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“You sure Nori? We could have it towed, and you could ride with me. I’m sure after everything you’ve been through, you don’t feel like driving.”
Keeping my body turned toward Tyler, I said, “I’m good to drive. I’ve never felt better. Lots of, uh, naps the last few days.” I scooted around Dean, still not ready to face him, grabbed my bag and dug out the car keys.
While the two talked, I cleaned off the windows of the car while it warmed up. “All set. Tyler?” I’d tried to eavesdrop on their conversation. Dean didn’t say anything about me being Tyler’s sister. Instead, they talked about offseason workouts. Feeling relieved he wasn’t going to cause a scene, I waved at him, opened my car door, and said, “Thanks for everything, Dean. You were a real lifesaver.” It killed me to keep all emotion from my voice. But I wasn’t going to throw myself at a man who obviously hadn’t been looking for anything more than what we’d had.
A good time. No strings. Like two adults who knew the score. But it was more than good. It was amazing, and I knew deep down that I’d never meet a man that would hold a candle to Dean Jefferson.
His face was unreadable. No indication about what he was thinking.Zilch.I couldn’t believe this was how it was going to end between us. He made no move to come over and speak with me. He waved back, patted my brother on his back, then got in his truck and drove off.
And just like that, he was out of my life.
CHAPTER12
DEAN
Well, that didn’t go according to plan. My nerves had kept me from telling her how I felt on the drive to pick up her car. That I wanted to see her again—actually, that wasn’t right, because as unbelievable as it seemed, I was in love with her.
Nori was mine. She had my heart and if she wanted, she could have it and me forever.
I’d figured out early on who she was. And had a pretty good idea why she’d kept her identity a secret from me. If the situation was reversed and Tyler had wanted to be with one of my sisters, a long discussion would have to take place. But life was too short to be that person who stood in the way of two adults who wanted to be together.
The first thing I needed to do was speak to Tyler alone and let him know I was in love with his sister.
Arriving home an hour later, I walked into my kitchen. Heath was using his favorite appliance, the air fryer.
“Dad!” He launched himself into my arms.
Guess he wasn’t too old to miss me.
Ruffling his unkempt hair, I hugged him back. “Whatever you’re making, add in another serving. I’ve been eating grilled cheese, soup, and jerky for three days.”
“Pizza rolls?”
“Of course, why change your diet on Christmas Day?” Chuckling, I gave him an affectionate punch on the arm, then headed upstairs to shower. A long, hot shower.
An hour later, my son and I finished up our lunch, and I told him I met someone.
“You literally fell in love with a damsel in distress? That’s classic.” Laughing, he placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Damsel in distress? You been watching old school cartoons while I was gone?” I asked.
“Maybe. Besides, they’re a riot.” Heath grinned. “So, when do I get to meet her?”
Returning his smile, I said, “I have to tell her first. But my plan is to go see her now and convince her that no matter how quick this is, it's real and I can’t imagine my life without her now that I found her.”
“Whoa. You’re serious?”
“What did you think I meant when I told you I loved her?”
“Well, I guess you were…you know, just really into her. You don’t tell me about your dates or when, you know, happen to get lucky. Hey, don’t act surprised. It’s not like I don’t know about sex, Dad. I’m nineteen. We’ve hadthe talk. A while ago and anyway, I’ve never seen you so worked up about a woman like this—ever. But I’m glad. Really glad. You deserve to be happy.”
“Well, thanks. That means a lot, son. Okay, I’m headed out. Next time you see me, if everything goes well, you’ll get to meet I Nori.”
* * *
NORI
“Mom, how long did it take you to know Dad was the guy, the man, for you?” We were setting the table for dinner, and I’d been avoiding Tyler all afternoon. I needed some time alone with Mom before I broached the subject of me and Dean with my brother.
