“I’ve wasted so much damn time,” Brant interrupted my thoughts. “I don’t want to waste a second with her.”
“Be patient,” Sheridan responded.
I could hear the smile in her voice. It made me smile too. It also made me think, in my pursuit of being more deliberate, it was okay for me to completely own my feelings for Brant. There was no reason to hold back.
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t ring shop yet?”
My hands flew to my mouth before I let out an audible gasp. Also, I was busted. John happened to walk out of a nearby room, and I was sure he had heard what Brant had said. I was embarrassed he’d caught me eavesdropping.
John smiled at me, and I saw so much of Brant in him. They had the same face structure and build. Even the same goodness in their eyes. I was surprised by that. I also wondered if he understood exactly what Brant was feeling. Had he felt the same way when Sheridan had put off marrying him so many years ago because she was afraid to enter his world? I wondered if it was how he felt again now. I wanted to tell him to be patient, that he’d put her through a lot, but it was apparent how much she loved him. She was here, after all. Just like I was here.
John offered me his arm. “Shall we?”
I nodded, even though I was still unsure about John. John, who was upending all our lives. Still, I saw someone who was owning his mistakes in a very public way, which had to be excruciating. In him, I also saw a man who was willing to start over. Who was I to stand in the way of that? So, I strung my arm through his. He seemed relieved when he placed his strong hand over mine. Oddly, I felt a sense of belonging.
We walked into the room together.
Brant jumped up off the couch right away, as if we had startled him. Maybe he thought I’d heard what he’d said about ring shopping. But he looked pleased to see me with his dad.
“I found this beautiful creature in the hallway and thought I’d hand deliver her,” John said debonairly. It wasn’t hard to see why Sheridan had fallen for him. Holland men did have an irresistible charm to them.
Brant was to me in no time.
“We were just talking about you, dear,” Sheridan addressed me.
“You were?” I played innocent.
John gave me a smile that said he would keep my secret.
“I hope it was good.” I left John’s side and snuggled into Brant’s.
Brant kissed my head. “Always.”
“Yes.” Sheridan smiled as she stood from the velvet chaise. “I think my son has big plans for you,” she sang conspiratorially.
Brant gave his mother a pointed look, and she laughed.
“We’ll leave you two alone.” Sheridan and John exited together.
I looked up at Brant. “So, you have big plans for me, huh?”
Brant lifted me off the ground, and I wrapped my arms and legs around him. I stared into his gorgeous face. I was happy he’d left his layer of stubble. Even more happy for the view of his beautiful blue eyes that reflected me, just me. In them, I could see our future.
“Yes,” Brant responded. “We can talk about them later.” He gently brushed my lips with his own.
I recognized his hesitancy. I was sure it stemmed from what his mother had said and me holding back the words he needed to hear. The words I wanted to say.
I wrapped myself more securely around him and let my fingers get tangled in his still-damp hair. Oh, that felt good. “Brant, I have big plans for us too.”
His eyes lit up. “You do?”
“I do. I love you,” my voice flooded with heartfelt emotion.
His eyes filled with a sheeny mist of tears. It was the sweetest thing ever. He was the sweetest thing ever. And he was all mine.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Sheridan had outdone herself. The large dining room table groaned under the weight of the spread she’d prepared. She had hardly let me lift a finger, thinking I deserved a break from the kitchen. I thought she was the one who needed a break. Or maybe she and John had been doing more than cooking in the kitchen. Who knew? But everything from the turkey to the ham, roasted potatoes and vegetables, yams, and orange rolls smelled divine. Then there were all the fantastic-looking pies. We couldn’t break Kramer tradition and eat anything but pie first.
The room was beautifully decorated to make you feel as if you were in an English garden. Ivy-motif wallpaper adorned the walls with pops of garden-fresh green in the decor and chairs. Even more beautiful were the people surrounding the table. All seventeen of us. I looked at every gorgeous face I was thankful for this year: Grandma, Grandpa, Dean, Sabine, Sheridan, John, Sebastian, Max, Whitney, Gemma, Brock, Dani, Ariana, Jonah, Sammy, and last but certainly not least, Brant. I was the most thankful for him. He hadn’t let go of me once since I’d told him I loved him earlier. Instead, he’d kept me close and asked me to say it several times throughout the day, as if I would change my mind.