揧ou don抰 have to say anything.?
揟here抯 so many of them.?The greenhouse isn抰 massive, but it is a decent size, and he抯 utilized every available inch to grow my favorite flower.
揥hat do you do with all them??I touch the stem of one, inhaling the scent.
揃efore you came back??
揗hmm.?
Surely, he sells them or uses them in his landscaping business in some way.
揘othing.?
揘othing??I gasp, startled. 揧ou just grow them? That抯 it??
揧eah.?He says it so innocently. 揟he first time I ever cut one was for your first bouquet. Technically I cut them before that, but only when they died.?
揧ou are ?You ?I ?I don抰 know what to say.?
揧ou don抰 have to say anything.?
I brush an errant tear off my cheek. Thayer Holmes loves me. He loves me more than I think anyone has ever loved another person before. And all this time, he stayed in the shadows, letting my life go on because he knew I was married. He did all this never thinking he抎 get another chance with me.
I wrap my arms around his neck, his own arms go around my body. He holds me tight against his solid, warm chest.
揑 love you,?I whisper into the skin of his neck.
His lips press a soft kiss to the top of my head. 揑 love you, too, Sunshine. Thank you for loving me back.?
That抯 one thing he doesn抰 need to thank me for.
Loving Thayer isn抰 a choice. It just is. Loving him is natural, automatic, just like my body抯 need to breathe air.
CHAPTER 43
SALEM
揇ad! I抦 here!?Seda runs into the house, dropping her bag on the floor.
I抳e been meeting Caleb halfway for pickups and drop-offs so one of us doesn抰 have to go the whole way and I抳e finally gotten him to agree that it makes the most sense for Seda to live with me, which means I need to get her enrolled in the local elementary school as soon as possible.
揌ey, bunny.?He comes around the corner just in time for her to launch herself at him. 揥hoa. Someone missed me.?
揑 missed you guys.?
揥e missed you, too,?I say, picking up her bag and carrying it to the steps.
揥hat抯 for dinner? I抦 hungry.?
揑抦 making homemade pizza. You want to help??Thayer asks her.
揙h, yes!?She jumps up and down. 揑 love helping.?
The two of them disappear into the kitchen so I carry her bag all the way up to her room. I unpack and put away her things, hanging the duffel bag on the closet door. I go ahead and set out a pair of her pajamas in the bathroom since it抣l be time for bed soon. I know more than likely she won抰 like the pair I picked and will choose another, but oh well.
Downstairs, I smile when I find my two favorite people at the kitchen island. Seda sits on the counter, placing pepperonis onto one of the pizzas. There are three total, one for each of us.
Winnie paces on the floor, hoping to snag a bite of cheese or anything edible.
揥hat kind of pizza are you making??I ask Seda, smacking a kiss on top of her head.
She giggles playfully trying to push me away. 揈w, mom. No kisses when I抦 cooking.?She holds up the stack of pepperonis she抯 holding. 揑抦 making a pepperoni pizza.?
揂nd what kind are you having??I poke Thayer抯 side, scooting behind him.
揗eat and veggies. Put whatever you want on yours and I抣l pop these in the oven.?
揂ll right.?
I spoon some sauce onto the dough, add my cheese, and then top it with onions, green peppers, and olives.
揟hose look gross, Mommy.?Seda points at the olives. 揟hey look like eyeballs.?
揟hey抮e not eyeballs. They抮e olives,?I explain. 揑 promise they taste good.?
Seda crooks her finger at Thayer, urging him to bend lower to her level. When he does she cups her hands around her mouth like she抯 going to whisper, only at a normal level of volume she says, 揑 think she抯 lying. They must taste disgusting.?
Thayer chuckles. 揑 don抰 like them.?
Shaking my head, I cluck my tongue. 揧ou two are ganging up on me.?
Thayer puts a hand to his chest. 揑t抯 not my fault you like those things.?
He sets all the pizzas in the oven, then turns to Seda. 揕et me put you down.?
揘o, piggyback ride!?
揝eda,?I warn.
揚lease??she adds.
Thayer turns around. 揌op on.?
She does just that, giggling when he takes off running with her on his back. Winnie runs after them barking at his heels.
揃e careful you two,?I plead.
They抮e going to be the end of me, I swear it. But I love it, love them, and the bond they抳e been able to form so quickly. I worried that even though Seda knew she had another dad that she抎 struggle to connect with Thayer. But my worries were for nothing.
When our pizzas are finished baking, we sit on the back deck to eat our dinner.
揟his is so yummy.?Seda chews on a slice of her pizza. 揅an we make this again??
揝ure.?Thayer smiles, pleased she likes it.
揑 like this way more than delivery, Mommy.?
揑 guess we抣l start making all our pizzas at home,?I joke, tapping her nose.
She giggles, touching the spot my finger was at. 揇id you get sauce on my nose??
揗aybe.?
揢gh, Mom.?She grabs a napkin, wiping frantically at her nose. 揧ou made me dirty.?Thayer watches us, amusement in his eyes. I can see how happy he is and it makes my heart soar. Setting her napkin back down, she asks, 揂fter dinner can we watch a movie??
揌ow about after you have a bath??
She huffs. 揊ine.?
揌er favorite movie is Hocus Pocus too??Thayer whispers in my ear.
Seda is fast asleep on the opposite side of the sectional couch with Winnie and Binx curled up beside her. She didn抰 even make it fifteen minutes into the movie.
揥hat can I say? I watched it a billion times while I was pregnant with her and when she was a baby. It must have rubbed off on her.?
揝he抯 not scared of the zombie dude??
揃illy??
揧eah, that guy.?
揘o.?I shake my head. 揌e抯 actually her favorite.?
He shakes his head, tsking softly. 揗y girls are so weird.?
I love the sound of that梟ot the weird part, but that we抮e his girls.
揧ou抮e one to talk, Mr. Lord-of-theRings.?
揟hose movies are amazing.?He takes a handful of popcorn from the bowl. 揟he books too.?
揧ou read the books??
He looks at me like I抦 insane. 揧es, I read the books.?
揂ren抰 they like massive??
揘ot really. Did you think I couldn抰 read??
揙f course, I didn抰 think that,?I laugh softly. We抮e still whispering because of Seda. The last thing I want to do is wake her up when I know she needs her sleep.
揑 guess I just didn抰 picture you sitting around and reading. I mean, you抮e already so busy and you have other hobbies and棓 He shuts me up with a kiss. 揥hat was that for??
揃ecause you抮e adorable when you ramble.?
揙h.?
He stares at me intensely and I wonder what he抯 thinking. Right about now I wish I had the power to read minds.
He leans forward, swiping a marker off the coffee table from when Seda was coloring.
I narrow my eyes, wondering what he抯 doing.
揧ou haven抰 let me sign your cast yet,?he says in response to my questioning gaze.
揑 didn抰 know you wanted to.?
I hold my casted arm out to him. There抯 a lone bare spot left in the upper part of the cast near my elbow. He tugs my arm closer, lowering his head so I can抰 see what he抯 writing. It seems like he抯 writing out more than his name.
When he sits back up, he meets my gaze and holds it. Lowering my eyes, I look down at my cast.
My breath catches in my throat.