"You were very sweet in there. But why are you encouraging the kids to do shenanigans?" I inquire.
He looks up from the pump. "Because that's what kids do. Mom always said to worry if kids are silent, not if they’re loud. I was a loud kid who couldn't stand still for more than ten minutes at a time, and look how smart and charming I turned out."
"But that doesn't mean you should encourage them to—"
He cups my cheek with one hand. "I don't want any of you to stress out. You're already all tied up in knots. Why?"
"I'm nervous about all this. Meeting your parents. Can you give me pointers? I really want them to like me."
Kissing my forehead, he says, "I know they'll like you. But here are a few pointers regarding my siblings. Don't trust Blake. For that matter, Max either. And whatever you do, don't let Pippa rope you into a conversation if the two of you are alone. She'll make you spill all your secrets."
"You make it sound like Pippa has some kind of truth serum."
"She does." Though his expression is serious, I know he's barely suppressing laughter. Why my jitters amuse him so much, I have no idea.
"I know Pippa, remember? I decorated her house."
"And she never asked you personal questions? You never had the feeling you're saying more than you should, but you couldn't stop yourself?"
"Hmm… a few times."
"Aha!" He points his forefinger at me, raising his shoulders. "And that was nothing. She was still assessing your potential at that point, so she wasn't grilling you too hard. Now however…."
"You're confusing me. Lots of don'ts here. Anything I should do?"
Christopher takes his time placing the nozzle back in its socket and closing the lid to the gas tank before focusing his attention on me. "Now that you mention it, it might be a good idea to profess your undying love for me. That'll win everyone over instantly."
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you’re fishing for a love declaration."
"Nah! Just giving you pointers, as you asked. On second thought, don't do that. Then they'll start nagging me about proposing and babies."
"Your family sounds suspiciously like Chloe."
"In many ways, they are."
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Why do you almost choke every time you say ‘proposing’? For the record, I'm not fishing for a ring."
"Just like I'm not fishing for a love declaration." He chuckles, but as I shift from one leg to the other, I take in the subtle way his expression changes. "I proposed once."
Oh crap. "It didn't go well?"
"Exactly. She said no, explaining she needed to find herself and couldn't do that with me. I was blindsided. She'd never said anything like that before."
Unzipping his jacket, I sneak my arms around his waist, resting my head against his chest, seeking to comfort him. My heart hurts for him, even as a pang of jealousy shoots through me.
"Does it make me a bad person that I'm glad she said no? I wouldn't have met you otherwise."
"It makes you a terrible person." His chest rumbles with laughter, and it's damn contagious. With the greatest regret, I peel myself off him, zipping his jacket back up. We really should get going, but I can't help asking one more thing.
"Did you love her?"
"I used to think so." He levels his gaze at me, emotions warring in his eyes. "Now that I’ve met you, I think I didn't know what love was. All these feelings I have for you… I didn't even know they existed."
"Back at you." I bounce up on my toes, planting a quick kiss on his chin, then step back to get a better view of him. "How do you always find new ways to make me swoon?"