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“Well, you weren’t upset when you heard that he was dead. Does that mean that you’re not his son?” she asked. Shit, he hated that she made sense. It was easier to think of Penelope not being his grandmother. It made it easier for him to not add another family member to his already growing list.
“I guess I didn’t want to believe that she’s my grandmother,” he admitted.
“Why? Is she awful or something?” Jo asked.
“No,” he said, “she’s not awful at all. In fact, she seemed sweet and excited to have grandchildren.”
“I’m not seeing a problem here,” she said.
“I guess I’m just making problems where there aren’t any. I think I need some time to accept all the changes in my life,” he admitted.
“Including me?” she asked. “Have you changed your mind about me, Stone?” Jolene was the only thing in his life that he was sure about.
“No, honey,” he said, “I haven’t changed my mind about you at all. I want you, Jo. I want you in my life and my bed. Are you still good with that?”
“I am,” she said without hesitation. “I want you too, Stone.” She pulled out of the driveway and started for home, leaving Stone floundering for conversation. Should he even try to make small talk or let things stay awkwardly silent?
“You’re overthinking all of this,” she said, reaching across to take his hand into her own. “I’m usually the one who overthinks everything, but you’ve got me beat.”
“I’m just not sure what to say, Jo,” he admitted. “I’m not good at small talk.”
“Lucky for you, I don’t need to fill the silence with chit-chat. I’m good with it being quiet if you are.”
“You really are the perfect woman, aren’t you?” he asked. He was teasing, but a part of him meant it. She seemed to be perfect for him, and that scared the hell out of him.
It was a short trip across town and back to his house and by the time they got there, he felt about ready to self-combust. She parked in his driveway, cut the engine, and smiled over at him. “That was the longest trip I’ve ever taken across town,” she teased.
“Yeah, it felt that way, didn’t it?” he asked. “I have to admit, I’m a bit off my game with this wound in my thigh. I’d usually be a lot more romantic and all that shit, but being stuck on crutches makes me a lot more clumsy than usual.”
“Well, I’m really good at helping people on crutches,” she reminded. “I don’t care about your clumsiness,” she admitted. “I just want you to be you, Stone.”
“Good, because that’s the only way I know how to be,” he whispered. He got out of the car and grabbed his crutches; Jo was right by his side to make sure that he was good to go up the stairs to his front door.
“I’m pretty good at the stairs now, Jo,” he reminded.
“I know, I just worry,” she said. “It’s part of my job.”
“While I appreciate that, I think I can manage,” he said again. He wasn’t sure why he felt so nervous. This wasn’t his first time with a woman—that thought was laughable. He really needed to get himself together, otherwise, he was going to blow his chance with Jolene.
Jo took his jacket from him and hung it up alongside hers and turned to look him over. “So, where to?” she asked. She seemed just as nervous as he felt.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whispered, “no. I’m so nervous. It’s been a while for me since, you know, I’ve had sex and all of that.”
“It has?” he asked.
“Yeah, I guess you could say that I’ve been going through a dry spell. I just don’t want to mess this all up,” Jolene said.
He pulled her into his body, careful to balance himself on his crutches so they both didn’t end up on the floor. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m nervous too, honey,” he breathed.
“You are?” she squeaked.
“I am,” he admitted, “how about you help me up to my room and we see what happens next? I mean, there’s no need for us to be so nervous. I’ve told you how I feel, and you’ve said that you want this too. So, let’s agree to toss the nerves out the window and just do whatever we feel comes next.”
She smiled up at him and he wondered what he had said that was so funny. “That’s the cheesiest line I’ve ever heard,” she teased.
“It was not,” he insisted. “I was trying to make you feel better.”
