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Fuck.
“You heard the part where I said I love you?” he asked.
“Yes, which is good, since I love you too, and I’ve learned it seriously sucks when that’s one-sided.”
Even though it felt shit he put her through that, a chuckle erupted from him. She looked up at him and smiled.
Thank Christ.
He wanted to kiss her.
But he couldn’t yet.
He’d held back, and she’d suffered for it.
She had to have it all.
“Right then,” he began, “We’re gonna wait because I don’t want to steal Chloe’s thunder. But Dad left me something else in that box.”
Her brows knit.
“I never met my paternal grandparents,” he kept sharing. “I told you I knew Dad didn’t have a great relationship with them. Now I know why. Mom’s parents lived back in Chicago. They were in my life, but not much. Too far away. I loved them, they loved me, but I got the sense they were disappointed in Mom for being how she was, I think, looking back on it, particularly how she was with me.”
“Quelle surprise,” she muttered sarcastically.
He fought a grin and kept talking.
“My real grandparents were Robert and Marilyn Swan, Genny’s folks. They were around all the time. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone more loving than them, particularly Marilyn. She doted…” He shook his head, his lips twitching just thinking about Marilyn. “Actually, she doted on everyone. She was a real character too. And she absolutely adored my dad.”
Hale watched her face get soft. “I’m glad he had that.”
“Me too,” Hale replied.
He then took their hands and lifted them to his lips, twisted them, so he’d touch her ring finger there.
After he did that, he shared, “Marilyn gave him her wedding rings to give to me. It’s Chloe’s time to be the belle of the ball. Then I’ll give you a part of what Dad wanted you to have. You’ll get the other parts later.”
The tears were back, but this time they competed with love and wonder in her eyes.
It was so beautiful, he memorized that look instantly.
“Hale,” she whispered.
“I’ll say the words then, baby,” he vowed. “It’s just that I fell down on communicating, even after we promised we’d do better. So I’m not going to fall down again. And now you know where I’m at.”
She sniffed, controlling her emotion, and said a shaky, “Yes. I know where you’re at.”
“Now you wanna tell me why Oskar and your mom are here?”
Her expression registered surprise at the subject change, and then it brightened.
When Hale saw that, he took in yet another breath.
And finally, it came easy again.
“Well, you know, the drama at Chez Cohen doesn’t die down for long,” she declared.
“Shit,” he mumbled.
