AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I look over at Tess, and her eyes are shining, her head slightly tilted to the side a little bit, and she has her signature beautiful smile lighting up her face. “Yep. I promise, big brother, this was just what we needed. Barrett’s right. We would love to have more time, but what we had together… it was perfect. Thank you for being there. If we couldn’t be there for her, I’m glad you were.”
“I’m glad to hear that. And I am happy to be here any time. You know that.”
“We do. Thanks again, and make sure Harps calls us as soon as she wakes up. She can tell us all about how she conquered the great Shadow and came out on top,” I say snickering, knowing that this story is going to be her monster fish story of all time.
“I will,” he says. “Hey, Grady’s buddies were going to be coming over a little later. Do you care if they sign her cast? And Maggie’s girlfriends, too?”
“Nah, that’s fine. Just make sure they leave room for us.”
“Got it. Alright. Christine just dropped off Maggie from volleyball practice. We’ll talk in a bit.”
“Christine?”
“Uh, yeah. She called as soon as she heard and said she could help. I assume that’s not a problem? We’ve never met, but you guys have talked about her so much that I know you trust her, right?”
“Not a problem at all. Thanks again for being there. Love you,” Tess says.
“Love you guys, too.”
“Later,” I say before hanging up and tossing my phone on the couch beside me.
I lean my elbows on my knees and look over my shoulder at Tess, who’s sitting on the couch cross-legged facing me. She gives me a sad smile and wipes a stray tear. I reach over and grab her hand and squeeze tightly. “I’m sorry,” I tell her.
“What are you sorry for?”
I shrug my shoulders and give it to her straight. “Are you mad that we weren’t there for her?”
“Would it have made a difference if we were home for her when she fell?”
“I suppose not, but I just assumed you would be upset.”
“Of course I’m upset that she fell, but not at you. It would have happened regardless. I want to be there for her, but I know James has this. She has her brother and sister, Lauren, Josh. Sounds like Maggie and Grady’s friends are going to cover her in love tonight, so she would have ignored us anyway.”
“You’re sure? I can start packing up, and we can drive home tonight.”
“In this snow? No. It’s not safe. It won’t do any of us a bit of good for us to try to get there if we run into trouble because of weather. The forecast shows it’s supposed to stop snowing in a few hours. By morning, we’ll be in a better place to head out.”
I sigh deeply, way more relieved than I expected I would be. I feel so grateful that I married a woman who is understanding, calm, and easily goes with the flow.
I lean back into the couch and turn my head in her direction. “I love you. So much.”
“I love you, too. A whole lot.” She smiles.
I love that she remembers the way she told me she loved me the first time she blessed me with those words, just as much as I remember it.
“I don’t want to leave early, but, if I’m honest, I don’t think I’d have been ready to leave on Sunday morning either. I can’t imagine either of us will be able to relax knowing she was hurt though, do you?”
“No. I agree with you. I wouldn’t be ready to leave our cocoon any time, but now I am eager to get home.”
“Yeah. We’ll be fine, Tess. You know that, right?”
She smiles at me, her sweet and genuine smile, so I know what she’s about to tell me is her complete honesty. “I do. We won’t let it get like before. I know this.”
I can’t help but still ask her. “Do you? In your heart, you know that what happened four months ago will never happen to us again, right?”
“I promise, Barrett. You and I are solid. Nothing could ever separate us.”
I lean over and grip her by the waist and pull her over so she’s straddling me when I bring her in closer for a kiss. It starts gentle, but as my tongue traces her lips and she lets me in without any hesitation, it becomes more. She tilts her head to the right and moves her hands up to my upper arms, gripping them tightly while my hands rest on either side of her neck, keeping her close.
