AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“They’re trying to fatten me up,” Lexi said, patting her belly. “And it’s working.”
“You look wonderful, honey,” Larry said. “The picture of health again, which is such a relief.”
Angie put a plate of brownies in front of Lexi.
“See what I mean?” Lexi asked Max, smiling. She still couldn’t believe he was there. After last weekend, she’d missed him so much and had even questioned whether she’d done the right thing going to the reunion and reconnecting with him if leaving again had hurt so much.
Max got up to help clear the table.
“We’ve got it,” Larry said. “You kids go for a walk or a drive or whatever you want.”
“Thank you again for dinner,” Max said.
“Such a pleasure to have you here,” Angie said. “We’ve missed you.”
“I missed you guys, too.”
“You want to take a walk?” Lexi asked him.
“Love to.”
They stepped outside into a warm late fall evening that would’ve required winter coats in Vermont.
“I can’t get over how warm it still is here.”
She took the hand he offered. “It stays warm most of the year. I miss the seasons in Vermont, but not the cold.”
“I’d miss the seasons if I didn’t live there anymore.”
“I can’t believe you sneaking to Houston without saying a word all the times we talked this week.”
“It’s called asurprise, Lexi.”
“It was a good one, Max. You really got me. I wasn’t sure if I was seeing things when you came in with Gram.”
“She was my coconspirator. My grandfather still had her number, and she confirmed you’d be home this weekend.”
“Thanks for going to so much trouble to surprise me.”
“I couldn’t wait to see you.”
“You just saw me last weekend.”
He dropped her hand and put an arm around her, bringing her in close to him. “That was a long time ago.”
“I feel like I must be dreaming or something,” she said. “To be with you again this way… It was all I wanted for so long.”
“Everyone was all over me this week about what I was going to do now that I knew where you were and why you’d been gone. Colton was the one who told me I needed to come here. He made it sound so simple, which it was when I decided to do it.”
“What about Caden?”
“He’s with my parents and has lots of fun plans for the weekend. He’ll be fine.”
“Was he okay with you leaving?”
“Not entirely, but he’ll forget all about that when he’s with his cousins. He’ll be fine.”
“I don’t want him to hate me.”
