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“I hope you know she will have to grow up one day,” she said, swatting him playfully on the arm.
“But not today. I can afford to not think about those things a little longer.”
“I guess I’m just going to have to be ready to help you process it when the time comes.”
Henry’s heart warmed at the thought of Kirsten still being there years later. He knew that she hadn’t said she wanted to spend her life with him yet, but the fact that she included herself in their future gave him a clear vision of his.
Now, he just had to find Sher and figure out what she wanted.
TWENTY-SEVEN
KIRSTEN
Kirsten chewed her nails down to the quick. It was unlike her to get worried over something that was most likely nothing. She did not have to compete for Henry’s affections. So
why did she feel this way?
A thought occurred to her as she reached out a hand to stroke his face. He was a tiger shifter, right? So maybe he preferred other cat shifters. Sher obviously garnered his interest, and if past history was anything to go by, then Kirsten had to shape up. Maybe she should have tried to act more like a cat to satisfy his urges.
He nudged her hand with his cheek, and she carded her fingers through his hair. Being with Henry was so simple and easy. It was hard to imagine a life without him. A life without him would be worse than the life she led before they met. Now that she had found him, she did not want to let him go.
She dropped her hand and turned to the living room. She could feel his curiosity and worry as he followed her, but she curled up on the sofa anyway, her knees to her chest. It was easier to talk about this when she had the safety blanket of staring into the fireplace and not directly into Henry’s eyes.
“I think you should go back to Sher.”
He stopped in his tracks, gaping at her. “Why the hell would I do that?”
“Because …” she began. “Because Zara should be with her mother, and you should have a family. I’m just passing through. I’m not even supposed to be in Denver.”
“Who cares about Denver?” He barely suppressed his anger, but Kirsten was good at anger. She could handle it. “We can go anywhere you like. Is this a joke? Because it’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke. I think Sher should have her family back. She’s clearly not over you.” Kirsten wrapped her arms around her knees. What she felt contradicted her words; it might have meant losing Henry, but there was a part of her that sympathized.
Kirsten had to give up a lot in her life to be where she was. While she looked like she had her life together to most people, there was a time when she had nothing ... not a penny in her bank account and not a good word to say about her from anyone. Those days were not that far behind her, and they dogged her still. She didn’t even have a family to fall back on.
So what Sher must have felt, she supposed she would have felt in that situation as well. It was not right to separate a mother from her family. She would have to make Henry believe that, too.
“I don’t care about Sher. Not like that,” Henry said.
His expression betrayed his hurt, but Kirsten had to keep going. She could not live with herself if she deprived Henry of his chance at a family.
“But you cared about her once. Isn’t that enough?”
Henry shook his head. “Why are you saying this? Did I do something wrong?”
“No!” Kirsten cried. “You didn’t, I swear. I’m just ...”
“Are you mad at me?” Henry’s voice was small, weak, and desperate. “I fix this if you won’t tell me what’s wrong.”
Kirsten clung tighter to her knees, wanting to reach out with a desperation that shocked her. How could she have fallen so hard for him in such a short time? This was unlike her.
“Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s perfect. You’re so perfect.”
“Then tell me,” he pleaded.
“What if I was in Sher’s shoes? What if I was the one who couldn’t have my family back?”
Henry sat down on the sofa next to her, He held out his hand for her to take, and his grip was warm and strong, just like Henry. “I don’t want Sher. I want you. Ichooseyou. Do you get that?”
