I’m looking at Troy like I worship the ground he walks on and he’s smiling at the camera, but what really takes my breath away is the way that Luke’s head is thrown back in laughter.
He’s so carefree and happy.
There isn’t the weight of the world on his shoulders in the way there has been since he returned from his last tour.
“Who took this?”
He chuckles from across the room and I hear him walk towards me.
He comes up behind me and wraps his hands around my middle.
“You remember that awful girl I dated after high school?”
“Brittany?” I ask, screwing my nose up. That girl really was awful.
He chuckles, and the vibration sends shivers down my spine.
“Yeah her. She turned up that night, do you remember?”
I give a noncommittal shrug. This is why I don’t really drink – I couldn’t handle my alcohol back then and I’m no better now.
He laughs again. “You spewed all through your neighbour’s rose bush. God, that was one hell of a night.” I can hear the smile in his voice and even though this is pure embarrassment for me, I still find myself smiling along with him.
He has that effect on me.
“Yeah, yeah, I seem to remember that part…” I raise a brow at him. “Let’s get back to Brittany the bitch, shall we?”
He kisses the top of my head and chuckles. “She must have held onto it a long time, she sent it to me after Troy passed away. I had no idea it even existed.”
“That was nice of her,” I reply quietly as I stare at the picture again.
“I guess she’s not so much of a bitch these days.”
I giggle. “I really like this picture.”
“It’s the favourite of all my photos,” he replies simply.
I can see why. It’s such an accurate representation of the fun we used to have back then.
“It’s the history of us,” he says, his thoughts mirroring mine. “The three of us.”
“Will you make me a copy?”
“I’ll do you one better,” he says as he places kisses to my neck. “One day soon, maybe I’ll let you share that one.”
It should surprise me, this obvious hint about us moving in together, but it doesn’t. I know Luke like I know the back of my hand.
I want him around as much as I can have him.
I want to share my life with him even more than I have the past two years.
The only skeletons in his closet are the ones that we share, and that probably shouldn’t be reassuring to me, but it is.
We’ll fight our demons together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Luke
I’ve always thought the idea of a person changing someone with love was a bit of a cop out, but I understand it now.
Mia has changed me in a lot of ways, but I feel it most in these past two days since we slept together.
We’re joined now, I can sense it.
I know I’ve got a stupid grin plastered across my face, and a glint in my eyes, and I couldn’t care less.
I’m more than happy for the whole world to know that I’m in love, and that I’m loved in return.
“Seriously, dude, you’re gonna break your face.”
I look up at Caleb and smile even wider, just to rub it in.
This is the first day he’s been back at work with me.
He took some much needed time off last week and caught up with his dad. He’s still not speaking to his mum, but I can’t say I blame him. One out of two isn’t bad.
I just hope that one day Everly will wake up and realise that yes, she may have lost one son, but she’s got another one right here, just waiting to be loved.
“If that’s what being in love looks like then I think I’ll just stay single forever,” he deadpans.
I know he’s joking, I can see his poor attempt at hiding his smile.
The two of us haven’t had a chance to really talk things out yet.
Mia told me about their talk, and I’ve spoken to Caleb – but not on our own like this.
I know I owe him a conversation about everything that’s happened.
“One day when you find yourself a girl, and make a face like this, I’m going to pay you out so hard.” I chuckle.
He shakes his head at me and grins.
“Are we good, man? I don’t want shit to be weird between us,” I ask, my tone serious now.
He’s worked for me for a long time now. He’s a hard worker, but more than that he’s a friend. I like working with him every day. I’d hate for him to go.
“We’re good, Luke. It’s gonna take me a while to get used to it, but I can see how happy you are together, and that’s all I want.”
“It’s not something I ever saw coming…” I look up from the framing I’m building. “I never anticipated something happening between Mia and me, but I don’t know… I guess things just work out like that sometimes.”
“It’s just hard to get my head around… if he was here, then there would be no you and Mia. There would be Troy and Mia, and Luke and who? Is there someone else out there who you would have been happy with if Troy had lived?”
I shrug at him because I don’t know. I’d hate to think that this was the universe’s plan all along, but who am I to question the way things happen.
“It’s just hard to accept that this was fate for the three of you,” he says, his sentiments almost mirroring my thoughts.
I clear my throat which is feeling thick with emotion all of a sudden. I wasn’t quite prepared for such a deep and meaningful. “I’m sorry I didn’t get to tell you about it myself, but I’m not sorry for it happening; I could never apologise for loving her.”
“I know you’re not, and I wouldn’t want you to be sorry… I think I can get used to there being a Luke and Mia.”
“Good. Because it’s going to be that way for a long time.”
“I hope so, man.” He picks up his measuring tape and runs it down the length of the timber he needs to cut. “Mia deserves to be happy and settled. So do you. You’ve both been through a lot.”
“You deserve to be happy too, Caleb.”
He nods his head. “Yeah… and I’m getting there.”
He is. We all are. I can see it. I know everybody always says that time heals all wounds, but I never really believed it.
I wouldn’t say I’m healed – I know Mia and Caleb aren’t either – and maybe we never will be, but we’re doing our best. The patch over the hole in my heart is holding for now at least.
We work together in comfortable silence for about half an hour before he speaks again.
“I wasn’t sure if I should say anything or not, but I figure it can’t hurt.”
I tap the nail right in and pause. “I’m listening.”
“You know that big old place for sale down on Juliet Street?”
“Yeah, I know it.” I nod.
“Mia gave it ‘the look’ when we were out walking.”
I don’t have to ask him what he’s means by ‘the look’. I already know. I’ve seen that wistful look in her eyes when she’s looking at something she wants or loves. I’ve seen that look a lot over the years. I see it when she looks at me now.
“Noted,” I say with a nod.
He chuckles and goes back to his work.
***
“Do you mind staying until he’s asleep?” Mia asks in a hushed tone.
She looks really nervous about asking the question and I don’t understand why.
I’m here and she knows I’d never turn down an opportunity to put Joe to bed, and I’m even less likely to race off home the minute he’s gone down – that’s when I get my alone time with her.
“Of course I’ll stay.”
She smiles, but I can still see her nerves. “I know it’s not Tuesday… I thought you might have other plans.”
It might not be my usual night to come over, but she doesn’t seem to understand that I’d be here every
single night of the week if that wouldn’t be classed as coming on too strong.
“The only plans I have right now are with you and Joe.”
“Okay, well thank you,” she whispers.
“Night, buddy,” I tell him, and he waves to me.
“Night, Wuke.”
I can’t help smiling when he says my name. He’s seriously the cutest kid.
Mia takes my hand in hers and leads me down the stairs.
I watch her bustle around in the kitchen, taking twice as long to make a cup of tea than she usually would.
She catches me watching her and winces. “What? Is Joe calling out?”
Joe hardly ever calls out after he’s put to bed, the little guy usually goes out like a light, but right now Mia is acting like a cat on a hot tin roof.
“I haven’t heard a peep from him. What’s going on, Mia? Is something wrong?”
She shoots me a sheepish look.
“He’s been playing up at bed time and crying in the mornings.”
I can feel my heart rate speed up in concern. This kind of thing isn’t like Joe.
“Why? Is he sick?”
She shakes her head and bites down on her lip. She’s nervous as hell and I can’t figure out what’s going on.
“No.”
“Nightmares?”
She shakes her head.
I cross the room and grip her elbows so she can’t get away from having this conversation.
“Seriously, sweetheart, what the hell is going on? I’m getting worried.”
“It’s you,” she breathes, and I can physically see the weight being lifted off her shoulders. “He’s upset if you’re not here to put him to bed and he cries if he wakes up and you’re not there.”
“Oh, Mia… Why didn’t you tell me sooner? How long has this been happening?”
She blushes bright red. “You only went back home, what, a week ago? It started right after you stopped sleeping over…”
She’s dipped her head to avoid my eyes.
“Mia, you didn’t have to keep this from me. You know I hate seeing Joe upset as much as you do.” I tip her chin up with my thumb. “You’re allowed to ask me for help.”
“I know I can…” She fidgets nervously. “But I didn’t know how to ask you to be here every night and every morning...”
I can feel my heart thumping in my chest.
“Do you want me to be here every night and every morning?”
“I don’t want you to be anywhere else,” she whispers.
I search her eyes for a clue that she’s only doing this for her son, but I don’t find any.
“You know I’d do anything for Joe, but I can’t move in with you just because he’s upset… If we’re going to do this it has to be because you want it, Mia. You. If you’re not sure or you’re not ready then we’ll find another solution, okay?”
“I don’t want another solution,” she replies after a beat.
I don’t want another solution either.
I’ve known Mia for nearly half my life. I’ve been here almost every day for more than two years already. I’ve been in love with her for a long time now.
We might not have been official for long, but it’s not like she’s some random woman I picked up at the pub on a Friday night.
She’s Mia.
She’s mine. Where either of us lives is just a minor detail at this point.
“What about if I were to pack a bag and we’ll just see how it goes?” I offer.
“I already know how it’s going to go, Luke. Once you sleep next to me, you’ll never go back. I’m never going to want you to go.”
She doesn’t look nervous anymore, in fact if anything, she looks eager, but I’m wary. Not of living with her, but of pushing her too hard, too fast.
I don’t want her to wake up one day and regret a thing about our life together.
So, even though she’s probably right, and I will never go back, I still want to give her that out if she decides she wants to take it.
“I’ll pack a big bag.” I chuckle.
“A huge one.” She giggles.
I kiss her forehead and try to step away, but she grips me tighter.
“Where are you going?”
“I’m going to pack the biggest god damn bag I can find, and then I’m coming right back, so you better clear me out a drawer or something, alright?”
Her face breaks out into the most beautiful smile and she claps her hands together gleefully.
“On it.” She grins as she presses up to her tippy toes to kiss my lips quickly, before turning on her heel and running off upstairs.
Seeing how excited she is, I know she’s right. The only way I’ll leave this place is if she and Joe are coming with me.
I make my way out the front door and a picture of Mia and Troy catches my eyes from the wall. He’s everywhere in their home and that’s exactly how I want it to be.
I’d like to make Mia my wife someday, but she’ll always have been his wife first.
I’ll happily be a father to Joe, but I’ll never let him forget who his first dad was.
I smile at the photo and walk out the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Mia
Three months later
“Mia?” I hear Luke’s voice calling me from out back.
I stroll through the kitchen and out the back door and into the yard.
I laugh as I see what my boys have been up to out here. They’ve converted the yard into a football pitch, with one of the goals that Joe got for his birthday at each end.
“This yard is too small, Mia,” Luke tells me as Joe picks up the ball and makes his attempt to run for the goal.
“No hands!” Luke fakes outrage. “Ref? He’s been doing it all day!” He looks at me.
I shrug and giggle.
Joe runs right into the goal with the ball before throwing his hands up in victory.
Luke makes a show of falling to the ground in defeat.
“Surely that’s a violation of the rules,” he groans.
“I win!” Joe announces as he jumps on top of Luke.
“Urrggh,” Luke moans. “Watch the twig and berries, little man.”
I cover my mouth in an attempt to hide my laughter.
Joe hops up and runs off to his sandpit without a care in the world.
“Seriously, Mia, we need more space,” Luke tells me from his spot in the middle of the lawn.
I wander over to him and lower myself down on top of him.
He smiles up at me and wraps his arms around me.
I kiss him and hear Joe applauding from his sandpit.
We both laugh. He’s done that ever since Luke moved in. He claps every single time he sees us kissing.
It’s cute and all but I hope it’s not going to continue forever. He did it in the park the other day and all the other parents thought it was hilarious. I’ve never blushed so hard in my entire life.
The last thing I want is for people to stare at us again.
The scandal of Luke and I has finally died down now, and I’m glad.
It’s not as though I particularly cared what the other mums from the music group thought, or that I was all that interested in what the neighbours might say, but I don’t like being the centre of attention in the slightest, so I’m glad that we’re old news now.
We still get looks everywhere we go, but I’ve got a strong suspicion that it has more to do with the handsome man who’s constantly touching me, than it has to do with the fact that we’re a couple.
“More space you reckon?” I ask as I push the hair back from his forehead.
He nods. “Need some more bedrooms for all those babies you plan on giving me.”
He’s got a cheeky grin on his face, but I’m more than happy for him to tease me. I might not be game enough just yet, but I do want kids with him one day.
I want a whole bunch of them.
“Well, it’s lucky I booked us a viewing of that house around th
e corner then…” I reply.
“You didn’t?” He’s gaping at me and I wonder if I’ve made a mistake by doing this without talking to him first.
“I did…”
“I booked us one too,” he replies sheepishly, his surprised expression morphing into a wide smile.
I laugh. That is classic us. We’re so in sync sometimes it’s almost scary.
“When is your appointment?” he asks.
“Today at three. You?”
“Tomorrow at nine.” He chuckles. “She said she couldn’t get me in today because she was showing someone else through.”
“Smart lady.” I wink at him.
“So, we’re really doing this then? Looking for a new place… together?”
I giggle. “It sounds like we’re doing it twice.”
“God, I love you,” he breathes.
I know he does. I really, really do. I’ll never be one of those women who are never sure where they stand with their partner. I know exactly how important I am to Luke.
“I love you too.” I place a quick kiss to the tip of his nose and jump up off him.
He groans as I tug on his hands, making a half ass attempt to help him stand up.
“C’mon, stinky, we’ve got a house to view and you need a shower.”
***
“Mia?” I hear Luke call out. “What happened to that little night light thing you had out here?”
I lean against the doorway and watch his confused expression as he stares at the power socket that it used to plug into.
“It’s gone.”
“What happened to it?”
I throw the face cloth I’m holding into the washing basket and shrug. “I don’t need it anymore… I’ve got you now.”
I see Luke’s eyes soften and I know he realises exactly how much of a big deal this is for me. That night light has been a comfort for me ever since Joe was born.
I got it for the night feeds, but then after that, I just couldn’t face the empty nights without it. I felt too alone, and it frightened me.
Mr. March: A Friends to Lovers Romance (Calendar Boys Book 3) Page 13
