been able to sit still.
“She literally fainted on the floor. Clutched her imaginary pearls and slid right off the chair. I almost choked on my wine.” Allie grins, taking another sip of her homemade wine. Another of Ma’s specialties.
Emery laughs so hard; I can feel the table in front of us shake as her stomach sits against it.
For the trip, she wore a baggy shirt that covered the babies until tonight, when we were able to tell Ma and Allie the news.
“Oh my lord, stop it, Allie,” Ma chides, hiding a smirk behind her glass, “You brought a book that those old women have no business readin’ and you know it.”
Allie shrugs. “Alien erotica is in right now. Something about a guy with a big blue di-”
“Allie Elizabeth!”
I sputter over the mouthful of red beans, almost choking on it. Glancing at Emery, she’s laughing so hard she’s got tears streaming down her face.
What in the hell is happening?
“Can’t a man enjoy his mama’s cooking in peace? Shit Allie,” I grumble.
“Sure, big bro”
The smirk on Allie’s face tells me she doesn’t give two shits whether or not I die on a plate of red beans.
Cruel woman.
“Well Ma, Allie Cat… Emery and I have something to tell you.
Emery looks up from her plate and over at me, then plasters on a blinding smile. So real, even I almost fall for it.
“Em’s pregnant… With… twins,” I say, reaching over and clasping my hand in hers.
“Oh my god,” Allie says, her mouth agape.
“I know you’re both probably shocked. But, we wanted to tell you in person, rather than over the phone. It was bad enough that we had to tell you about our engagement over the phone. We had to be here to tell you.
