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“Hey.” He places two fingers under my chin, coaxing me to look at him. “It’s okay. I understand. Just as long as you want me and only me…”
“Of course, I do!” I express with a little too much enthusiasm. But I need him to know that if push came to shove, I’d choose him—always. My love for Saxon…it overshadows my entire existence, and I bask in the darkness because he will forever be my beacon of light.
He smiles, gliding his thumb over my bottom lip. “Good. Then I can deal.” So that’s it, then? We ride into the sunset and live happily ever after? “That was supposed to make you happy.”
Saxon’s comment alerts me to the fact I’m scowling. “It does. So happy,” I reply, shaking away the blues. “I just don’t want you, either of you, doing this because of me. I want you to do this for you. Because you want it.”
“I wantyou, Lucy, and if that means making a few sacrifices along the way, then so be it.”
A sense of guilt swarms around me because this seems to be a one-way street. I still am no closer to deciding what to do after I sell my home. But here Saxon is, prepared to settle old scores to ensure my happiness. I don’t deserve him. I don’t deserve either of them.
“But you’re right. I want it too. I’m tired of fighting with Samuel. And honestly, today was kind of cool. I will always be wary of him, but I think he means it. I think he really wants us to be happy. Who would have thought that selfish son of a bitch was capable of caring about anyone other than himself?”
Wow. I need a moment to process this because it’s information overload.
“There is no chance in hell I will ever see eye to eye with Kellie, but one step at a time, right? I can tolerate Sam, and he seems to feel the same way, so I figure we’ve made headway. Who knows what the future holds.”
My mouth hinges open and closed. This is flipping…unbelievable. Although I am beyond curious to know what their conversation entailed, word for word, this is enough. This is everything.
Unable to stop myself, I throw my arms around Saxon’s neck and hug him tight. “I love you... like a lot. Thank you.”
He chuckles, holding me close. “I love you, too. And you’ve got nothing to thank me for. Thankyoufor never giving up. On either of us. If you can forgive Sam… then I suppose…so can I.”
Tears threaten to break the floodgates because this is the best compromise—ever. Yes, I feel like I’m having my cake and eating it too, but in this circumstance, if that means Saxon and Samuel can have some sort of a relationship, then let there be cake!
I catch Piper’s eye over Saxon’s shoulder and am surprised to see her wipe away tears of her own. I forget about my uncertainties because this is a brand new day for us all…and I refuse to ruin it with what is bound to destroy life as we know it.
Three Days Later
“Oh, spank me… that’s it…oh, oh, right there. Ahhh…you big, nasty boy!”
No one wishes to wake up to those words, but for the past three days, those or a variation of them seem to be my wake-up call.
“Ugh, seriously!” I groan, reaching for the spare pillow and pressing it over my face.
The only thing which makes me feel remotely better is Saxon’s gravelly laugh. “I’ll give it to him; he’s sure got stamina.”
“He’s got something,” I mumble, head still buried. This is wonderful, a sure sign Sam is moving on, but I wish he’d do so in silence. In no way, shape, or form am I jealous that he’s giving Ron Jeremy a run for his money, but I don’t want his sexual prowess rubbed in my face. That’s something private, but the way Alicia is carrying on, I’m surprised our neighbors in the next county haven’t filed a noise complaint.
A niggling voice, a complete killjoy reminds me that Sam and I never had such a boisterous sex life, but that voice can go to hell. Things have been good at Whispering Willows. A sense of calm has enveloped us all.
The night of the barbecue was something I only dreamed could happen. But these past few days are proof that miracles exist. To witness Saxon and Sam talk civilly was a little hard to process at first. I was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. Even though they’ve been estranged for years, watching them be civil with one another was a beautiful thing. It was like watching a butterfly emerge from its cocoon.
Although they are far from being BFFs, they are getting along, and that’s all I ever wanted.
Some may say I have it all, and I suppose I do. But I don’t want to jinx anything because this right here, even Alicia’s over-the-top cries of passion, is picture perfect. What tops off this perfection, though, is the man beside me.
“I think he’s almost done.” Just as I’m about to remove the pillow, Sam seems to go in for round two. “Nope, I lied.”
“Oh, for the love of god!” I squish the pillow tighter, hoping to suffocate myself to sleep.
Saxon doesn’t allow me the reprieve. He wrestles with the pillow, and I don’t stand a chance. When it’s ripped from my face, I playfully cross my arms over my eyes, hoping to block out the harsh light of day. My plan works for about two seconds until Saxon presses his lips to the slope of my neck, abolishing all strategies of hiding.
“I can’t believe how good you smell,” he mumbles against my flesh.
“I can’t believe how good you feel,” I counter, squirming under his touch.
He rolls on top of me, continuing his onslaught of kisses over my chin, cheeks, and finally, my lips. “I haven’t brushed my teeth.” I turn away, but he gently secures my jaw between his fingers.
