AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I love theEnchanted Sworddisplay in your bookstore.”
“Oh, thank you, but—”
I don’t get the chance to explain I don’t own the bookstore before Pen chimes in with all seemingly great things to say about me. How I read all her favorite books and encouraged her to tell them all about publishing. She repeats her shy apology, but no one seems mad about it anymore. Upside to being hit by a car, I suppose.
After a while of chatting in my room, the ladies all decide to go grab lunch, and Leo and I stay cuddled up in bed. He turns onThe Nightmare Before Christmasfor me.
“Do you need anything? Did you take your pain pills?”
“I did, thanks. I’m actually pretty great.” I smile dreamily at him, and it’s not totally from the effects of the drugs. I’m smitten with the sexy single dad beside me, and I want to tell him before I lose my nerve. “You’re pretty great,” I whisper.
Leo turns to me with a big smile and tosses the remote to the end of the bed, giving me his full attention.
“Not as great as you.” He sweeps the back of his knuckle across my bruised cheek. “God, Olive, I’m so glad you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if that car took you from me.”
“Does that mean you want to keep me?” I’m feeling brave and forcing the conversation. It feels so natural to take the next step, but he’s not the commitment type, and this might blow up in my face. If it does, I’m not sure I can recover from those wounds.
“I do want to keep you, Olive. I’m probably going to be terrible at it, but if you’d give me the chance, I promise to give it my all.”
“What do you mean? How could you possibly be bad at it?”
He clears his throat, contemplating for a moment.
“I’ve never been in a serious relationship. I was raised by a single dad who went through women like they were paper plates. After I had Penelope, I didn’t even try to date. Just met up with women when I felt like it, never letting anyone get too close, and definitely not letting a woman meet my daughter.”
“Because she wouldn’t like them?” I finally say my biggest fear out loud. Penelope is so dear to me, and if she doesn’t approve, it would break my heart. I would break my own heart and choose her over something more with Leo, no matter how painful it would be for me.
Leo only shrugs. “Maybe, but you’re not like any of them. No one before you has ever gotten under my skin the way you have. And my daughter and my best friend already love you, so I don’t think we have anything to worry about.”
Whitney loves me? I think of all the times we laughed together in the book store, but I’m still not convinced.
“But what if Penelope doesn’t want us to be serious? What happens between us if she doesn’t like the idea of us together?”
“That’s not something we have to worry about, love.”
“But—”
He stops my spiraling worry with a soft touch to my lips.
“Want me to prove it?”
I nod, even though I should have asked him what his plan was. “She’s also important to me, and I can’t lose our friendship, Leo. I don’t have many friends, and she’s—”
Again, his finger comes to my mouth, and he waits for me to nod—my promise to not speak until he’s finished.
Pulling out his phone, he video dials his daughter, and we wait patiently.
“Pen.”
“Hey, Dad, what’s up?”
“May I have your permission to continue to see Olive? Is there anything about our relationship that might make you uncomfortable?”
Pen starts laughing on the other end. I can’t help but roll my eyes at the two of them.
“Not that you need my permission, but yes, please. I love her to pieces and can’t wait to call her Mama Olive.”
More laughter is heard from the women on the other side of the phone, and my heart soars. Free of guilt, I surprise myself by attacking Leo with a giddy squeal and kisses to his face.
