Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
DECLAN
My eyes lock onto Alice’s the minute I step foot into the family room after the game. Her smile is wide as she spots me and darts over.
“Hey Froggie, enjoy the game?”
“Looked pretty good out there.”
“What can I say? I want to impress my wife.”
She presses up onto her toes, lips brushing against mine.
“I have to say watching you play is hot.”
“I do like hearing that.” I link my hands behind her back and hold her close, dropping my forehead to hers. “Did you have fun with the girls?”
“I did. We’re all going out tonight.”
“We are?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah.”
“Damn. There go the plans I had for us.” I waggle my brows at her.
“Declan.” She smacks me in the chest. “We can go out and celebrate your win and have a few drinks.
“Alright, alright.” I steal another kiss from her.
Grabbing her hand, I wave goodbye to the guys as we head out of the arena. We have one more home game this week before we have a short stint on the road down in Dallas.
Thank God.
I don’t want to be away from Alice right now.
She says she’s okay, but I’m still worried. The pain flashes across her face when she thinks I’m not looking. But who wouldn’t still be affected when your parents treat you like that?
“Hey.” Alice squeezes my bicep. “You okay?”
I beep my key fob to my truck and toss my bag into the backseat.
“I’m good, why?”
“You’re more quiet than usual.”
“Sorry. I have a few things on my mind.”
“Like how you won the game?”
“Among other things,” I say.
“That should be the only thing on your mind. You kicked ass tonight.”
“Like I said, I want to impress my wife.”
“You never have to impress me. I think you’re a pretty impressive person as is.”
“Oh, yeah? Would you care to come home with me and tell me just how impressive you do find me?”
She shakes her head. “We’re going out with our friends. Then we can do whatever we want, okay?”
“Fine. But not too late, because I know you have a long week at the shop.”
Shock colors her features. “I just remembered I have a bone to pick with you.”
I go to open the door for her, but she stops me, resting her hip against the door and crossing her arms.
“Me? What did I do?”
On the long list of people who have wronged her, I don’t know how I register.
“I got a text from Leon saying he has a draft of the contract for the store.”
Oh, shit.
“Oh, you did?”
Yeah, I’m definitely at the top of her list at the moment.
“Don’t you play coy with me, Declan Paddack. I’ve known you for too long and it’s not a good look.”
“Before you get going—”
She cuts me off with a brisk kiss. That I was not expecting.
“Is that a good thing?” I ask.
“Yes. Why did you not tell me?”
“Because Leon wasn’t supposed to tell you until next week after I talked to you.
But it’s only the first payment. I know it’s bigger than you expected, and I didn’t want you to have to worry about anything.
Put your savings toward future payments, but I want you to have Enchanted Petals sooner rather than later. ”
“How can I argue with that?”
“I really thought you were going to lay into me.”
“I still might.” She fists the lapels of my suit jacket. “Definitely Leon.”
“Leon was the one that wanted something in place as quickly as possible. He wanted to make sure you knew that he wasn’t going to back out.”
“I didn’t think he would.”
“He cares about you, Froggie. We both do. You can’t fault him for caring.”
“You know what this means?” she asks, a smile spreading across her face.
“Tell me.”
“That I’ll be the owner of Enchanted Petals.”
I match her smile, mine even bigger if possible. “It’s what you’ve always wanted.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You’re my wife, Alice. I would do anything for you.”
“About that…”
A sinking feeling settles in my gut. I don’t know where she’s going with this, but after the week she’s had, it’s derailed my plan on asking her to make this permanent.
She starts fiddling with the buttons on my jacket, not looking at me.
“Froggie. What is it?” I knuckle her chin, tilting her gaze to meet mine.
Her blue eyes are a swarm of emotions.
“I know this thing was only supposed to be temporary.”
“Right.”
“Well, what if we made it…untemporary?”
“Untemporary? Like permanent?”
She shrugs a shoulder. “I mean, technically it’s already real. But I mean permanent.”
“So you don’t want to end this right now?”
“Why would I want to end it?” she asks.
“Well, your dad figured it out and you’re not getting your trust, so I was worried you’d bail.”
Alice shakes her head. “Declan, the very last thing I want is to end this thing with you.”
Grabbing her ass, I lift her off the ground and push her against the side of the truck.
“The very last thing I want is for this thing to end. I was trying to come up with a way to talk to you about making it permanent, but then everything happened.”
Her jaw ticks. “Things still feel really messy. I know I have a lot to work out with everything, but…”
“I don’t care. You are the most important person to me, Froggie, and that’s all that matters. Whatever you need from me to help heal from this, I’m here. No questions asked.”
“I feel like you’re signing on for a lot,” she says.
“Don’t care. You’re my wife. If you want me to go yell at your parents, I’ll do it. If you want me to drive you to see a therapist, I’ll do it. Kickboxing? You name it, I’ll do it.”
“This. This is why I don’t want this to end, Declan. You have my back in ways I never even knew I needed.”
“Because I love you, Froggie.”
“Say it again.”
I press in closer, dropping my mouth over hers. “I love you, Alice. More than anything else in this world. All I want is you.”
Her fingertips ghost over my lips. My cheeks. My nose. I feel her touch everywhere.
“You’ve always been my person, Declan. I love you. Maybe getting drunk in Vegas and getting married was the push you and I finally needed, but I’ve never been happier in my entire life.”
“My wife really is smart.”
She laughs. “Do you want to stay married because you like calling me your wife?”
“I mean, maybe.”
“Is this what I have to look forward to for the rest of our lives?”
“Yes. Until forever.” I nod. “Calling you my wife. Loving you. Supporting you. Giving you whatever you need, Alice, because I love you.”
“I’ll be pretty happy with forever too.”
I kiss her. I don’t care that we’re in the middle of the team parking lot. Every part of me settles. Because this thing with Alice will never end.
No timelines. No deadlines. No quiet divorce after a year.
It’s only the two of us. Husband and wife.
Together.
Forever.