THIRTY-EIGHT
EVE
Fleeingthe house in the most epic of mismatched pajamas—part mine and part Cole’s—to walk the dog isn’t my finest moment.
But neither is getting caught in bed naked with my boyfriend by my dad. No one needs to experience that, especially on Christmas morning.
A fresh wave of mortification drowns me. I scrub a hand over my face, wishing it could erase the awkward memory from my mind.
I promised Cole I’d stay in the guest room, but it kept replaying in my head. I had to get out of there, powerless against the impulse to move. Panic almost got the best of me when I found Mom baby talking Bauer when I went down to get him for our escape, but she bought my excuse to take him for a walk without question.
When I’m two blocks from the house, I stop in my tracks. I’ve got enough steam to power walk across town if I don’t pay attention. Bauer barks to get me to move.
“Okay, shh. Don’t wake the whole neighborhood. Let’s go this way.”
We turn the corner to circle the block. I sigh, getting lost in my thoughts once more.
I was ready to end this last night. No more secrets. No more sneaking around. I wanted to tell Dad today, but I didn’t expect it to be like this.
Dad’s never been that enthused with the guys I’ve dated, least of all the ones like Shawn. It would break my heart for him to look at Cole with disappointment and disapproval, even though he’s nothing like them.
Not only that, he holds Cole’s job in the palm of his hand. He gave it and he can just as easily rip it away. A sting irritates my throat. Cole loves being a coach more than anything. My jaw clenches.
No. I won’t let Dad do that.
What am I doing out here? Cole’s the one that taught me I can’t run from problems when things get hard. I need to face this with him together. Face Dad.
I have to go back and tell him myself. He doesn’t get a say in who I fall in love with, and I won’t let him punish Cole for being with me.
With a fire burning in my stomach, I spin around. Cole’s there, jogging to reach me. His thick brown hair is windswept and his green eyes are bright.
“This is where you got off to.”
“You tracked me down.”
“Of course I did. Always will.”
He seems in good spirits. I lick my lips, glancing past him as my stomach flips with nerves.
“Is it over?” I ask tightly.
Am I too late?
“Having to be together in secret? Yes.” He cradles my face, giving me the tender smile that wraps my heart in warmth. “Butus? No, sweetheart. We’ll never be done. We’re in this together, aren’t we?”
My heart clenches. “Yes. I’m sorry I rushed out, but I’m going to give Dad hell if he thinks he can ruin what we have or mess with your job. It's an abuse of authority if he fires you for whatever you choose to do in your personal life, and I’ll go over his head to argue with whoever I need to.”
Cole chuckles. “I always want you fighting in my corner. HR wouldn’t know what hit them.”
Bauer runs around our feet, clumsily ramming his head into our legs. Cole kisses my forehead, holding me and breathing with me until my head stops rioting with information to plan out what I’ll tell Dad.
Once my thoughts slow down, I process what he said belatedly. “Wait. What happened when you talked to him?”
He pulls back, lips quirking into a lopsided curve. “That’s why I came out here to get you. Everything’s fine.”
“Fine?”
“Completely. He’s not mad. As long as you’re happy, he is. Oh, and your Mom’s apparently known about us since summer. We weren’t as sneaky as we thought, kissing behind the camper.”
