Chapter 22
“Thanks for the tea.”
As lamplight glowed across Wade’s features, his sheepish grin beckoned Claire to close the gap between them on the sofa. She swallowed down the urge.
He tipped the mug to his lips. “No sugar. Just the way I like it.”
“It’s the least I could do.” Claire tucked her feet beneath her. She kept a lighter tone, but her chest held a weight of some sort. “You took care of me.”
Now that she was feeling better, she wasn’t sure how long he’d stay. Did he see this as an obligation, fulfilling his role as her “husband”?
“Thanks again for everything.” Her fingers twitched across her lips. Her words felt too formal for all he’d done. “I know this isn’t what you signed up for—marrying me, taking on all this responsibility.”
He frowned and raised his mug toward her. “Are we still talking about this?”
She took a deep breath and pressed her knees together. She hated bringing up the past often, but the doubts had been festering too long. “The night you found me stuffing myself on a cupcake at your family reunion…” The only one she’d attended. “I overheard you apologize to Albert.”
His brow furrowed. “Can you be exact about what you heard? Albert and I talked and apologized about a lot of things.”
Her throat felt tight, but she pushed through. “You apologized for kissing me.” Albert’s response had been hopeful, wondering why Wade didn’t just date Claire, but Wade’s response had sliced through her heart. “Marriage wasn’t for you. Settling down wasn’t…”
His chuckle was soft, disbelieving. He set the mug on the table.
“Cupcake.” He slid closer on the sofa. His arm slipped around her waist, and his touch sent a shiver through her.
“Where you’re concerned, I’ve always had the highest respect.
Sure, I didn’t have a crush on you like you did on me at first.”
Heat crept up her neck, but his squeeze of her waist steadied her.
“Because I told myself you were out of my league.” His gaze held hers, unwavering.
“You always talked about your dream wedding, a big family… things I couldn’t see for myself back then.
But I almost changed my mind at Albert’s wedding.
Seeing you that weekend, I thought… maybe. ”
Her heart expanded at the memory of how he’d looked at her like she was the only woman in the room. His thumb skimmed along her side. “Long story short, I’m starting to change my mind.”
“Because of Bella.” She needed to draw the line before hope bloomed too brightly. “You’ve fallen for her. She’s the reason we’re here.”
He winced.
But she needed to know, to clarify she wasn’t pushing him into something he didn’t want.
“Like you said before we got married, you can stay in LA. Bella and I will be fine here.” She popped her knuckles, careful not to push too hard on the middle finger where faint pain radiated from her palm. “Just make it back for Bella’s custody hearing. That’s all I ask.”
He kissed her crown. Then he separated her hands and took one in his. His fingers began rubbing circles on her thumb, and her heart raced. “I’m not leaving you here. Especially not with that neighbor lurking around.”
She blinked. “Lurking around?”
“Let me guess.” He grinned, though his tone remained heavy. “He asked you on a date.”
She rolled her eyes. “It’s been a while since anyone asked me out.”
His jaw twitched, and his grip on her hand tightened. “A black eye is what he’ll get if he tries to date my wife.”
Her heart skipped at his possessiveness. “Wade being jealous?”
Wade locked his gaze on hers. “I’m done pretending this is just an arrangement.”
Whoa. She faced him fully. “What do you mean?”
“I mean…” He shifted closer, and his other hand swept a spiral of hair from her cheek. His touch lingered, his thumb grazing her jawline, turning her whole body to jelly. “I want to try. Us. This marriage. Being a family.”
“Why now?” Oh how she wanted this, wanted his promise they could be something more.
“Somewhere along the way…” He let out a breath, his chest rising and falling beneath the gray T-shirt clinging to his muscled form. “I’m falling in love with you.”
His sincerity was like a flame lighting something deep within her.
Her lips curved. Her voice struggled to come out. “Albert already blew my secret crush.”
Wade’s broad grin made her heart swell. “That’s okay. I’ll make sure you don’t keep this one a secret.”
He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles in a touch as light as a whisper. “How about a real date this Friday?”
Claire blinked, her pulse skipping. “I canceled movie night with Irina last week.”
“Perfect.” He leaned back with a grin. “Take her to see something new in the theater. I’ll stay home with Bella.”
Her hands stilled in her lap. He’d do that? Going out alone felt… foreign. Tempting.
She smirked. “Irina might appreciate some variety. Your movies do dominate my shelf.”
He tsked. “Can’t have her stuck with Wade reruns. Consider it a gift for her and you.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, and she hid her face behind her bandaged hand. “I just happened to have all those Wade movies…” Her words stumbled to a stop. Her years of harboring a crush laid bare.
Wade’s laugh, so low and rich, curled around her like a blanket. Before she could retreat further, he pulled her hands away and wrapped her in an embrace. “Hey.” His breath fanned her ear. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I love that my wife is my number-one fan.”
Her breathing snagged at the ease with which he called her his wife.
“You want to do a Friday lunch date instead?”
How could she ignore the undercurrent of hope in his light tone? “If you’re craving greasy food, it’s the Fall Fest.”
Boyish excitement lit his eyes. “Do they still have the leaf piles? That used to be my favorite thing as a kid at one of the parks where we used to go.”
She couldn’t stop her smile from growing. “Yeah, the kids love it.”
“I can’t wait to see Bella’s reaction when we plop her in the middle of one.”
“Saturday for our date, then?” she confirmed, already looking forward to it.
His grin sent her chest aflutter. “I’d like that.”
He threaded his fingers through hers. “So Albert’s room…”
Ah, the one place Claire avoided since… everything.
“I know it’s been hard for you to go in.” His fingers rubbed hers. “But it might help with closure. It helped me.”
The image of the untouched room beyond that door induced a tremor. But his touch, firm and soothing as he traced circles on the back of her hand, reassured her. She latched onto his hand, grasping some of his strength.
“Maybe it’s time.”
Bella was sleeping better in her bed. Once Wade left, Claire would need to take her into Albert’s room to sleep.
“We’ll go at your pace.” His thumb bumped over her knuckles. “There’s no rush. Tomorrow, next week—whenever you’re ready.”
Who’d have expected him to handle her with such care? She sank back into the sofa, her hand still in his.
“You’re more than I expected.”
A crease formed between his brows. “Should I be worried?”
“Nah.” She shook her head. “It’s a good thing. You’re… surprising.”
“In a charming way, I hope.” His smile was always melting.
“Maybe.”
His eyes sparkled. He leaned in, his grip on her hand still warm. “Now, tell me… What’s your favorite movie of mine? And why?”
No need to pretend at this point. It was only a matter of time before he saw her movie collection. “Hearts under Investigation.”
His brows arched in exaggerated offense. “Really?”
“You’re no one’s love interest.”
“Not sure I get you?”
“You’re the friend character, not the romantic lead. The last thing I need is watching women throw themselves at you on screen.” She rolled her eyes to keep it light. Still, the thought annoyed her more than she cared to admit.
His shoulder nudged hers. “For the record, those love scenes? All mine are staged with clever angles. Most kisses? Barely more than a brush of lips—if that.”
Her cheeks flushed, and she glanced away, imagining how those camera tricks worked. “How do they make it look so convincing?”
He shrugged. “Angles, lighting, and a lot of smoke and mirrors. Sometimes, we’re not even close to each other. Movie magic.” He drew her hand onto his lap, transferred it to his other hand, and rested his arm over her shoulders. “Speaking of emotion in movies, thanks for your advice.”
She tilted her head. “I should be the one thanking you.” For pulling her back from the brink.
She hated how vulnerable she’d been, how exposed.
He’d seen her at her worst—frail, helpless.
But even then, every touch had seared her, igniting raw and undeniable desire.
That same heat churned now, unrelenting.
The memory of his sharp movements, muscles taut as he knocked out push-ups in the bedroom, replayed like a tease.
And the way his jaw tightened at the mention of Rhett?
That had her heart pounding harder than it should.
“You still with me?”
Uh? What part had they been talking about? “About the movies?”
“I made changes to my current project, keeping the original actor after learning about his struggles. I’m hoping this movie gives him a chance to rise above everything he’s been through.”
Wow. Wade wasn’t just a star. He cared deeply and wanted everyone to get a chance.
“Vaulting Hearts, releasing in three weeks, has been a test of my past.” He tipped his head against hers, nestling in. “I prayed through the reedits. God’s grace is getting me past fears I didn’t know I was holding onto.”
Her nod jostled curls over her cheeks. “I’m glad you trusted yourself.” There’d be an audience for this movie like all the other inspirational movies he crafted. “It sounds like this movie will mean something to a lot of people.”
He swept the spirals from her face. His touch lingered long enough to make her pulse skip. “It wasn’t just me. Your belief in me motivated me to go deeper.”