Page 110 of Rough

“Agreed. But I’m like you, Bradley. I’m stubborn.”

“Well,” he said. “You don’t have to make it now. But when you’re ready, let me know. It’d mean a lot to me if you could keep an eye on him. I trust you, and I don’t trust many.”

“I’ll think about it, and I’ll let you know,” I said.

“Not until you’re ready.”

“Go spend some quality time with the man you love,” he said. “I’m going to spend some with the woman I love.”

I grinned and then turned around.

Brad was standing in the same place. I walked up to him, gave him a kiss, and reached for his hand.

“According to Bradley, the number four most memorable moment in a man’s life is when his son and his soon to be wife plan a shindig like this. I’m supposed to tell you that.”

He nodded. “Soon to be wife, huh?”

“That’s what he said.” I liked the thought of it, but I shrugged, so he wouldn’t think I was crazy.

“What are the first three most memorable moments?” I asked.

He took a long breath, let out a sigh and then reached for my other hand.

He locked eyes with me. “Number one is when a man kisses the woman who will later be his wife for the first time. Number two is, when those two people get married. Number three is when those two people have a child. And number four, I guess, is when that child plans something like this.”

I smiled a genuine smile. I didn’t want to, it just happened. “I love your dad.”

“So do I.” he said.

“Words of wisdom from Bradley’s vault,” I said. “I look forward to them.”

“I’ve been hearing him spout wisdom for a lifetime,” he said. “But it’s just been about a month since I started listening to him.”

I thought about what he said for a moment, and then I grinned.

“I’m glad you did.”

“So am I,” he said.

Then he kissed me.

THIRTY-FOUR

Pee Bee

I laid in Tegan’s bed staring at the ceiling. Beside me, she lay sleeping, worn out from the night’s festivities.

We’d been seeing each other for a month, and as insignificant as some might see that as being, I looked at it as a lifetime achievement.

Because for me, it was.

For whatever reason, I couldn’t sleep. Something was just off. I dismissed it as excitement, and then as my having recognized just how much I loved Tegan.

I couldn’t tell her, at least not yet. I felt foolish for feeling the way I felt, but as my father said, when you know, you just know.

He said he realized he loved my mother when they made love for the first time. I’m not so sure Tegan didn’t convince me when we kissed for the first time.

I’d never really kissed anyone like that, and although I had very little to compare it to, I didn’t need to compare it to anything to realize just how special that kiss actually was.