“Love you, Mom.” I should have known better than not to talk to her. She gets me more than anyone besides Montana.
“Love you. Live your life. Screw the rest.” She squeezes me to her chest in that motherly way before heading towards her vehicle. I don’t move from my spot until she’s out of view, taking a deep breath because Mom is right, and it’s time Montana and I start fucking living.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
montana
“She’s right. We deserve—no, I take that back—you deserve to live your life. I know we said we’d keep this between us, but, Asa, I know you to the depth of my soul. Plus, don’t you think it’s going to be hard to keep tiptoeing around just because your siblings and my best friend have an opinion?” I truly love the Hart family, Leena included, and sure, keeping this a secret has been hard, and I’ll catch blowback from it, no doubt in my mind. Then she’ll be grossed out and will probably be all dramatic, not talk to me for a few days, but then Leena will come over or call and apologize. It’s what we both do. We’re stubborn to a fault, but we’ll talk it out, I’ll cry, so will she, then we’re back to normal.
“Yep, I’m done hiding you. I wasn’t only talking about Alabama and living out of a bag. Though we’ve made room for each other at our places, it sucks to be paying rent on a place we’re only at twice a week. You can’t even bring your plants because we’re hiding. That’s bullshit. Tomorrow, we’ll tell the family at the barbecue. That way, when you start work, it’s with a clean slate. Everyone knows everything.” I wrap my arms around his waist, sliding under his shirt to feel the muscles rippling beneath the tips of my fingers.
“I’m glad we’re on the same page. How do you think she knew I was here, though?” I ask. My head is lying against his chest. Asa’s arms are banded around me, holding me so close not even air could fit between us.
“Well, babe, I’m thinking the trail of clothes we didn’t think to pick up from last night could have been it, or your bag that’s spilled over by the front door. How it got there is anyone’s guess.” I collapse against him in a fit of giggles. It doesn’t matter if we saw each other that morning or the night before; it seems whenever we’re around each other, we’re both so greedy for one another that nothing gets in the way of what we want.
“We’re a mess, you know?” I lift my head away from his chest to look at his handsome face, angular jawline, kissable soft lips, and his eyes full of warmth.
“Not going to hear me complain. Can you see yourself living with me, Montana?” Asa’s serious, dead serious. The tightening in my body isn’t from nervousness; it’s definitely in excitement, a reel of our life playing out in my head. One day being married to Asa, starting a family, coming home, cooking dinner together, watching our little ones roll around in the living room with their dad like I know he has no problem doing with Jace now. Boys, I’d love nothing better than to have a boy or two, both looking like Asa, maybe a little girl with our combined looks.
“You going to answer me, babe, or keep looking off into the distance with hopes and dreams in your eyes without letting me in on them?” Asa bends down, whispering into my ear.
“I love your house, you know that. It’s still just a house at the end of the day; it’s what makes it a home, the love and devotion inside it that I’m after. And yeah, when it comes to the future, I want that for us. But, Asa, you have to know I want kids, as in plural, and if that’s a deal breaker, I kind of need to know now.” It pains me to move away. This man has no idea he carries my heart with him wherever he goes.
“You won’t hear me complaining. I come from a big family. Not saying I’d like five kids.” I rear back when he brings all his siblings up. I love kids, but there is no way I’d like to birth five kids. My poor vagina could not handle that. Plus, how Mrs. Hart even handled all of them, God, it’s a miracle. I’m an only child and have no idea how all the sibling rivalry works, let alone raising them.
“Thank goodness.” I breathe a sigh of relief.
“I’m thinking two or three kids with you wouldn’t be a hardship.” Knowing that we’re on the same page helps entirely.
“Good, when the time comes and you ask me to move in, the answer will be yes.”