Page 41 of Let Me Love You

“Don’t worry. After we finish talking, we’ll come inside. Okay?”

Summer agrees reluctantly and disappears inside the house.

Once she’s out of earshot, I turn back to Serenity, and I soak her up. Her red hair is pulled back into a ponytail, a few strands falling out, shaping her face. She has something splattered on her overalls, and it looks even more endearing than if she was one hundred percent pulled together.

Her cheeks turn pink as I continue to stare at her. “What are you doing here?”

“Your note.” I pull it out of my pocket but suddenly think better of it. “I apologize. I shouldn’t have come.”

Serenity walks over to the swing we sat on the first night she agreed to marry me and motions for me to join her. “No, it’s a good thing you came.”

I widen my eyes, and my feet move on their own to sit beside my wife. “You want me here?”

“The answer to that question is complicated. But if the media gets a whiff of me taking off to my hometown all the time without you, people might start suspecting something is off.”

I nod, trying to hide the fact that my heart feels like it’s shrinking. I’m not sure how to reply, but there is one thing I decided on saying during the drive. “I’m sorry I pushed you last night.”

She shakes her head once. “We’re both at fault. I didn’t discourage you.”

“I also want to apologize for the fact that I reacted so strongly to your suggestion.” I reach out to grab her hand, and she tenses beneath me, so I release her. I’ll never do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. “I don’t want to ‘just get you out of my system.’ If you allow me to touch you, you’re mine.”

Her eyes widen. She doesn’t say anything as she stares into my eyes, scooting a little closer to me. Her chest rises and falls as she soaks in my words and their implication.

But still, I don’t want to push her, so I ask, “How is Sully?”

She blinks a couple of times. “Huh?”

“You said he fell. Is he okay?”

“Oh, yes. I checked out his ankle.” She chuckles softly. “I suppose I overreacted.”

The screen door creaks open, and Sully sticks his head out. “Are you two coming in?”

Serenity startles away from me, her cheeks flushing as she says, “Yes, we’ll be right in.”

Once we have privacy again, I change the subject and say, “Martha called me this morning.” I fill her in about the articles. The harsher one was just as Martha said, calling Serenity a gold digger. That woman at the club was definitely a reporter like I thought because the journalist had more intimate details. Thankfully nothing about what happened on the dance floor made it into the article.

Serenity averts her gaze. “Well, that’s what you want, right? For people to talk about us so we seem more real?”

“I could do without them slandering you, but it’s to be expected. They want something interesting to write about.”

“I’m okay with people saying stuff that isn’t true because I know the truth.” She looks up at me again and motions inside the house. “Do you want to come in and have some pancakes? Summer thinks Sully’s are the best, so we’re having a little competition.”

I take in the spot on her overalls again. Ah, it’s pancake batter. “Do I get to be one of the judges?”

Serenity leans closer, and her citrusy scent lures me in. “Only if you vote for me.”

I smile. “Done.”

Chapter 19

Serenity

Sully and I plate our pancakes and place our platters on his breakfast table. Summer is practically drooling as she watches us. Victor sits in a chair beside Summer, our two judges. I already know how this competition will go. I’ve tasted Sully’s magnificent food. But it’s worth the humiliation with how big Summer is now smiling.

Sully leans forward and puts one pancake on their plates. Cutting up Summer’s, he pushes hers across the table before turning to Victor. Sully eyes my husband but says nothing as he slides the other plate toward Victor. Sully doesn’t bother with syrup. These don’t need the extra flavor.

My daughter immediately picks up her fork and gobbles down the entire pancake in less than two minutes. Victor’s eyes are as wide as saucers as he takes in her empty plate.