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My heart melted, dripping into a puddle at his feet. I’d ached to hear things like that since I was a teenager reading every romance novel I could get my hands on. People always said men like that didn’t exist, but I beg to differ.
You just had to find them.
Putting my hand over the one resting on my cheek, I shifted to kiss his palm and stayed there, soaking in the quiet happiness.
“I think I would like kids eventually. They’re endless balls of energy and curiosity. I’m not around them often, but I love teaching them things.” I could picture it, too. Storytime with Oliver and I reading them a book, the hypothetical child pressed between us, or teaching them to cook while Oliver watched from the kitchen table.
There were hundreds of scenarios, and every last one of them warmed me from the inside out. No, I wasn’t ready for kids now, but eventually, Iwouldwant them.
Leaning into Oliver’s hands, I said. “You’d make a good Dad.”
He paused for a second, an expression I didn’t have a name for taking over his features before he smiled. “Well, I rock the uncle role, so I guess I have some preexisting experience. For the record, you’d make a good Mom too. You worry about everyone, even people that you barely know. You’re protective, and you won’t let someone walk over you.”
He tugged me forward, kissing my cheek with a hum. “If we ever decide to go that route, we’llbothmake good parents.”
It felt nice, knowing where he stood on this. It would have driven me nuts until I at least had an idea.
What would our hypothetical child even look like? Would they have Oliver’s brown hair or my lighter shade?
It didn’t matter of course, we’d love them either way, but now that the thought was planted, my mind ran wild with it. The urge to meet his mother and ask for pictures of him as a kid rose before I batted it down again.
Eventually I’d like to meet her, but we had other things to deal with first. Like Harvey.
Shaking the entire topic to the side, I wrapped my arms around him and melted into the contact. We stayed curled into each other for who knows how long, just enjoying the peace of the moment. When the distant chime of a clock came, I pulled away reluctantly.
“I can start dinner, if you want?” I asked, and he nodded, dropping one last kiss on my head.
“Sure, I’m going to-.”
A knock rang out on the door, and we both froze. Last I heard we weren’t expecting anyone today… Oliver frowned, confusion clear as he waved me into the kitchen.
“I’ll check, it’s probably just someone wanting to use the range.”
Instinct prodded at the back of my head, screaming that it wasn’t that. Instead of starting dinner like I’d originally planned, I inched just far enough out to watch as Oliver went to the door. When he opened it, the absolute last person I expected to see sat outside.
Diana watched him with an almost predatory smile that made every hair on my neck stand to attention, and Oliver immediately moved to close the door.
“I don’t know why you’re here, but I was clear after you attacked me that I never wanted to see you again.” He said, but before he could close the door, she put her shoe forward and wedged it open. His weight was keeping her from getting in any further, but even seeing her here made my blood boil.
I hadn’t magically forgotten that she’d attacked him after flatly refusing to hear his side of the story. She’d hurt him, and that was unacceptable.
On top of that, when the rumors started, she’d made no attempts to clear them up. No, she’d been too busyencouragingthem, playing the victim, and watching as the town ate out of the palm of her hand because of it.
Even if she hadn’t attacked me–more than proving Oliver’s point that she was violent–I still would’ve despised her on principle for how she treated him.
He’d deserved so much better than her, but now he had me, and I’d do my best to be what he deserved.
Starting with getting rid of her because Oliver looked decidedly uneasy, and even from here, I could see how much she liked that.
When she tried to reach through the crack to stroke a hand down his chest, my vision went red, only darkening further when she spoke.
“Come on, Oliver. That was a long time ago. I want to go back to how things used to be.”
He scoffed, holding firm against the door while stretching as far away from her as possible. “Yeah, how about no? I haven’t forgotten how awful that time was. I’m not putting up with you again. I happen to behappynow, and I’m not exchanging that for misery.”
When she still didn’t back down, I stepped in. Oliver paused, confusion clear as I gently wedged myself between him and the door before pointedly stomping with all my might down on her foot.
A high wail of pain split the air and she yanked her shoe back, finally allowing the door to slam shut. I locked it, then spoke loud enough so she could hear me through the wood.
