“It’s not going anywhere anytime soon,” Dom says with a trace of defensiveness in his tone.
“That’s cool.” Chloe nudges Jasper in the ribs and shoots me an apologetic smile. “We’re gonna go grab some food. Did you see Mrs. Peachwood made her famous apple pie crumble? Just like those summer barbecues.”
The nostalgia sweeps over me and I involuntarily reach for Dom’s hand.
“Can we bring you guys any food?” Jasper asks.
Dom and I both shake our heads as Chloe and Jasper depart. Squeezing his hand in mine, I stare back up at him.
“Can I talk to you?”
Dom raises his brows but doesn’t look at me. “Here?”
“Yeah.”
He shrugs. “Sure.”
Taking a deep breath, I say, “I'm mad at Gloria.” Dom narrows his eyes at me. “Having congestive heart failure and not saying anything to anyone? Pisses me off. Having her pass away so suddenly? It makes me fucking angry.” A smirk ghosts over his face and I know it’s because I dropped an F-bomb. “But honestly? In the end, I can’t be mad at her at all. I have so much to be grateful to Gloria for. The bookstore, yeah, of course. But the most important thing in this whole entire world?”
Dom’s eyes glass over and I know he’s fighting tears, the same as me.
“She brought you into my life,” I whisper. The celebration roars around us, more of a party than a sad occasion, and I try to lean into that. “First, as kids. And again, eight months ago.” I press a hand to Dom’s chest, where his heartbeat pounds erratically. “Without Gloria, I would never have met the man I love.” I let out a wavering laugh as a tear slips down my cheek. “Or connect him again, fifteen years later.”
Dominic’s hands come up to cup my face, his thumb brushing the tear from my cheek. He leans down and nuzzles his nose against mine. “I love you, so fucking much.” He takes a shuddering breath before pressing his lips to mine.
Did I anticipate Dominic and I confessing our love for one another during the celebration of life for a woman who meant so much to us? No, but love isn’t always perfect or pretty. It’smessy and it hurts. It’s exposing and vulnerable. It’s tons of tiny, imperfect pieces that, when clumsily assembled, become the most precious thing in the world. The thing you want to hold close, protect, and never let go. Why? Because it’s yours.
SIXTEEN
august
DOMINIC
This was supposedto be my year. Coming back to Prairie Ridge was supposed to be a reset, a fresh start to get out of my own head and leave my demons behind in Kentucky. And when I saw Pen again, I knew in my fucking bones this year would be better.
And yet, I can’t get off this damn rollercoaster of emotions. Aunt Gloria had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure almost a year before I moved back here. An entire year, and she didn’t say a damn thing. Her doctor was surprised how unaware I was regarding her condition. When I demanded to know why he hadn’t done more to treat her, he held his hands up in defense.
“We did try, Mr. Miller. Your aunt went through various treatments before she decided she wanted to stop.”
“Why? Why would she do that?”
The doctor had shrugged. “She was exhausted, Mr. Miller. I remember she said once…” He had trailed off until I gave him a look, demanding he continue. “She said she missed her husband. When her time came, she said she didn’t want to fight it.”
I almost lashed out at him in a fit of anger, but Pen was right there, holding my hand and soothing me with her gentle touch. She's been doing this a lot lately, and while I'm incredibly grateful, it's also starting to annoy me. I hate feeling this way— constantly angry, unable to control my temper when it flares up, and having to rely on Pen to keep me grounded.
I need a fucking break— from my own thoughts, from dealing with the aftermath of Gloria's death, handling the transfer of business accounts to me, and ignoring messages from my mom. I haven't even told Pen about my mom reaching out— despite her calm appearance these past few weeks, my mom is a trigger for her. I can't have both of us erupting in anger, now can I?
See what I mean about a roller coaster?
Tonight, I’m taking Pen out on a date, since we’ve never officially gone on one. She asked to meet me at the restaurant while she closes up at the store.
“Can I get you something to drink?” a server politely asks as I tap my fingers on the closed drink menu. I only briefly looked at the cocktails— nothing exciting enough to tempt me. God, how can places like this keep churning out boring drinks?
“I’ll just take a vodka soda.” Tried and true, even if it’s boring as hell. I keep the drink menu, just in case Pen wants to look when she gets here.
“Hey, baby!” Speak of the devil… Pen walks up behind me and leans down to kiss my cheek before she sits in the chair across from me. She’s carrying a sparkly, purple gift bag and her eyes brim with excitement.
“Hey, how did the closing go?”
