“I want to stay here for a few more weeks.”
“Of course, Ada. You should finish what you came here to do.”
“Even if it means we’ll be apart for a little while?”
“Even if it means that. I want you to be happy. To get whatever closure you need.” He touched warm lips against my shoulder. “Although I’ll probably request the same privileges your dad now receives.”
“What?”
“Daily calls? Yes, he’s told me about that. There’s no way I’m not requesting the same.”
I laughed in the darkness. “I’ll do you one better. I’ll call you twice daily.”
“Perfect.”
“It’s good, actually. Between us now.”
“Oh?”
“I’ve resented him for so long, for not being there. For not doing more. But he’s had his own demons. And he’s the only family I have. We need each other.”
“You do.” He pulled me into his warmth, a leg twining its way between mine. “But he’s not the only family you have, Ada.”
We settled into the small space, snuggled close together. It might be a tight fit, but I already knew I’d sleep better than I had in weeks.
“Grant?”
“Yes?” Amusement colored his voice.
“Do you know what I’ve realized?”
“That you love me.”
I flushed in the darkness. “Well. Yes. But aside from that.”
He ran a hand over my naked waist, fitting me closer. “What?”
“Do you remember our fortune cookies?”
“How could I forget?” he said dryly.
“I think we both followed their advice. The fortunes came true.”
He laughed softly in the darkness. “You’re here for well-organized time and a more well-organized mind?”
“Exactly! Although Dr. Willis would probably disagree with the phrasing, so we won't tell the fortune cookie company about that."
“It’ll be our secret.”
I kissed him, soft and sweet. “And for you, Grant…”
“Love,” he said simply. “I learned about love.”
Epilogue
Two years later
Ada
“Hi Max,” I said, feeling slightly stupid. “It’s been a long time now since you left us. I still think about you every day, but it’s much better now.”
I bent and put a bouquet of flowers on his grave. I had spent a long time at the florist picking them out, until I could almost hear him laughing at me. I don't have all day, Addie. Quit dawdling. So I'd grabbed a bunch of the brightest, yellowest tulips.
“Guess what? I’ve married Grant. I can imagine you laughing and laughing at that if you could hear me. But it’s true. And I would tell you to stop, because we were wrong about him. He’s everything, Max. So good to me - I can’t think of a better man. I know you'd think so too if you were still here.”
I looked over at the car, where Grant was talking to one of the cemetery gardeners. Always planning and organizing, wherever he went. I smiled and turned back to Max.
“And guess what?” I put a hand over my widening midsection. “We’re going to become parents. I guess you could never see that one coming, right? Yourself as an uncle, and me as a mom. But things change. I know you would have been the best uncle, but life wanted something different for us. Don’t worry, I’ll bore our kids with memories of you, so they’ll know about their uncle. I promise to tell them all of your best stories.”
Grant walked up the gravel path behind me.
“See? The tulips look great.” He said and wrapped his arms around me, one of his hands finding the swell of my stomach. He kissed my neck, just below my ear, and I shivered. His touch never got old.
“How is he?”
I put my hand on top of his, resting together on our son, kicking inside.
“He’s good,” I said. “He’s good now.”
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About Olivia
Olivia Hayle writes contemporary romances made out of sugar, spice and all things nice - with a pinch of heat, of course!
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Authors note
A thousand thank you’s to all of my readers, especially my ARC readers and support system. I will always be grateful that you chose to give my book a chance out of all of the thousands out there.
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Lots of love,
Olivia
Look But Don't Touch: Enemies to Lovers Page 20
