Everything before me was reduced to a blur. All that I could ever picture was Hunter’s beautiful eyes, his expression burying meaning down into my soul.
“No, it’s the other way around,” I whispered roughly, losing my breath as he stroked my cheek. He smiled the sweetest smile I had ever seen in my entire life.
He had no clue how much I loved him, and I was too fucking scared to tell him.
Chapter Twenty-One
One Week Later
Hunter
“Man, this carbonara you brought sure is the best I’ve tasted!” Garren took another mouthful of the pasta Kylie packed before I left for work that morning. She had been cooking delicious meals for us, even packing mine and Vince’s lunch, which was going over the top, but fuck if I didn’t love her for it.
“I know. I’ve told her thanks a million times.” I rolled my fork around a thick pile of fettuccini. I checked on Vince, who seemed to like the same, scooping from the Tupperware more carbonara for his second plate.
“She seems like the perfect housewife material,” Garren claimed, putting his fork down. “I’m glad she’s around to help you out.”
Vince looked at Garren with a bright smile, joining the conversation. “Do you like Kylie’s pasta, Garren? It’s just one of the many yummy things she can cook!”
“Yes, little pal. You look better and healthier. Perhaps the good beats helped you a lot to recover.” Garren patted Vince’s shoulder and turned to look me in the eyes. “You like her a lot too, don’t you?”
Vince answered the question without any hesitation. “Of course! She’s the best lady I have ever met! Kylie’s definitely the superhero in the house!” His tiny arms leaned on the table as his eyes sparkled with delight. He turned his gaze on me, waiting for a supporting statement. “Right, Daddy?”
I looked down, timid about the whole conversation. I stared at Vince, his eyes waiting for an answer. Slowly nodding to approve his words, I affirmed his praise for Kylie with a smile. “He’s right. She is truly the best woman and the superhero in the house.”
Garren gave me a skeptical look, questioning my attitude about Kylie. He knew me too well. A tough man who played with guns, I was the most domineering bad boy in the town. It felt like the man he knew before was now a stranger and before him sat a man with a soft heart for someone he barely knew for weeks long.
I avoided his eyes. Thankfully, Vince interrupted the silence, keeping the conversation going. “She also helped me to get to feeling so much better. Kylie never lets me forget when it’s time to take my medicine, and she’s pretty good at giving shots. It’s not painful, Garren! It felt like an ant bite.”
Garren smiled. “That’s good news, Vince. Keep it up and follow the doctor’s orders, little pal.”
Garren turned to look at me again, his eyes expressing his genuine thoughts.
I stared at my plate instead, keeping myself busy with the food still on my plate. I glanced up quickly. “Take a picture. It’ll last longer.”
Garren snorted and left me in peace for a few minutes.
As soon as we finished our meal, Vince got up and walked to the back office where his books were. Garren and I got to work, cleaning up lunch from the table.
I kept my attention on the paper plates and gathered the trash before heading out to the dumpster. As I returned to the shop, Garren stood at the display case, waiting for me.
I guessed there was no escaping his questions.
“Can we talk?” Garren’s arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes a clear depiction of worry and confusion.
I nodded, pretending to hide the anxiousness inside of me. “Yeah, sure, man. What’s on your mind?”
“Your son seems to like Kylie a lot.”
I went back to my desk, sitting at my spot by the counter with a bunch of paperwork piled up next to me. “He does. The kid loves her and thinks of her as family.” I tried not to get defensive. There wasn’t any reason to just yet.
My time with Kylie had been precious and memorable, and something I wouldn’t trade for anything. It was almost like having a new life with her in it, the type of life I had dreamt of.
“And I think what the son likes, the father likes too.” He kept his tone inquisitive. He was right. I was beyond liking at that point, but I held my truths inside. Garren had been too good of an observer, and he wanted nothing else but the best for me and Vince.
I kept my mouth shut. Perhaps silence was equivalent to the yes he was trying to get out of me.
“Man, look at you. You look like you might barf. Love is too much of a pain in the ass. You know this.” He threw his hands in the air, his tone shifting from concern to aggravation.