“Sure, with that attitude. But, Kelsey, youcanget it right.” The sincerity in his eyes tugged at her heart.Such a romantic.“When I married Sara, I didn’t expect to have smooth sailing, but I knew no matter what came up, we’d make it. We’d have a couple of kids, a cat, and a dog.” Will shrugged. “I got the cat.”
“You got more than that.”
His faint smile held a touch of sadness. “I know.”
“You could try again. Go on a few dates,” Kelsey suggested.
“I date,” he said quickly. “I’m only human.”
“Thanks for clarifying.”
He chuckled. “Dating is okay, but in the end the relationships never go anywhere. What Sara and I had…you don’t find that every day.”
“I’m sure you don’t.” Kelsey took a sip of her coffee. “You must miss her.”
His smile disappeared, and he placed his empty cup on the counter. “I do.”
Kelsey couldn’t imagine what he’d gone through. From childhood friendship to falling in love to losing the love of his life, all those feelings and emotions were so foreign to her.
She refilled his mug. “So, are you ready to pull an all-nighter?”
* * *
February 3
So much for pulling an all-nighter.
The crick in Will’s neck was about to kill him, but that was what he got for falling asleep on the couch. He stretched, only to find his legs tangled in something warm and soft and…
His eyes sprang open.
Kelsey.
She was sound asleep on the opposite end of the couch, legs entwined with his across the large sofa. Her lips curved upward, and Will wondered what dream had put the peaceful smile on her face. Her dark lashes shadowed her fair skin. He wanted to kiss the mole on her cheek.
Right here, right now, all her barriers were down, and he liked that. She wasn’t a hardworking wedding consultant. She wasn’t the cynical realist who didn’t believe in “happily ever afters.” She was Sleeping Beauty. All she needed was a kiss to wake her up….
His chest tightened.
He was no Prince Charming. Not even close. Prince Charming wouldn’t be watching her sleep like a creep.
But something intrigued him and drove his curiosity. Nothing about Kelsey was surface level. There was more to her cynicism than met the eye. Thanks to their conversation last night, he had a better understanding of why Kelsey felt the way she did about love and marriage. He didn’t blame her after everything she and her brother had been through. But Will blamed her parents.
A sigh escaped Kelsey’s lips. She shifted, rubbing her calf against his.
A rush of heat raced through him. He allowed himself a minute to enjoy the moment. Lying together this way with Kelsey felt so good, so natural.
His muscles tensed. There was nothing natural about it. Strange, that was what it was.
Will had been surrounded by women his entire life. His mother, his sisters, his wife. But Kelsey didn’t fit into any of the usual categories. Yet he was feeling things he hadn’t felt since Sara….
Will untangled his legs and sat up straight.
How could the feelings be the same?
Kelsey was nothing like Sara. Tall and brunette, Kelsey was the antithesis of his petite, blonde wife. But the differences went deeper than the physical.
Gentle, soft-spoken Sara would have been bowled over by tell-it-like-it-is Kelsey. His wife had been easygoing without Kelsey’s drive and determination. Sara was the perfect wife; Kelsey didn’t believe in marriage. One was milk and apple pie, the other champagne and crème brûlée.
