Chapter 15
Chapter
Fifteen
Foster
I thought it was over for me.
I thought I was going to grow old and never know the feel of a good woman in my bed again.
But I have one. I have the best one.
I don’t know how I got so lucky, but I’m not about to fuck it up.
We wake some time in the late afternoon, and I’m up first, brewing coffee and cleaning up my messy-ass house before she gets a good look at it in the light of day.
I hear a rustling in the bedroom and stop sweeping the floor to pour a cup of coffee.
“I’m just guessing you take it black,” I say when I walk in on Ari making the bed. “Based on what you drank at the hospital last night.”
She thanks me for the cup and takes a sip. “Why does that taste so good the morning after great sex?”
“Everything is better when we’re together. Not just the sex.”
She smiles and wraps both hands around the mug. “Good answer.”
I stare at her for a long time, then she groans as she looks down at her clothes.
“Ugh. I can’t believe I came over in my PJs. Now I’m going to have to do my walk of shame like this.”
“Oh. You’re not going home like that because you’re not going home yet. Unless you want to. Either way, no girlfriend of mine does a walk of shame. You wear that bedhead proudly.”
When she laughs, my heart explodes.
“Well, if you want me to clear out, I can get Riley to come get me. I’m sure you’re busy and have to open the store.”
“I already called my employee, Kristen, to see if she was available to open the store. She can handle a Saturday without me, plus we have backup clerks. We can hang out for a while. Figure out this whole boyfriend/girlfriend thing.”
She pats the nest of hair on top of her head. “Not for too long. I have to pack up the decorations at the community center.”
“Why do you think I called in today? I’m going to help you. Now relax, have some coffee, then we’ll get dressed and go get some food before we hit the community center.”
“You’re very bossy when you’re being nice,” Ari says, drawing close to me. “Is that one of your Yankee things?”
“It must be. Most people don’t know how to take me.”
“Guess you’re stuck with me then. I’m the only one who speaks the language of Foster.”
“Well, and Rowdy. But I’ve already made it clear he’s not my type.”
“Such an idiot,” she snorts, and I pull her in close to me, and we kiss. Long, soft, and warm.
This is how I plan to kiss her every morning. After we’re together for a hundred years, and we’re ancient and silver-haired and watching the cars go by from the rocking chairs on our porch.
I’ve got plans. And they all involve her.
My Ari.