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“As a heart attack.”
“And,” Austin draws out, “I think that’s my cue to leave the room.” He gets up from his chair and grabs his mug in one hand, takes two steps away from us, and freezes. “I’m just going to take that, too.”
Neither Riley nor I break our staring contest, but in my peripheral vision, I see him reach forward and grab the plate of bacon before rushing out of the room.
Once we’re alone, I tuck a stray piece of hair that had fallen out of Riley’s messy bun behind her ear.
“What do you think, Riles? Move in with me?”
“I…I…” She struggles to find words. “You don’t think it’s too soon?”
I shrug. “According to who?”
“I don’t know, everyone?” she asks more than says.
“Who gives a shit what everyone else thinks? I love you, and I still have a shit ton of making up to do. But more than that, I want to wake up every morning with you in my arms and go to bed every night with kissing you being the last thing I’ve done. I want you to yell at me for leaving my wet towels on the floor and dirty laundry next to the hamper rather than in it. I want to argue with you about the clutter on top of the dresser and then push it all to the floor and fuck you on it.
“If everything we’ve been through has taught me anything, it’s to not waste the time we’ve been given in this life, and I, for one, think we’ve wasted plenty of time apart. I want to spend this one life with you by my side, always. Tell me you want that, too.”
Her voice is just above a whisper, and her bottom lip quivers. “I want that, too.”
We seal our deal with a kiss. I mean to keep it short and sweet, but just like every time I touch her, I can never get enough. Before I know it, my tongue is slipping inside her mouth, tasting her sweetness mixed with the coffee she’s been sipping on.
God, I love this woman.
Finally out of breath, Riley pulls back. “So, we are really doing this?”
“I guess so.”
Sitting there in the silence, I pull her closer to me, savoring the feel of her in my arms.
“I love you to the stars and back, Riley Parker,” I breathe against her lips before kissing her again.
A throat clearing tears us apart, and we both turn slightly to find Austin back in the kitchen, but this time, his fingers shield his eyes. His other hand is gripping the handle of his coffee mug, which is stretched out in front of him, searching for things in his path.
“Ignore me. I’m just here for more coffee.” After letting out a low grumble when he runs into the corner of the counter, he quickly grabs the coffeepot and refills his cup. This time, he exits the room with his left hand, cupping his eyes from the side to avoid whatever position we might be in. “Carry on,” he yells back.
We both laugh. “Really? You sure you don’t wanna live with that one anymore?”
Riley shakes her head. “As much as I love him, I look forward to starting our lives together.”
Chapter 38
Cooper
“Thanksforhelpingmewith this, Dad,” I say as I finish hanging the last of the lanterns. Ace and Sutton have already gone back to their lives, and we are all adjusting to the new normal of life in Meadows Ridge.
I’m taking each day one day at a time as I process my grief. Some days hit harder than others, but no matter what, Riley has been by my side. There are no words that I can say to show my gratitude to her, but as my mother always says, actions speak louder than words, so I told her I had a baseball thing to handle today but have been setting everything up. The old drive-in we used to go to back in the day closed down a few years back, so I had to get a little creative in recreating that night.
“No problem. Thanks for asking. Was forgetting what you actually looked like since you’re never home.” There’s no bitterness to his voice as he says it. In fact, he chuckles.
I look up to see him winding the extension cord up around his arm with a smile across his face.
“I’m happy for you and Riley. Truly, I am.” After setting the bunched-up cord down, he places his arms on the top of the bed of the truck. “So, how are you holding up?”
“A day at a time, but I’m doing okay.”
Dad nods as he looks off into the distance for a moment. “I’m glad to see you happy and more like the kid you were instead of the man you had become.” That’s his polite way of saying he wasn’t mad, just disappointed.“You were on a dangerous path, and it just about killed me to see you so lost. I know that wasn’t you who threw that punch to end your career.”
