I leaned forward, closing some of the space between us. “Math homework does trump most other things.”
“Mmm,” he agreed. “I should come over here more often.”
“You probably should.”
“Ben, I need your help!” Blake shouted before Ben could fully absorb those words.
We both moved into survival mode as the dinner hour grew closer. The kids kept us busy and occupied throughout the meal. There wasn’t any opportunity for us to speak to each other, but I could feel his eyes on me the entire time.
Ben could feel or see the change in me, but he didn’t know what it meant yet.
He entertained the kids while I cleaned up the kitchen and by then it was time for them to head to bed. I pulled out the one purchase I’d made in town today by myself and set it on the kitchen counter.
He and the kids had started a mean game of hangman at the craft table, but when the wine appeared, Ben’s focus immediately shifted.
“What’s that?” he demanded. The flirting tone he’d been using all night disappeared. He didn’t want to tease me anymore.
The wine signified too much.
“I thought maybe you wanted to stay for a bit?After I get the kids to bed?”
He pushed back from the small table and jumped to his feet. His long legs ate up the space between us in a few elongated strides. He picked up the bottle and read the label before setting it back on the counter.
“When did you get this?”
“Emma watched the kids for me today. I had something I needed to do.”
“What was that?”
I looked up into his dark eyes and held his gaze with a confidence I had never felt around him before. “I went to talk to Grady. I had a few things to tell him.”
“Like?”
I smiled, “Don’t you want to wait until after I get the kids down? We could have privacy. It might be easier.”
His hand reached out to grip my waist; his other steadied himself on the counter. “Don’t make me wait, Liz. I don’t want to wait.”
My heart thumped frantically in my chest and my skin tingled where he touched me. “I told him that I fell in love with you. I asked him for his forgiveness, but then I realized I didn’t need it. You were right, Ben. I can love two men. I can love Grady without holding back anything from you. And I can love you without betraying him. I don’t want to be neighbors anymore. I don’t even want to be friends. I just want to love you. For as long as you’ll let me.”
He lunged for me, crushing me to his chest and wrapping his arms around me. “I want that too,” he breathed against my neck.
The kids erupted with grotesque sounds, not pleased with our public display of affection at all. He pulled back to give them some peace, but kept his hands on my back, holding onto me.
“You want to do this?” his eyebrows raised and his expression grew serious again. “You’re willing to fight for this? It’s not going to be easy.”
“I know it’s not,” I told him. “But I love you, Ben. I can’t stay away from you anymore. I don’t want to. I wondered for a long time how I would fit you into my life, into our life. I know now that youaremy life… as much as the kids and Grady. You brought me back to life. You gave us a future to look forward to again. I already lost one man that I loved. I cannot lose another.”
His palm cupped my jaw and his thumb brushed over my cheek bone. “I love you, Elizabeth Carlson. As difficult and aggravating as you may be, I love you more than I have loved anything or anyone. I am with you in this. I am with you forever.”
He leaned down and kissed me on the lips, slow and leisurely. The kids broke out with more disapproval and raucous laughter. I pulled away from him reluctantly to give them all the evil eye.
He pressed his forehead to my temple and whispered, “Let’s get these kids to bed. We have more making up to do.”
I made a needy sound I wasn’t proud of and that was maybe highly inappropriate in front of my children.
“Mommy, do we get to keep Ben now that you love him again?”
I looked down at Lucy and felt my heart fill up to the top with love and affection for all of the people in this room. I hadn’t been this filled with love in so very long. My grief and pain took a backseat to these beautiful feelings brimming at the top.
