“In the office!” My father’s voice came from that direction, and I motioned for Jackson to follow me to the back of the house. The space still looked relatively the same, with tall bookcases lining the back wall and lots of natural light coming in from the window. However, the solid mahogany desk that used to sit proudly in the middle was notably missing, instead having been replaced by some comfortable-looking armchairs facing the window where both my mother and father sat.
As Jackson and I stepped into the room, and my parents both looked up, my father placed the book he was reading against his chest to save his spot while my mother slipped a delicate bookmark between the pages of hers.
“I like what you’ve done with the place,” I commented, noticing more seating options now that we were through the threshold along with some other changes that screamed of my mother’s influence.
Ma’s face lit up. “Isn’t it nice? When your father suggested turning it into a reading room for us, I was over the moon.” She turned and reached out a hand to him which he took and gave a small squeeze. “I love that we get to use this room together now.”
“You’d said you wanted to talk?” My father motioned toward the extra seating after sending a fond look to my mother, but I could feel both their stares on us as Jackson followed me over.
I gave him a short nod as we both sat. “I did.” When Jackson settled next to me, I took his hand in mine and rested it on my knee. Not only was it a signal to my parents what our conversation was about, but his touch was grounding as my heart began to knock against my chest.
“I wanted you both to hear from me that Jackson and I are together. We’ve been keeping this to ourselves while we figured out what we really wanted, but now that things are serious, I want you both to be aware.” My voice came out steadier than I felt, even as I watched my mother lift a hand to her chest. “I know this might be a shock because, believe me, it was hard for me to wrap my head around being with anyone who wasn’t Raleigh.”
When I turned my head to look beside me, Jackson’s steady green-brown eyes were already looking in my direction. “They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, and I really believed the kind of love I had with Raleigh was once in a lifetime. But Jackson has shown me I might be one of the luckiest men alive since I get to experience it twice.” His smile was warm, the dimple in his cheek just barely visible, but I knew it was there.
“I love you,” he whispered under his breath for just me to hear, and I knew regardless of what my parents thought or believed, it would all be okay.
A low grunt came from across the space, and I looked over to where my father had his arms crossed. For a split second, nerves slowly snuck their way back under my skin, and my stomach soured as I wondered if this would be the moment my father would put his foot down. But then he spoke and hope flared bright inside me.
“He make you happy?” he asked, looking between me and Jackson.
“Very much so,” I responded quickly.
“He treat you right?” This was directed to Jackson as my father tilted his salt-and-pepper head toward me.
“The best.” Jackson grinned wide. “I’d consider myself the lucky one in all this.”
“That’s all I can ask for, then.” Dad grunted after a moment, nodding a little to himself. Beside him, my mother added in her own nod of approval as well.
“Really?” I asked, not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, but once again stunned by my parents’ easy acceptance of the partners I’d chosen for myself.
“All we’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy, healthy, and taken care of, Tucker,” my mother chimed in, a watery smile forming on her lips. “Losing Raleigh was hard on everyone, but it was awful watching you wither away after. Sometimes it felt like we lost you right along with him.” She sniffed a little before continuing. “But in the last few months, it’s like you’ve finally gotten some of your life back, and if Jackson is who we have to thank for that, then your father and I are more than happy you’ve found each other.”
The relief that washed over me was sharp and sudden, and I dropped my head forward slightly at the rush of it. Even if I’d been prepared to walk out of here with a potentially broken relationship with my folks, knowing I had their support was like a weight taken off my shoulders. Gentle lips pressed against the back of my hand, and I tilted my head to soak in the reassurance of my man.
He sent me a soft smile before turning his attention toward my parents. “I want you to know I don’t take Tucker’s love lightly. You’ve raised an incredible man, and I plan to cherish him for however long I can.”
Sitting back up, I knocked my shoulder into his lightly. “Okay, Sunshine, no need to turn this into wedding vows.”
“Oh, you get to do the deep declarations, but I can’t?” Jacksonlaughed, looping his arm around my neck to pull me into him. The unexpected move had me letting out a quick bark of my own laughter as my sunny farmhand peppered my cheek in kisses. I could hear my mother’s own tinkling laughter joining in, and somehow, the rightness of the moment had me realizing something. When the time came, I’d marry the shit out of Jackson Arness.
EPILOGUE
TUCKER
Two Years Later
Soft morning light filtered in through the sheer curtains when I blinked awake, my body warm and pressed up against a solid mass as my brain slowly came online. I buried my nose into the head of blond waves just under my chin, breathing in a scent so familiar and comforting to me, it was hard to believe I hadn’t known it my whole life.
Jackson grunted below me, the arm slung low over my hips tugging me closer into him as he burrowed his face against my chest to block out the sun’s rays. The scrape of his barely there stubble tickled along my skin and did more to wake me than anything else.
Squinting against the sheer brightness in our bedroom, I leaned over the lump of a man I loved to check the alarm clock and cursed under my breath. “Fuck, Sunshine, you gotta get up.” I rasped, untangling my legs from his before kicking the covers off of us.
“S’too early,” he protested, wide hands snaking around my waist to pull me back to him when I went to slide off the bed.
“Jackson, it’s fucking eight-thirty.” I hissed, wrangling free and findingthe pair of jeans I’d discarded last night before hopping into them. My words had my man sitting bolt up, his hair a wild mess around his head as he quickly glanced to confirm them.
“Why didn’t our alarms go off?” he asked slowly, stretching like a cat in the sun. “Didn’t you set them?”
