“I know.”
She got quiet. “My trust issues will probably take eons to work on.”
“I’ve been thinking about that. I told you my mom was a lawyer.” Samson snuggled closer, because he could. “She used to tell me about this thing called the eggshell plaintiff rule.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m probably messing up the explanation, but basically, if you walk up to someone with a thin skull and hit them in the head, and they get hurt, you’re responsible for the damage you caused. Even if hitting someone with a normal skull wouldn’t have resulted in any damage.”
“I’m not following.”
“The lesson she meant for me to take away, is that you take a person as you find them.” He thought of how Luluhad stubbornly stuck by his father’s side. He’d been angry, sometimes with her, after the Switch. Angry that shehadn’tbeen more angry at his father’s fate.
Now he knew. His mother had taken life as it was. Grateful for every extra moment she got to spend with the man she loved, in sickness and in health.
“I’m patient, Rhi. I’d like it if you could give me the benefit of the doubt, not jump to conclusions without hearing me out if you’re feeling nervous about me... but I will take you as you are, baggage and all. The flip side is, you have to take me as I am.”
“Easy. You’re almost perfect.”
He couldn’t help but laugh. “I definitely am not. I don’t really know how to be with someone like this. I’m learning, and I’ll probably get scared and freak out and mess up. I don’t know what the future holds.” He thought about one day unfolding after another with this woman. How long had it been since he’d thought about the future and not been terrified? “We can, however, communicate and be patient with one another.”
“We could.”
“In that case, will you answer my earlier question? Can we be serious?”
She gazed down at him. Her eyes were so pretty, endless pools of dark brown. “Yes.”
“Yeah?” His smile widened.
HIS HAPPINESS SCAREDRhiannon, because God knew if she’d be able to keep him looking that happy. She’d fail. Orhe would. “Though I’m not the kind of woman you probably envisioned when you wrote your Matchmaker bio,” she said. “Kind and sweet and loyal.”
He stroked her arm, leaving goose bumps. “You’re all those things and more. Also...” He winced. “Uh, don’t tell anyone, but Tina wrote that bio.”
She huffed out a laugh, thinking of how many times she’d obsessed over those three words. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Nope. As of right this minute, the Crush bio you swiped right on is the only thing I’ve ever written.”
Well, damn. Damn. “How about that.”
“The Matchmaker quiz, though, I did take, and so did you.”
Rhiannon’s eyes narrowed and she recalled what he’d said, about Annabelle engineering their meeting. “Wait. Did she make us all take that questionnaire so she could see if you and I were a good match?”
“Yup.”
“Diabolical.” But she said it with admiration. Annabelle might not be a standard businesswoman, but when had Rhiannon ever surrounded herself with conventional people? “I might actually enjoy being her partner more than buying the business outright.”
“You don’t want to know our match percentage?”
“Nah. I don’t believe in it.” She yawned, but then opened one eye. “We scored high though, yeah?”
“Yeah, overachiever, we scored high.” He rolled his eyes, but high-fived her when she sleepily offered her hand.
They lay in silence for a while. Rhiannon had a million things to do, but for the first time in a long time, she felt... light. Like she’d gotten closure on multiple fronts, had laid down weights she hadn’t even been aware she was carrying.
He nuzzled her temple. “I’ll probably love you soon.”
Warmth bloomed in her chest. “I’ll love you soon too. And then it’s all over for you. I look out for the people I love even when they don’t look out for themselves.”
