Текст книги "Incumbent"

Автор книги: Joanne Schwehm

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Текущая страница: 9 (всего у книги 16 страниц)

CHAPTER 13

~ Lucy ~

It had been way too long since I’d seen Drake, over a week, but we were going to rectify that tonight. Just when I became available, he was called out of town for a few days, but tonight he was coming over. I couldn’t wait to see him again.

After I dressed in my best jeans, a cute floral top that dipped low in the front, and my navy sandals to finish off the outfit, I checked myself in the mirror for a final inspection. We were going out to a small Italian restaurant in Herndon that I loved.

When my doorbell rang, I practically pranced across my living room. I swung the door open and Drake scooped me up in his arms to spin me around. I couldn’t contain my giggle.

I finally swatted him on his shoulder. “You’re making me dizzy!”

He chuckled and set me down. “Let me look at you.” He took my hands in his and stretched them out to the sides. “I think you’re even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”

Drake’s deep voice ignited something so deep inside me, I couldn’t help but throw myself at him. Literally. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck. Our lips crashed together, and I couldn’t get enough. I was starving for him.

With his hands under my ass, he walked us over to the door he’d just come through and pressed me against it. In a flash, my hands were above my head, my shirt was off, and he was pinning my hips with his. His teeth lightly grazed my nipple, which was already straining beneath my bra, and now it wanted to burst out of confinement and straight into his mouth.

“Let’s skip dinner.” His warm breath tickled my already sensitive skin. “I need you, Lucy.”

All I could do was moan in response, so he carried me into my bedroom, stripped me naked, and laid me out on my bed.

“You’re overdressed,” I grumbled, practically panting by this point.

His gaze raked over my body. My breathing sped up and became ragged with each piece of clothing he took off. First his shirt, giving me a good look at his glorious abs that rippled with each move he made, and then his pants and boxers, which he took off in one fell swoop. His erection sprang free, and all I wanted was a taste.

He must have caught the look in my eye, or maybe it was how I was practically salivating when I looked at his stiff shaft, but as soon as I went to sit up, he placed his hands on my shoulders.

“Not tonight. Tonight I want to be buried so deep inside you, we won’t know where you end and I begin.”

I watched as he slid on a condom, and my core throbbed at the sight of him stroking himself as he secured the rubber.

“Open for me, Lucy,” he said, and I did as he asked. “So pretty.”

Before I could tell him what I thought of him, he was inside me, thrusting. No warning, no foreplay—just us.

“I’ve missed you,” he said as he trailed kisses over my body.

Little nips and licks tortured me, which made me urge him to move faster. When I felt his tongue on the base of my neck move upward, my entire body shuddered. He covered my mouth with his and swallowed my moans.

My hands roamed his back and when I got to his tight ass, I gave it a squeeze. His entire body stiffened and his tempo picked up. The thrusts quickened until he arched his neck and groaned just as I reached my pinnacle. A myriad of colors flashed behind my eyelids as I slid into euphoria.

“Lucy!” He stilled and then rocked slowly until he came down from his orgasm. “Fuck. Making love to you is the best.” He kissed each of my cheeks. “I must be the luckiest man alive.”

My heart soared. Making love.

“I feel pretty lucky too.”

We tumbled to our sides, still connected, and stared into each other’s eyes. I could truly fall in love with Drake, and although it was too soon and I wasn’t there yet, I felt so safe when we were together.

“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Don’t move.”

My body missed him the instant he pulled out of me. I watched him walk in all his naked glory to my bathroom, which looked just as good going as it did when he came back.

“You could really be a model,” I said. “It’s a shame you cover up your goods in a suit every day.”

I shifted on my pillow, and he brought his arm under my head when he slid in next to me. Once we were facing each other again, his eyebrows rose.

“My goods?”

“Um-hmm. If you weren’t already the popular candidate, I’d suggest half-naked campaign posters.” I smiled. “You know. To get the female vote.”

His expression changed as he linked our hands together. He brought them to his lips and tenderly kissed my knuckles.

“What’s wrong, Drake? I was just kidding. I’m sure the women would vote for you no matter what you looked like.”

Surely he didn’t think I was only with him because of his looks. This man was the entire package—handsome, smart, funny, and kind.

“No, I know you were joking. It’s just something Ben said.” A chill ran down my spine, making me tense. Apparently sensing it, he said, “I’m sorry. I know you don’t like him.”

“What did he say?”

“He told me I’m slipping in the polls, and my head isn’t in the game.” His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

“Does Ben think it’s because of me?”

Pressure built behind my eyes. The thought of my being responsible for Drake losing his Senate seat made my stomach churn.

When Drake didn’t answer immediately, merely averted his gaze, I had my answer. “Never mind. I get it.”

That was it. I needed to let him go until after Election Day. It wasn’t impossible; after all, it was only six months. It would be the longest six months of my life, but for him I’d do it.

“Maybe we shouldn’t see each other until—”

“No,” Drake said, his voice sterner than I’d ever heard it. “Ben doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Truth be told, I think he’s a bit more concerned about himself right now.” Pulling me closer, he said in a softer tone, “I want you by my side when I announce I’ll be running as the incumbent, and I want you with me after I win.”

My heart soared at his words. “I’d love nothing more.”

“Good. I don’t want to talk about work anymore. I just want to hold you.”

Intensely happy, I curled up as close to Drake as I possibly could and fell asleep in his arms.

• • •

When I walked into school the following Monday, my thoughts were preoccupied by a hot, sexy senator. Sadly, I wasn’t thinking about the intimate times we spent together, but rather what he had told me about the latest poll numbers. Granted, he’d told me not to worry about it, but how could I not? As far as I knew, he would be the frontrunner no matter who the Democrats chose to represent them. I knew there was another Republican who wanted to be in the running, but Drake would most likely be running in the primary unopposed.

Mason popped his head in as I was writing the day’s homework assignment on the whiteboard for my next class.

“Hey, Luce.”

“Hey, yourself.” After I set the marker down, I sat at my desk. We had about fifteen more minutes until our free period was over.

“I’m sorry I’ve been MIA lately, but I had some things to take care of with the NCAA and a couple of my players.” He sat on my desk. “How are things?”

“They’re good.” I smiled, but it felt forced.

“Okay, what’s up? Is it Drake?” He bit into an apple he’d pulled from his backpack. “Do you want a bite?” He extended the apple to me.

“No, thanks.” I laughed. “Things are good; really good, in fact. It’s just something he said to me that has me on edge, and my mind is racing.”

“What did he say?” He took another bite, and my stomach growled. “You sure you don’t want any?”

“Yes, I’m fine.” Biting my bottom lip, I said, “He’s slipping in the polls.”

Mason furrowed his brow. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”

“Apparently not.” My shoulders slumped. “It’s because of me.”

“Okay, now you’re being paranoid.”

I began to explain what Ben had told Drake, but we were interrupted by the bell. We agreed to talk about it later.

After my class, I went to the office to confirm I had a vacation day available so I could go to the Outer Banks with Drake for Memorial Day weekend. Thankfully, I did, and I arranged for a sub to cover my classes on that Friday.

• • •

On my drive home that afternoon, I called Drake to tell him I had the time off, but my call went to voice mail, so I just left a message. This was the first day in a long time I hadn’t received a text message or a phone call from him during the day. It made me a little nervous, but I was sure he was busy. He was a US senator, for God’s sake.

When my phone rang a few minutes later, I snagged it from the passenger seat to answer it, but it wasn’t Drake.

“Hey, Mace.”

“Hi. I’m stopping at Five Guys. Want to have dinner with me? I’ll bring it over.”

“Who can pass up a greasy burger and fries? Yes. I’ll see you soon.”

When I got home, I threw on my favorite yoga pants and a hoodie, and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. Mason had a key, so when I walked into my kitchen, he was there setting our food on the table.

He glanced up at me and smirked. “You’re the only woman I know who looks great without makeup.”

Once we finished eating, Mason told me he had an early day the next day, so he took off.

With no papers or tests to grade that night, I curled up on the sofa with a romance novel. I was so engrossed, I lost track of time. When I glanced at my phone later, I was surprised to find it after eleven. Also surprising was there were no calls or texts. Not wanting to be too clingy, I decided not to call Drake and went to bed instead.

Just as I was about to set up my phone to recharge, it buzzed.

D

RAKE

: Hi. I’m so sorry I haven’t called you. We’ve been in strategy meetings all day.

L

UCY

: Oh. Glad you’re okay.

D

RAKE

: I am. How are you?

L

UCY

: Better now that I know you’re all right.

D

RAKE

: I got your voice mail. I can’t wait to get away with you.

L

UCY

: I’m looking forward to it.

The truth was, I was dreading it. Not spending time with him, of course, but I’d decided it would be a good time to tell him how and why I ended up in Virginia. My stomach rolled at the thought of it, but he needed to know and I needed to tell him.

D

RAKE

: Can I come over? I want to hold you.

L

UCY

: Please.

D

RAKE

: See you in a few. I’m leaving now.

About twenty-five minutes later, my doorbell rang. When I swung the door open, my heart skipped a little faster. Drake seemed to get better-looking every time I saw him. But today, his scruff was thicker, his hair messier, and that combined with his worn jeans and white T-shirt made me melt.

He stepped inside, shut the door, and pulled me against him, squeezing me as if his life depended on it. His head dropped onto my shoulder, but still he said nothing.

Something was definitely off. Not knowing what else to do, I rubbed his back in a soothing motion.

When he stepped back, he cupped my cheeks and kissed me hard. He wasn’t himself. The kiss wasn’t tender, it was lip crushing, teeth banging, tongue thrusting, and filled with lust. He slipped his hands under my arms and effortlessly lifted me, forcing my legs to wrap around his waist. We ended up in my bedroom, where he sat me on the bed.

Finally breaking our mouths apart, he stared at me. “Hi.”

“Hi, yourself,” I said in a small voice.

“I missed you today.”

“I see that.” I smiled as he gently tucked errant strands of my hair behind my ears.

We lay down on my comforter, facing each other, and I tucked my hand under my cheek as my heart raced.

“What’s wrong, Drake?” I had no idea what he was going to say, but I had a pretty good feeling it wasn’t going to be good.

After a long pause, he said, “I need to tell you what happened today, and I don’t want you to get upset.”

I froze at that, and I was pretty sure I stopped breathing. “Okay. You can tell me anything.”

“I went out for drinks tonight with Ben to try and smooth things over from the other night. It was his idea.”

Just the mention of that man’s name told me this wasn’t going to be a good story.

Nodding to encourage him to continue, I asked, “And did you?”

He swallowed so hard it was almost audible. “Ben and I were having a drink. Then Emily, my ex-girlfriend, showed up.”

Wait . . . What? “Did you say your ex-girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

Biting my lip, I said nothing as my mind whirled. Oh my God. Does he still have feelings for her? Do I dare ask?

“I’m so sorry, Lucy.”

This was going from bad to worse. Wanting to throw up, I choked out, “Why are you sorry?”

“Because when we were leaving the restaurant, a guy snapped our picture with his phone.”

“Oh. Is that all?” This was much better than thinking he wanted her back.

“Isn’t that enough? But no, that isn’t all.” He rested his forehead against mine. “Ben told me he’d take care of it.” He looked utterly defeated, and it hurt me to see him this upset.

“Do you still have feelings for her?”

I prayed I knew the answer, but I needed to hear it. Color me insecure, but I didn’t care. I needed to hear the words.

“Absolutely not. I only have feelings for you, but it all happened so fast. At first it seemed like a coincidence we were all in the same place. She asked me how things were going, asked about my family, stuff like that. Then I looked at her hand and noticed she was wearing an engagement ring, so I congratulated her.”

“I’m confused.”

“So was I, because she was all smiles and thanked me, and I thought that was it. Until I went outside to leave and she was there. She ran up to me, threw her arms around my neck, and kissed me.”

Every nerve in my body prickled, and I got that tingling sensation behind my nose that told me that tears were on their way. “She kissed you?”

“Then she said, ‘Thanks for the money shot,’ and walked away.” He raked his hand through his hair. “I have no idea what game she’s playing.”

He kissed her. Well, she’d kissed him, but the lips that were just on mine had been on hers this evening. Without thinking, I wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

That move didn’t slide past Drake. He lowered his head and exhaled a long breath. “I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

I didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t his fault. He was set up, plain and simple, but why?

Obviously it was time for me to prove to him and myself that I could handle this. So I inched closer to him and kissed him.

“I understand,” I said softly, “and I’m not upset with you. This wasn’t your fault. I suppose things like this are bound to happen.”

Drake’s phone buzzed, and he tugged it from his pocket. He scanned the screen, and his jaw ticked as he sat up and pressed a button on the phone.

“Yes, Ben.” Silence.

“Do we know why?” More silence.

A vein in his neck throbbed as he stood up and began to pace next to the bed.

“Good . . . thank you. No, I don’t want to do that. We run a clean campaign, and that’s it.”

He turned the phone off and shoved it in his pocket. The bed dipped as he lay down again beside me.

It was unnerving to hear just his side of the conversation. Unable to contain myself, I asked, “What happened?”

“Grissett’s crew happened. I knew they’d try and dig up dirt, even if it’s old dirt. That’s just . . . I don’t know what that is.” He rolled to his back and turned his head in my direction. “Ben got the man to delete the photo, but seems to think they aren’t going to stop until they find something to use against me. I don’t have any skeletons, so they can dig all they like.”

I scooted over to him and laid my head on his chest. “So, it’s over?”

“It is until Grissett tries something else.”

My heart pinched at that thought. That something else was going to be me. If Grissett’s camp knew about my history, they never would have contacted Emily. She was small potatoes compared to the bombshell I could provide them.

CHAPTER 14

~ Drake ~

Sleep evaded me that night as my mind replayed everything that transpired. I knew Lucy got the morning paper, so I gingerly moved and tried not to wake her when I heard it hit the front door close to dawn.

I quickly removed the rubber band and unrolled the newspaper. My fingers couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as I whipped through it, looking for familiar faces. Thankfully, there wasn’t a picture of Emily and me anywhere.

I blew out a long sigh of relief. That didn’t mean it wouldn’t appear online. Although Lucy and I liked to get our news the old-fashioned way, others lived for social media and online gossip sites.

Grissett was such an asshole; all he wanted was discredit me with a scandal to increase his chances of winning in November. I’d racked my brain most of the night thinking about why he chose Emily, and wondering how he knew her. But the big question was why she would want to be caught kissing her ex-boyfriend for all to see while wearing a diamond on her left hand. It didn’t make sense. Unless, of course, they spun the story to make me look like a cheater and untrustworthy, but my gut told me there was more to it. I was missing something.

I made us a pot of coffee and sat at the table as it brewed. While I waited, my mind replayed everything Emily had said to me last night. It wasn’t just the money-shot comment, but she’d also mentioned how good I looked at the Nationals game, so that meant she saw my picture with Lucy.

That wasn’t the only thing she said that gave me pause. No, it was the Time magazine comment. Emily asked me how my campaign was going, which shocked me because the only thing she liked about the entire political arena was the attention she got, and I wasn’t even well-known when we were dating.

But when Emily said that she and I would look like a real power couple on the cover of Time, that surprised me. It was always about her, which was why we didn’t last. Plus, I’d found out Emily was a conniving bitch, so that didn’t help our relationship either.

My deep thoughts were interrupted by the coffeemaker alerting me it was time to start my day.

When I walked back into Lucy’s bedroom with a pair of steaming mugs, she was still sleeping. Her beautiful auburn hair was fanned on the pillow. I was a very lucky man to have her in my life. The more time we spent together and the more we talked, the more convinced I was that I had fallen in love with her.

She stirred in bed, and her entire body extended into a long stretch. She reached for the side of the bed I’d slept on, but when I wasn’t there, she jackknifed and sat up.

“I’m right here.” I walked into the room and sat next to her on the bed as I placed our mugs on the nightstand. “Good morning.”

“I thought you were gone. I had a horrible dream.” She put her arms around me and hugged me, burying her face in my chest.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. You’re here, and everything is okay.”

“I got your paper. There isn’t a photo.”

Lucy placed her hand over her heart. “Thank God.”

“One more week, and you’re all mine. I can’t wait for you to meet Dane and spend time with the family.”

She looked over and her eyes brightened as she saw the mug of coffee that was waiting for her. After she picked up her cup and handed me mine, she took a deep whiff of the steam and moaned.

My body’s reaction to her was something I was getting used to, but the hardness in my pants had other ideas.

“Tell me about your brother,” she said before taking a tentative sip.

I chuckled. “He calls himself the black sheep of the family.”

“Why?”

“He’s the only one who left the area, and doesn’t really have a home because he travels so much. He just sublets as he goes. To be honest, I figured his reputation would get me into trouble. My darling little brother is quite the womanizer and has broken a lot of hearts.”

Lucy let out a little snort. “Have you seen your family? You all look like you could shatter a few hearts.”

I laughed. “I can’t say that hasn’t happened on occasion, but that was mainly my brothers. I was too much of a nerd.”

“Hmm, for some reason I don’t believe that.” She sipped her coffee and smiled.

All I could do was laugh since it was a bit of a white lie. I might have broken a heart or two. “I can tell you I’d never want to break yours.”

“That’s good to know.” She smiled and gave me a kiss. “Thank you for the coffee. It’s the best way to start my day.”

Not even close. I took our mugs and set them down, and then made love to my girl. That was the best way to start my day.

• • •

Ten days later, we were finally on our way to North Carolina. The days were getting warmer, and Lucy and I were getting closer. I’d never felt so comfortable and relaxed with a woman before. We’d only been seeing each other for six weeks, but I felt as if I’d known her my entire life.

We left early in the morning and were cruising along I-95 at a good pace. At this rate, we would be there in less than five hours. I clicked on satellite radio and “American Woman” came on. My thumbs tapped the steering wheel as I glanced at Lucy.

“I love this song.”

She smiled and nonchalantly said, “This is my stripper song.”

Not sure I’d heard her correctly, I said, “I’m sorry, your what?”

“What?”

“Did you say stripper song?”

When I glanced over at Lucy, she was doing her best to stifle a smile. She bit her bottom lip and her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.

“Um, yeah. I mean, I’m not a stripper nor have I ever been, but if I were one, this would be my song.”

The mere thought of her stripping onstage in front of horny men was an image I didn’t want in my head. On the other hand, I’d gladly let her strip for me.

“So, your parents’ house at the beach,” she said, deftly changing the subject. “Do we each get a room there? Is it big?”

“It has eight bedrooms.” Did she want her own room? “If you’re more comfortable not sharing, I understand.”

“Nope. I’m all about sharing and conservation.”

“Conservation? What are you conserving by sharing a room with me?”

“Water, space, and time, to name a few.”

“Okay, maybe I’m still trying to process the stripper comment, but how do you save water and time?” I knew where she was going with space.

“If we don’t sleep together, then another room will need to be prepared. Which means more linens to wash, and that uses water. Someone will need to do the work, and that takes time. So if we share a room, we conserve.”

She smiled at me and popped a Swedish Fish in her mouth from the package she’d brought with her.

“That’s some logic you’ve got there, but I’ll go with it.”

“That’s me, Ms. Logical.” She giggled.

This was an entirely different side of Lucy. She seemed relaxed, which was exactly what I wanted. I had big plans for this weekend.

I did everything I could not to tell her right now I was in love with her; I wanted to save it for this weekend. I’d reserved a private bungalow for Sunday night, and planned to have it all set up for the most romantic night a woman could dream of.

“We should be at the club soon.”

“So, does everyone in your family golf?”

“Not like Dane, but yes. Have you ever played?”

“I played miniature golf when I was younger, but that’s it.”

“Well, just remember that scoring is the opposite of other sports. Golfers want the lowest score, not the highest.”

“Yeah, that always confused me, but I think I get it. They need their ball in the hole in less strokes than the other guys.” Then she looked at me and batted her eyes. “How many strokes does it take for your ball to get in the hole?”

We both laughed for a moment, and I cleared my throat. “Okay, no more golf or stripper talk until we’re out of a moving vehicle.”

“Fine. What should we talk about?”

“We can talk about you.”

That was the end of the laughter, which made me very sorry I’d mentioned it. Luckily, we’d pulled up to the country club where Dane was participating in a charity event. It was the last day of the tournament and still early in the afternoon, so I just needed to find out what hole he was on. I parked the car and before we got out, Lucy placed her hand on my forearm.

“I do want to talk, but not in the car. It’s a really long story, and I just don’t want to start until I can finish it.”

The atmosphere in the car went from light and easy to thick and uncomfortable. It was as if a black cloud hung over us, and I didn’t like that feeling at all. When I slid out of the car, I went to her side to open the door but she beat me to it.

I gently tugged on her arm. “Always remember, I’m on your side. I’ll protect you from whatever or whomever bothers you.” I kissed the top of her head and tried to get that light and easy feel between us again. “Now, let’s go and see how my brother’s balls are doing.”

She smiled up at me. “Thank you.”

We walked toward the large white tent to pick up our passes and were informed that Dane had just made the turn, so we headed for the tenth hole.

“It’s so pretty here,” Lucy said as she scanned the course.

She was right. The grass was so green it looked artificial, and the shrubs were flawlessly manicured. The sky above us was a brilliant shade of blue, which made for a perfect day for golf.

As we approached the tenth hole, Dane was on the tee box.

I leaned over to Lucy and nodded toward him. “That’s Dane.” He had on black slacks and a gray golf shirt. His jet-black hair fanned from under his Titleist cap.

I laced my fingers with hers and maneuvered us so we could see his shot. The ping of a perfectly hit shot rang out, and we watched it sail down the middle of the fairway. When I looked at Lucy, she was squinting.

On her tiptoes, she craned her neck as she whispered, “Where did it go? Was it good?” Her nose crinkled as she shielded her eyes from the sun with her free hand.

I squeezed her hand. “Yes, it was a great shot.”

Dane strolled down the fairway, carrying his own bag. He was so calm and relaxed. What a life my brother had, being able to travel the world while doing what he loved. Like the rest of my family, I wished him well, hoping he made the pros so he could earn a decent living.

We ambled down the fairway to the green and waited for them to hit their next shots. Four golfers played together, and Dane was last since his shot went the farthest.

He swung, and his ball traveled in a high arc to land about four inches away from the cup. Lucy and I applauded along with the rest of the gallery. Dane ended up with a birdie, which made me proud of my brother.

We followed him around the rest of the course and finally made our way to the final hole, number eighteen. The entire afternoon, Lucy never let go of my hand until it was time to clap or cheer. She was so relaxed and carefree, and I loved this side of her. She looked adorable in a little pink skirt that showed off her dreamily shaped legs, and a white V-necked top that accentuated her breasts. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail.

My brother was going to love her.

I glanced down to find Lucy beaming. “I’m so glad you’re my girlfriend.” I pulled our joined hands to my lips and kissed hers.

“Me too.”

Dane ended up placing second, and we met him after he finished posting his scores. He spotted us as soon as he walked out of the players’ tent.

“Hey, big brother.” He set his bag down and took off his cap, stowing it in one of the pockets of his bag before he gave me a brief hug. Then he turned to Lucy.

“Aw, you brought me a gift. Thanks!”

Before I knew it, he had Lucy in his arms. She giggled when he dipped her and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Okay, okay. You can let my girlfriend go now.”

Lucy blushed as I pulled her to my side.

“Damn, possessive much?” Dane shot Lucy a wink, and I shook my head.

Typical Dane.

“Lucy, this is my younger and not-so-shy brother Dane. Dane, this is my girlfriend, Lucy.”

“Good to meet you, Lucy.” He maneuvered close to her ear, but spoke loud enough for me to hear. “If you ever get bored with this old man, call me.”

“I don’t see that happening,” she said sweetly with a big smile, “but thank you anyway.”

That’s my girl.

I kissed the top of her head. “Let’s get out of here.” As we made our way to the parking lot, I said, “You did great today, Dane. I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks, man, and thanks for coming and bringing my next girlfriend.”

He chuckled, but I put him in a headlock and gave him a noogie like when we were kids. Lucy started laughing, and I finally let him go with a playful shove. Dane rubbed his head and rolled his eyes.

“See you both at the house tomorrow.”

On the way to my parents’ place, I was glad to see Lucy looked at ease. I gave her a sideways glance and said, “Excuse my brother.”

She waved a hand in the air. “I think he’s adorable.”

“Yeah, he’s a cutie, that’s for sure.” Sarcasm dripped from each word, but my brother was undeniably a good-looking man and definitely a chick magnet. I was surprised he didn’t have golf groupies—or maybe he did.

“I envy your family,” Lucy said, her words tinged with a hint of sadness.

“We aren’t perfect.”

“Maybe not, but you have and love each other.” As I glanced at her curiously, she added, “That’s more than some people have.”

She was right; sometimes we took those in our lives for granted. Naturally, no one ever thought they did, but then time passed, things happened, and before you knew it, you forgot to say the three simple words you’d been meaning to say: “I love you.” Some people seemed terrified to say those words, but when you said them to someone you didn’t want to be without, it wasn’t scary at all. It was simple.

I planned to tell Lucy this weekend, and I prayed it wasn’t too soon, but it was how I felt. I’d said those words in my head every time I’d kissed her—and hopefully she heard me.