Honey always knew Andrew wanted children. When they had discussed having them in the past, they never mentioned a timeline, just their desire for wanting more than one. Now that they were married, Honey began to feel differently, and obviously, Andrew did, too.
Honey squeezed his hand and whispered, “Baby,” across the table. She let the word simmer between them, the moment unfolding more perfectly than she could have imagined. “You have made me so incredibly happy.”
He smiled that mischievous grin. “Come here.”
Honey got up from her chair and walked to Andrew’s side of the table. And as though they were the only people in the restaurant, she climbed onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I love you so much,” she said in his ear, and she smiled when he said it back. As she was holding him, she felt the pounding of his heart and his desire hardening beneath her, heating her skin that was already so hot. “Andrew …” she breathed, her grip tightening. “It’s time to go home.”
THIRTY-SIX
BILLIE
I WAS in the middle of editing a video for a new client when the sound of a text came from my phone. Pulling my eyes away from my computer, I checked my cell and saw Jared’s name on the screen.
Jared: Dinner tomorrow night?
At the coffee shop, he’d told me he would reach out when he got back from his trip.
I was certainly glad he had, and my body responded, filling with a nervous energy.
Me: I’d love to.
Jared: Plan for 8. I’ll text you the address tomorrow.
Me: How was your trip?
A picture appeared of a cast iron skillet with a perfect piece of Dover sole in the middle, accompanied by shaved, multicolored fingerling potatoes and an assortment of root vegetables.
He didn’t seem like the kind of guy who snapped pictures of his food. From what I could tell, he didn’t even have any personal social media accounts. That was why I got the feeling he had taken the picture just for me.
I went into my emojis and chose the face with the heart eyes, sending that first before I typed a message.
Me: Looks delicious.
Jared: It was. I’ll see you tomorrow, Billie.
I continued to stare at the screen, knowing I needed to get the client’s video edited soon in order to have it approved and uploaded in time.
But I just couldn’t return to it. I was too focused on Jared’s message, on the picture, on the idea of seeing him for dinner tomorrow. I still didn’t know why he wanted to help me, and when I’d asked, he hadn’t really given me an answer. For now, I guessed it didn’t matter. I would take whatever he was willing to give just to spend more time with him.
I knew Ally would be a huge fan of the idea. She had been ecstatic after she heard we’d gone for coffee. Once I told her about dinner, she would make a big production out of it. The timing was actually perfect. It had been a few days since I saw her, so we were overdue for a visit anyway.
I lifted my phone again and began to type.
Me: I’m having dinner with Jared tomorrow night.
Ally: I knew I loved that man for a reason.
Me: You just like that I’m going out to eat.
Ally: You’d better eat …
Me: Believe me, I want to. The thought of being there with him and grazing like this bird I’ve become makes me want to die.
Ally: A glass of wine before you leave. Nonnegotiable.
Ally: What are you going to wear?
Me: Clothes.
Ally: Don’t make my pregnant ass come over there and style you.
Me: You’re not even showing yet.
Ally: I’ll see you in an hour.
Me: That was easy. ;)
“That one,” Ally said as she sat at the end of my bed. “It’s my favorite by far.”
I was standing in front of the mirror, wearing an outfit she’d insisted I try on. With the weight that had shed off since the crash, I was now in my skinny clothes. That was a section of my closet I hadn’t ventured into in years.
I was eating. I just wasn’t eating like me.
Still, every day, I was getting stronger, falling asleep a little easier, feeling the fogginess start to lift from my brain.
“What do you think?” Ally asked from my bed. “Do we have ourselves a winner?”
I glanced down my body before looking at her. “The top is extremely low.”