AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, of course.” He sighed as he nudged Azure off his lap and stood. “I’ll be right back, bud.” He extended his hand to Gina, and she gladly put her fingers in his.
“You’ll be okay now?”
“Yeah,” Blake said, giving her a weary smile. “Sorry you’re not going to get your beauty rest.”
She batted her eyelashes at him. “I don’t really need it, though, right?” She giggled, relieved with he chuckled too. Blake usually operated on two emotions—happy and busy. He was either at work, accomplishing things, or he was laughing and kissing her. She liked that his emotions didn’t swing from one side to the other very quickly or very hard, because hers did, and she needed a sense of stability in her life.
“You definitely don’t,” he said. “Sorry I kept you so late, though. You could’ve left anytime.”
“I know.” She turned back to him at the front door of his cabin. “You seemed like you needed a friend, though.”
“A friend, huh?” He took her into his arms and swayed with her. “I thought we agreed we were way past friends.”
“We did,” she said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t also be friends.” She gazed up at him, suddenly very serious. “I want to be best friends with the man I—” She swallowed, not quite sure what she was saying.
Blake’s eyebrows went up and his mouth stayed closed. He wasn’t going to save her from herself this time.
“I should go,” she said.
“No, finish what you were going to say.” He held her tighter, and Gina pressed her palms against his shirt. She looked at her fingers there, the white lines of them against his black and white plaid.
“I…I want to be best friends with the man I love,” she said, the words choking in the back of her throat. “The man I marryshouldbe my best friend.” She dared to look up into those dark, dreamy eyes Blake possessed. He had no idea what they did to her, and one day, she’d tell him. Today was not that day, not with all the word vomit she’d already spewed. “Don’t you think? Don’t you think two people should be the absolute best of friends before they try to build their life together? Raise children? All of that?”
“Yes,” he murmured.
“So it’s not bad if I acted as a best friend tonight and kept you company. That’s what friends do.”
He nodded and closed his eyes. He leaned closer to her, but he didn’t dip his head to kiss her. He pressed his cheek against hers and whispered, “Do you see yourself getting married, Gina?”
She thought of Becks and Luke. Becks had more of a free spirit than Gina did, and she seemed so, so happy now. “Yes,” she whispered back. Maybe she couldn’t have done it fifteen years ago, but now? Gina felt like she could get married now.
“Children?” Blake asked next. “You see yourself with those?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I mean, one or two. I don’t want to be outnumbered or anything.”
Blake chuckled, but he didn’t pull away so she could see his face. That was probably for the best, as she wasn’t sure what she’d find there, and she couldn’t know for certain if she’d like it.
“You want kids, right, Blake?”
“Sure,” he said.
“How many?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “One or two, I guess.”
Gina did move then, putting space between them so she could see his face. “Are you just saying that because I did?”
“Yes,” he admitted, but his playful, teasing smile didn’t make its appearance. “I’m very serious about us, Gina. I’m falling in love with you more and more every day.”
Fear reached right inside her chest and grabbed hold of her heart. She fought against it, because she wasn’t afraid of Blake. She wasn’t afraid of being his girlfriend—or his wife. She wasn’t.
Not anymore.
So many things had changed inside her over the years, and while the idea of living out her life in small-town Chestnut Springs had terrified her at age eighteen, she no longer felt that way. The intense emotion faded, and she allowed herself to smile.
“I’m serious about us too, Blake,” she said, reaching up to slide her hand down the side of his face. His soft beard tickled her fingers, and she adored the way he leaned into her touch.
“Good,” he said. “Kiss me good-night and get on home so I don’t have to feel guilty for keeping you so late.”
