I grin. “Thanks. And I am onelucky man.”
19
Maggie
The anniversary party is here at last, and I can’t take my eyes off the celebrated couple.Forty-five years!Braxton’s parents have been married for forty-five years. For someone like me, it’s almost like seeing a unicorn.
Relationships like thisdoexist.
That one sentence stirs all sorts of excitement in my soul. It’s like a warm, crackling fire in the once frigid hollow of my chest. An entire month has passed since Braxton and I went on our very first date. Since then, we’ve been going nonstop—nights out, nights in, phone calls, and lovey-dovey textsfilled with just enough sarcasm and snark to make me laugh out loud or smile in a crowd.
I can’t help but think I’ve officially graduated, in a way. I spent years trying to leave my reservations and fears in the past. I read countless books about being open, vulnerable, and letting someone into my heart.
In my past relationships, I was constantly running from that part of myself—the part that could undo everything with the sudden, drastic tip of the scale. From all to nothing.
I feel no such inclination with Braxton.
That’s not to say falling in love with him is not a risk. But I’m confident that Braxton Wheaton is worth the risk.
Over the last month, we’ve enjoyed several group dates with Kirsten and Beau, made all the more enjoyable by the fact that the kids will often come along, too. When we’re together, there’s an undeniable sense of family and unity, and I can’t help but bask in it every time.
If she married Beau and I married Braxton, we’d have shared holidays on both sides, mutual in-laws, and the same nieces and nephews, too. I don’t let myself dream of it often, but during a party like this, I can’t help but imagine what could be.
Braxton and I make our way to a quiet corner of his parents’ great room as the couple of honor happily greets their guests. His brothers are scattered throughout, chatting with family, old friends, and acquaintances alike.
But here, in this small nook behind the grand piano, slightly hidden by Mrs. Wheaton’s prize figurine display case, it feels likeBraxton and I are alone.
“You know what I’ve never understood,” Braxton says, looking serious. “Sky’s the limit. What’s that supposed to mean, anyway?”
I shake my head for a beat, then recall what Braxton told me about his special exchange with Blaine.
My heart cracks a little as I say it. “It’s like… potential without end.”
He grins like I’ve fallen into his trap. “That’s what we have,” he says, looking at me expectantly.
I gulp, half melting from the incredible sentiment and half intimidated by it too. Suddenly, I remember that the two of them used to say it together afterward. “You’re right,” I say with a knowing nod. I’m relieved when he follows my lead as I speak up again.
“Sky’s the limit, baby,” we say in unison.
Braxton pulls me in for a hug. We’ve shared something that I can’t exactly explain. Something intimate and sacred. He trusts me, and I trust him too. More than I’ve trusted any man besides Jeb Nobly.
“So when are we going to make this…official?” Braxton glides the tip of his nose along my temple, allowing his heated breath to tease my skin.
Goose bumps rise up my arms, making me grin. I turn to catch his gaze, delighted by that roguish glint in his eye.
Anticipation stirs low in my tummy. He’s going to ask me to be his girlfriend, I know it. “Official?”
He takes me by both hands and looks longingly into my eyes. “I love you, Maggie.”
My heart misses its next beat.
A tiny gasp pulls at my throat.
And despite my best efforts, a splinter of fear pricks through my barrier. It’s tiny, minuscule, even, but it’s there, threatening that ever-dreaded infection. The disease of my fear that could ruin everything.
His brown eyes search mine expectantly, telling me that it’s my turn to speak. To return the sentiment. He gives my hands the slightest squeeze. “I just…thought you should know.”
Yeah, right, hejust thought I should know.This is a test. It’s his way of testing me, and I’m failing. Falling. Drowning in my aversion to being vulnerable in return.
