Page 145 of Protecting Love

“When it comes to your kids, you will do anything for them. You’ll risk your own happiness to ensure they are happy. You put your life on hold for them.”

“He’s been doing that. I thought he was afraid.”

“Maybe he’s that too. Sounds like he was burned pretty severely. It’s hard to feel the heat again when that happens.”

“I know,” she said, then let out a frustrated growl.

“Cut yourself some slack. This is new for you too. The thing with Fletcher is he’s older.”

“He’s not that old,” she argued.

“I didn’t mean it that way. I meant, he’s an old soul. He’s experienced more than you’ll ever know. More than he might ever tell you.”

She’d thought of that too. “That isn’t making me feel any better.”

“I’m not trying to make you feel better. I’m trying to get you to open your mind like you do in your job. Just do it in your personal life. Don’t plan it. Don’t hold grudges. Hear him out and pivot like you would in your job.”

“But this isn’t my job,” she argued. “This is my life.”

“There,” her mother said. “That was easier than I thought it’d be.”

She scrunched her nose and pulled the blanket over her head. Not that anyone could see her, but it made her feel better.

“You did that on purpose?”

“I wanted you to understand what you’re feeling.”

“I know. I’m feeling it. Too much. Everything since I’ve met him. I’ve never felt so much. Good, bad, frustrating, exciting...” She trailed off before she said more.

She didn’t need to. Her mother’s soft laugh said it all.

“You know what you need to do. Did I help you see it at least?”

“Yes, Mom. You always do.”

“One day when you have kids, you’ll do it too.”

“I hope so,” she said. “I hope I can there too.”

Because she wasn’t sure she could feel the same with anyone other than Fletcher, and she had no clue if he wanted more kids.

There was so much they didn’t know about each other still.

She only knew how she felt.

And for now, that was enough.

She just had to decide how long she could wait for him.

34

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“You’re home early,” Ian said, opening the door and coming in.

Fletcher expected his son to be here before him, but when he came home to an empty place, he pulled up the app for his son’s phone and saw him still at school.

There was no reason to bother him, so he started on dinner while he tried to work everything through his mind.