Emily stumbles away, collapses dramatically onto the couch. “I need a moment.”
“Is he too scared of you?” Annie asks, totally serious, making us all frown curiously. “What? You’re a sexual goddess. It could be intimidating.”
“He’snotintimidated,” I say, and it’s loaded enough to make them all perk up. “But it is intentional,” I add quickly. “I didn’t tell you all, but I’ve been celibate this past year.”
Emily throws her hands in the air. “The secrets never end! This is Jack’s fault, isn’t it? I’m breaking up with him. He takes up all my space and now you don’t tell me things.”
I slide onto the couch beside her, leaning into her shoulder.
“I kept it to myself because it was something I needed to do. Just for me.”
“I hate adulthood,” she admits, kissing my head.
“Me too. And this change was so uncomfortable at first. I was ready for more out of relationships, but it felt like sex kept getting in the way.” It’s the simplest answer I can give without launching into Caden and that hurt.
They’re all quiet now, which rarely happens, so I go on.
“James knows about the celibacy thing. Knows how important it’s been to me. So he’s never once pushed. He just . . . shows up. Over and over. Like that’s enough.”
Emily’s eyes are glistening. “You deserve that.”
Annie wipes at the corner of her eye. “So why keep it quiet?”
“I didn’t want the town in our business. And . . .” I glance at them. “Maybe I was nervous you guys were going to encourage me to stay away from James or something.”
They all groan and launch throw pillows at me.
“We’re going public after the opening,” I say, laughing and batting them away. “One big event at a time.”
“Mabel’s going to belividthat she wasn’t in on the secret,” Emily says.
“Not as much as Tommy when he realizes all his efforts were in vain,” I mutter.
They freeze. “What does Tommy have to do with it?”
And so, I launch into the story—the airport pickup, the declaration to woo me, the flower deliveries and e-card flirting. Amelia jumps up midsentence, eyes glowing.
“This isperfect.I have just the movie for this.”
Five minutes later,Sabrinaplays quietly in the background. We’ve seen it a hundred times, but it hums along behind us, Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart gently falling in love while I answer every nosy question my sisters ask.
And somewhere between “When did it start to change for you?” and “Was your first kiss weird?” my heart burns with love.
He needs to know.Now.No more waiting or going slow. James has proven he is more trustworthy with my heart than anyone I’ve ever known.
I stand abruptly. “I’m sorry, but—I’ve got to go.”
I shove my feet into my shoes, grab my keys from the table, and bolt for the door.
Because I’m in love with James.
And I’m done keeping it quiet.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Madison
Which brings me to now, parking, diving out of my truck, stumbling in my Hunter boots across the gravel driveway. I don’t stop until I’m up on James’s back porch and standing outside his door. The lights are on so I know he’s still awake.
