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Wren covered her ears as she headed out of the room. “I’m going to the bathroom. Please be done with this when I get back.”
I took the opportunity to crowd Everly against the counter. “What abouthoney?”
Her nose scrunched. “No.”
“Gorgeous?” That one felt right. I’d need to save it for sexy times if they ever happened.
She laughed, but her cheeks flushed. “Uh. No.”
“You liked that, though. Your cheeks are pink,” I said, cupping one with my hand. “Let’s try one more.” I racked my brain for the perfect moniker. “What aboutbaby?”
Her breath hitched.
I lowered my head. “You like that one.”
“Harrison, what are you—”
“I’m doing exactly what I want to.” I lowered my lips to hers, soft at first, then more insistent, and she opened her lips, letting me in. I took my time, angling her head to the position that I wanted. Only when I heard the hall bathroom door open and shut with a click did I step back.
Everly’s cheeks were flushed, her chest heaving as if she was out of breath. As soon as Wren walked in, Everly spun around to check the oven.
“How was school?” I asked Wren, my go-to when I needed a second to gather my thoughts. Up until now, I knew a couple of things: Everly was my friend, and I enjoyed having her in my home. That kiss was deeper and longer than any we’d shared as part of our fake relationship plan, and it was very telling. We had undeniable chemistry.
I couldn’t believe the right woman for me was in front of me all this time. Or maybe I did and was afraid to lose her, so I pushed any signs out of my mind. But now that I’d experienced it, I couldn’t forget it.
Everly was talking to Wren while I was completely lost in thought. I felt like I was seeing Everly for the first time. As a love interest and not just a friend who was helping me out. My heart rate picked up. Could I have this with her every night?
Would she be open to it? Then I remembered her stance on relationships. I had my work cut out for me. The fairy tale wasn’t just showing what was possible. I needed to show her what was possible with me and Wren. And it was everything.
I wanted to love her like I always had, but this time, it was for keeps. I wanted the love to encompass both of us, steamrolling us until we had no choice but to give in. I should have been hesitant. I didn’t know if Everly and I had lasting power, but with our friendship, it was likely.
“You okay, Dad?” Wren asked.
“Yeah, was just thinking about work I have to do.”
“Oh, right. Work,” Wren said. She probably thought I was thinking about our plan, and I was. Just that it had shifted a bit. I didn’t want Everly to meet anyone else. Nope. She was it for me. I just needed to convince her of that.
I lit the candles while Wren found the playlist I’d made for the evening. It was all music from the fairy-tale movies we watched.
“What’s this?” Everly asked when I took the platter of food from her and placed it on the dining room table. “Another fancy dinner?”
“We’re going to introduce you to the fairy tales.”
Everly looked from me to Wren. “It’s not like I haven’t watched them.”
“You have?” I asked, truly surprised. She’d always said she hated them. That they pushed weddings and marriage on little girls, giving them unrealistic dreams of being princesses in a world where royalty didn’t exist.
She waved a hand at me. “Yeah, you know, before.”
I remembered how she used to refer to her life as before and after to signify her father leaving. But I hadn’t heard her say it in a while. I wanted to ask if she was a different person when she was a little girl and if her dad’s leaving changed her that much, but I suspected that one event had changed the trajectory of her life. I wondered if it was why she stayed in her dead-end job, not using her talents, when she could be doing so much more.
I saw her invitations. She was talented. And there was clearly a market for it. Sure, she’d reached out to Gia, but she needed to do more with it. Maybe even start her own business. I intended to encourage her to follow her dreams.
“We’re going to reintroduce them to you. No arguments. This is our plan to show you that fairy tales do exist.”
Everly sat at the table. “They exist in movies. I assumed you’d show me they exist in real life.”
I leaned over, kissing her softly. “I intend to. Just give us time.”
