Chapter Thirteen Laney #2
“I don’t have a lot of girlfriends. I’m too brash, too cold, and I never text back. But I’d like to… maybe not be friends, but could we…” Petra trailed off, her cheeks a bright red now. “Grab a drink every month or so?”
My heart clenched. She really was a lot like Connor.
He didn’t have a lot of friends either. He kept to himself, but I had broken through his walls.
It was very clear the two of them had a solid friendship and working relationship because they were carbon copies of each other.
I saw that now, even more clearly. If she truly was like him, then life outside of work had to be tough.
“Yes. We can grab a drink once a month.”
Her entire body relaxed as she smiled. This time, her face changed entirely. “Thank you. That means a lot, Laney. Wow. I didn’t realize how nervous I was.”
I chuckled. I liked seeing her genuine feelings and not the robot she usually was. “I had no idea what today was about, but I like how it’s going now.”
“You matter to me. Not only as my boss’s wife, but as a person, as the person who makes Connor happiest. I should’ve made more of an effort before, but as I said… I was focused on the wrong things. Next year, my priorities will be different.”
“Cheers to that.” I held up my tea, and she clinked it. Then she asked me a question that almost had me falling out of my chair.
“Now, can you tell me about this Matt Heathen character? He was very flirty and nice last night. There is no way a human being can be that nice…”
The rest of the day, I edited photos from the last two weeks, posted them on my website, created some social media posts, and kept chuckling at the thought of Petra and Matt. They were complete opposites, but it somehow made sense.
Small-town life didn’t fit Petra, but if she ever gave it a chance, then Matt would be perfect for her.
“Laney, your man is at the door!” My mom’s voice rang up the stairs.
Butterflies exploded inside me. I wore my favorite jeans and an old plaid shirt that Connor had given me. It hung loosely, but I loved the feel of the fabric. My hair was curled, up in a high pony, and I felt cute. I felt good.
Dancing down the stairs, I stopped and wiped my palms on my legs before opening the door. Connor stood there, his wide grin matching my own, and we both moved toward each other at the same time. He picked me up, crushing his mouth against mine in a deep, soul-crushing kiss.
How could I miss him when I had seen him yesterday?
“Hi, baby,” he murmured against my lips, without breaking our embrace or our kiss. “Missed you.”
Despite our entire history, I blushed. Giggling, I slid down his body, my hands lingering on his shoulders as I found my footing. His eyes danced today; his posture seemed lighter.
Then it hit me. “You seem happy.”
“I am.” He intertwined our fingers and grinned wide at me. “Feels like a big step to be invited to dinner at your parents’. I’m excited. I love your mom and dad, and I’ve been thinking about you all day.”
“You crossed my mind a few times too.” I beamed at him, loving how he rolled his eyes and pulled me toward him.
“You’re wearing my old shirt.” His nostrils flared, heat in his gaze. “You look really good in it.”
A part of me wanted to seduce Connor, entice him to do more than just kiss me. It was driving me wild that he’d kiss me, get me hot, and then leave. He loved seeing me in his shirts, he always had, and a whoosh of anticipation made me feel warm.
He ran his hand down my side, digging his fingers into my waist as his lips parted. “Laney—”
“Hey, Connor! My man! My son-in-law! My neighbor!”
My dad interrupted the moment. My dear father wore an ugly Christmas sweater with my mom’s face all over it. He had had it custom-made last year and thought it was the funniest thing ever.
“What can I get you to drink? Beer? Wine?”
“Hi, Mr. Whitfield. Good to see you.” Connor held out his hand, and my dad eyed it like a bomb.
“Give me a hug like family, fool.” Then my dad wrapped his arms around Connor. My husband’s gaze found mine over my dad’s shoulder, and he seemed amused. He patted my dad’s back, trying to escape the hug while my dad lingered.
We were lingerers. A hug could last two seconds or thirty, depending on the day.
“Okay, leave the poor guy alone,” I chimed in.
“I missed him. I wanted a hug.” My dad winked at me. “Now, drinks?”
“Beer would be great, thank you.” Connor immediately moved next to me, his cologne and body heat soothing me. “Honey, you want something?”
“I’ll stick with water.”
Connor frowned. “You still not feeling well?”
“This morning was better, but I want to play it safe.” I hated throwing up. It was the worst, and I really didn’t want to throw up again. “I might even have tea.”
“I’ll make it for you.” Connor’s frown deepened, and he kissed the top of my head before disappearing into the kitchen, leaving my dad alone with me in the front hallway.
“You can’t divorce him, Laney.”
“Wow, what happened to supporting me?”
“Of course, we will, but that man is in love with you. Wild about you. It’s easy to see. Are you… feeling better about things with him?”
“I think so, yeah.” I chewed my lip, not expecting my dad to ask me this with Connor in the house. “Could we talk about this later, maybe when he’s not here?”
“Oh. Right.” My dad flinched. “I just like seeing you two happy. That’s all. With you both here in town for so long, it’s been nice hanging out and spending time with you.”
My eyes prickled. I nodded and gave him a quick, two-second hug. “Thanks for being such a good dad.”
“I charge by the hour.”
I chuckled, relieved from the tension that had been building in my shoulders. While I was mostly secure in my feelings about Connor, we still hadn’t discussed work or the fact that I wanted to live here—two hurdles that would be very hard to overcome.