Chapter 34 #2
She listened to Bella’s heart and lungs, carefully checked her body, and gave her several treats. Bella licked her hand like the good girl she was. “Even since you’ve been here, she’s improved,” Alice said.
“How long does it normally last if it happens again?” I asked.
“Sometimes just a few minutes. Sometimes longer. But now you know what’s happening. You can always call us, or just hop in the car and start driving. Whoever’s on call will meet you here. We love this girl,” she added.
“We do,” Kincaid agreed.
Alice’s eyes caught his, her smile softening. “Bella’s a very good girl.”
“The best,” I said stoutly, because she absolutely was.
After that, Alice walked us out to the parking lot. When I apologized again for dragging her here, she shook her head. “All right. Stop apologizing. We have on-call services for exactly these reasons. It’s much easier for us to make a clear diagnosis if we see a pet when something’s happening.”
A few minutes later, we were on the road again, headed back to my place. I glanced over my shoulder and felt a rush of relief as I saw Bella settle in and actually lie down. I let out a heavy breath. “Oh, wow. I think she’s going to be okay.”
Kincaid reached across the console and laced his fingers through mine. “Alice said she was. So she is.”
I squeezed his hand. My stomach was still full of nervous energy, and now that the mini-crisis was over, all my other doubts came roaring back. “I’m sorry,” I blurted out without any lead-in.
“You don’t need to apologize. I needed a little time to think things over, and maybe I took too long. My mom gave me a lecture.”
A startled laugh slipped out of me. “Your mom gave you a lecture?”
“Yeah. She said she’d been where you were—unplanned pregnancy and all—and it wasn’t fair for me to expect you to tell me right away.”
“I know, but I should’ve been more honest about how much I struggle with trust.”
“It’s not that I don’t understand, Tori. I guess I let my pride get in the way. I took it really personally.”
My laugh was a little bitter. “Well, I mean, it is personal. We’ve been together, and I love you, and I never bothered to mention that I wasn’t so sure I knew how to do this trust thing. Which is kind of important for a relationship.”
“I hope you can give me a chance to earn your trust.” His tone was low and solemn, and my heart felt cracked.
“It’s not you,” I said quietly. “You have earned my trust. You know who helped me figure that out?”
“Uh, no...” he said slowly.
“Shelly.”
“Shelly?” His gaze briefly flicked toward me, his eyes wide and startled, before shifting back to the road.
“Yeah, go figure. She overheard me talking to Luna and Casey at the café. She told me she knew a thing or two about regret and not saying what needed to be said. I talked to my mom, and she pointed out that either I go through life assuming it’s always going to blow up, or I give people a chance, knowing there are no guarantees.
I freaking hate that, by the way. I’d like a guarantee or two in life. ”
The soft laugh that rumbled in his chest eased the tension in my own. His thumb brushed slowly along the inside of my wrist in a soothing pass. “Right? That does suck. I’m on board with that. We need guarantees.”
“There are no more guarantees,” I said. “Companies don’t even guarantee their products anymore.”
His shoulders shook with another laugh. “No, they don’t.”
“So, I know you can’t promise me anything.”
“Actually,” he said. “I can.”
“What do you mean? We just agreed there are no guarantees.”
“I know,” Kincaid began, “but I can promise you that I’m not going to do something like your dad did. I don’t know your dad, and I don’t know what was going on with him and your mom, but that’s not something I would ever let happen.”
As he rolled to a stop in front of my house, I turned to face Kincaid. His eyes met mine, steady and clear. My heart thumped along, the beat steady and true. Because while I knew life didn’t offer guarantees, I also knew this to be true: Kincaid was a good man.
I didn’t know what I’d missed about my dad. My mom might never know either. But whatever it was, it had to do with a lack of commitment and a lack of honesty when things were challenging.
I knew beyond all doubts—and I had those in surplus—that Kincaid knew how to uphold a commitment and to be honest even when it wasn’t easy. “I know,” I whispered.
“Now,” he said, “let’s get Bella inside. Should I carry her?”
We both glanced to the back seat. Bella was sound asleep, her head on her paws, her breathing soft and even. “Let’s see if she needs a bathroom break.”
After Bella took care of business, we got her settled inside, and she curled up in her bed with a contented sigh.
Kincaid’s eyes found mine, and he reached for my hand. “I missed you.”
When he pulled me into his arms, I felt like I was coming home. This connection between us, it was just for us. It felt real and true. No matter what, I knew this feeling would buoy me through the hard days when they came, just as I hoped it would for him.
“I don’t mean for this to be all about sex,” he murmured, his breath warm against my ear before we leaned back to look at each other.
A giggle slipped out. “I don’t mean for it to be either, but I missed you. A lot.”
His chuckle rumbled through me, the sound low and delicious. I reached for his hand again, leading him upstairs. A little while later, when I sank down over him, sheathing him inside my channel and locked in the heat of his dark gaze, everything felt just right.