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“Good. Now go back out there and get your man,” she said, pushing me to the door.
I walked back to the restaurant and froze. Sid wasn’t at the table. I looked around frantically to find him, but he was gone. My heart sank and tears welled up in my eyes. How could he leave me?
“Excuse me, miss. You’re blocking my way.”
The deep timbre of that voice rolled over me and caressed me like his big, callused hands had. I’d know that voice anywhere, and I was so relieved that Sid was still here. My legs nearly buckled. He was so close that I could feel the heat from his body. I wanted him to wrap his arms around me.
I spun around and smiled. “You’re still here.”
He frowned. “Where else would I be?”
“I thought you’d left.”
He put his hands on my arms and rubbed them up and down. “I promise to never leave you again. No matter how hard you push me away. I’m not going anywhere.”
Warmth burst through me like the sun warming up the town first thing in the morning. I turned and walked back to the table, sliding into the booth across from him, even though I really wanted to be beside him. It was too soon, though. We needed to clear the air first.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted out.
Sid was pouring wine and stopped mid-pour. “For what?”
“For punishing you. For keeping you away and fighting with you. I’m sorry I let what you did to me ruin everything we had.”
He set the wine down on the table. “Kat, you didn’t ruin anything. I hurt you, and you protected yourself. I’m proud of you for sticking up for yourself. For refusing to allow someone to walk all over you and being strong enough to stay this time and fight for what you want. It’s admirable, and I wish I had an ounce of your strength. I wouldn’t have hung on to the past for so long.”
I wiped away tears and smiled at him. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. You don’t know how many times I wanted to run. To say forget it and go, but I have a life here. A life I love, and I didn’t want to be the same old Kat.”
“You are far from that girl. I don’t even see her anymore when I look at you. You’re beautiful and smart. Funny and kind. I love being with you even when we’re doing nothing.”
“Stop,” I said, fanning my eyes with my hands. “You’re making me cry.”
He smiled and reached forward, taking my hand in his. “I’m only speaking the truth, Kat.”
“Thank you.”
For the rest of the meal, we sent flirty looks back and forth while catching up on life. It felt comfortable, like putting on an old sweatshirt that I loved. I’d missed him so much, and even though I was still reluctant to trust him again, I wanted him in my life.
“HOW ARE THINGS GOING with Sid?” Laney asked as she took a seat beside me on the couch.
We were having a much-needed girls’ day. We had lunch at Sandy’s Diner and then got manicures and pedicures before shuffling back to Rebecca’s with ice cream. Now we were settling in for a movie and pizza. The kids were with the guys, and Mindy, Laney, and Kate were fully relaxed and happy.
I smiled at Laney. “Things are good. Really good. He’s more open now than before, and I’ve learned a lot about him.”
“Yeah? And how do you feel about him?”
If my smile grew any larger, my cheeks would hurt. “My feelings for him have grown deeper. I’m opening up more and trusting he won’t hurt me. So far, I love everything I’ve found out about him. He’s amazing.”
She smiled. “That’s great. I’m so happy for you.”
I was happy too. Over the past month, Sid and I had eaten dinner together almost every night. Sometimes he cooked for us, and other times we went to different restaurants, trying new things. The nights he worked at the station, he’d drop Shiloh off with me and Rebecca, and I’d take dinner to him. It was nice to laugh and enjoy each other’s company without the weight of pretending hanging over us like it had in the past. I was giddy and excited to be near him.
Every morning when I opened the door, I felt a rush of happiness seeing him standing there. He walked me to Knead to Relax and drove me to Mindy’s for work. He brought me lunch every day and picked me up at night. He was showing me with his actions that I could rely on him and trust him to be there, and that was more than I could have ever asked for.
He was respectful and kind. He never pushed for more, even though we both wanted it. We had kissed a few times, but it hadn’t gone any further than a heated kiss good night on my front porch like I was in high school again. I wanted him more than I ever had before, but I was also loving the intimacy we were building by opening ourselves up to each other. It was intoxicating in a way I’d never experienced before.
The weather had warmed up, and the town was gearing up for the Seedtime Fair. I was excited to walk around with Sid since we’d missed the Harvest Festival months ago and Christmas had been a disaster. I’d missed all the fun town events. He owed me for that.
There was a knock at the door, and I rose to get it since we were expecting pizza, but Rebecca reached the door first. I heard the deep rumble of a man’s voice, and then Rebecca smiled and said thank you. She was handed something before she closed the door. It wasn’t pizza.
