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A few tables over, my brother Royal was with a group of his friends, and he tipped his glass to Duke.
Duke returned the greeting with a tip of his chin, and my nose crinkled. “What was that about?”
“Don’t know what you mean.” Duke’s hand slid across the table, seeking mine.
My brother Whip sauntered up to our high-top table, presumably off shift from the fire station. Duke stood and immediately shook my brother’s hand.
“Hey, you two.” Whip greeted us as though it didn’t make any difference in the world that Duke was a Sullivan. “Good to see you two out tonight.” Whip turned to face Duke. “Did you finally figure out that dovetailing for the drawers?”
Duke smiled at my brother.Actually smiled.“I did.” He nodded. “They turned out great. Couldn’t have done it without you.”
Duke shook Whip’s hand again.
“Well, all right. Good deal. I’ll let you two get back to your dinner. If you need help with anything else, you just hit me up.”
Duke nodded. “Will do. Thanks again.”
I stood, mouth agape as I witnessed the exchange. The server deposited two tall glasses of water to our table. Duke picked one up but paused midway to his mouth. “What?” he asked.
“Are you guys, like, friends now?”
Duke shrugged and took a sip. “I don’t know. Maybe? We’ve come to an understanding.”
I blinked and considered that. “Oh. An understanding... okay. That’s great, I guess.”
“Come on. Let me take you for a spin on the dance floor before our food gets here.”
“I’m eight months pregnant. It will be like dancing with a parade float.”
Duke smirked. “First of all, you’re the sexiest parade float I’ve ever seen.”
I barked a laugh and wrapped my arms around his neck. “And secondly,” he continued as he peppered my neck with kisses, “that means I only have a month or so to have you all to myself. Because I’m not kidding you, I’m going to spoil the shit out of that kid.”
Duke’s strong arms banded around me as he guided me to the dance floor. “You up for it?”
I let him lead me to the center of the floor, and we swayed to the music. Duke’s hand rode low on my hip but moved ever so subtly over my side and belly as we danced. Our baby kicked in response, something I knew Duke never got enough of.
“You know, there was one more thing besides the nursery that I wanted to give you tonight.”
I leaned into him. “Oh yeah?” The corner of my mouth hooked up, along with my eyebrow. Duke knew despite my grumblings I secretly loved surprises.
Storm clouds rolled across his face, settling between his eyebrows. “It’s not so much asomething. It’s... I don’t know.”
His hand reached back behind his neck to capture mine and pulled it down over his chest. He pressed my palm flat, and I felt the thrum of his heartbeat through his shirt. He lowered his forehead to mine despite everyone around us. His embrace was an intimate bubble. Just the three of us.
“You’ve had my heart for a long time, Sylvie. Before the baby—hell, even before the beach, I was so fucking gone for you. I have loved you for a long time. It’s always been you, but I was too afraid to say it. Afraid that if I said the words out loud, I’d somehow wake up from this dream, and it would all disappear. I wanted to tell you tonight over candlelight and with flowers just the two of us—but here in this moment, I feel it. I want to go with you to Savannah, and I don’t want to keep that from you for a second longer. I love you. I have always loved you. You’re it for me, and I can’t live this life without you.”
Before I could speak and tell him I loved him too—God, how much I love him—and thathewas my home, Duke slanted his mouth over mine and pulled me tight. Duke poured love and passion and heartbreak and friendship into that kiss, and I soaked it up without a care in the world for who was watching or what they were thinking.
Let them watch. Let them think whatever they wanted to about a King and a Sullivan, because none of it mattered. Not anymore.
THIRTY-THREE
DUKE
After I was toldthe life expectancy of someone with dementia was four to eight years, I imagined I’d be putting Dad into the ground, not moving him into a new house.
But there we were.
