Page 64

I shake my head as I stand. “I just met him, Alice.”

“You keep saying that like it means anything. Time has absolutely nothing to do with the smile on your face or the sparkle in your eyes since you met him.”

“It’s just… he doesn’t know about my past yet… I was going to tell him tonight.”

She nods in understanding as she pushes off the archway and walks over to me, wrapping me up in a hug. “I know you’re scared but he’s a good man, Quinn. That isn’t going to phase him at all.”

“I’m just nervous.”

“Trust me, it will be okay,” she assures me as she grabs her backpack off the hook on the wall. “But I’ve got to get going now. Save me some ribs.”

After I promise to save her a plate, she leaves for class and I retreat into the kitchen to check on the food. I grab a fork and check to see how tender the potatoes are before slipping into the living room where Brooklyn is still playing with her keyboard. When she sees me, she starts crawling over to me and I smile.

“Hey, baby girl.”

She stops at my feet and I pick her up before tickling her belly. She giggles and my heart aches with love.

“Did you have fun with Auntie Alice today?” I ask.

“Babababa,” she babbles and I nod.

“Really?” I gasp as I turn back to the kitchen with her in my arms. “What else did you do today?”

I put her in her high chair, sprinkle some Cheerios on the tray, and work on finishing up dinner as she babbles on. When the potatoes are done, I drain the water and dump them into a bowl before adding a generous helping of butter and milk and mashing them. Once the potatoes are done, I throw a bag of vegetables into the microwave and turn to check the ribs. Before I can even take the lid off of the crockpot, the doorbell rings and Brooklyn’s head whips in the direction of the foyer.

“Lalalala,” she sings and I can’t help but think she’s trying to say Lucas.

“Who’s here, pretty girl?” I ask as I wipe my hands on a towel and pass by her high chair.

“Lalalala.”

I laugh and snag one of her Cheerios. “You think so?”

I step into the foyer and my heart starts to race as butterflies flap around in my belly. A smile stretches across my face as I grab the doorknob and it doesn’t even matter that I haven’t even seen him yet because just knowing that he’s on the other side of that door is enough to reduce me to a grinning, bubbly mess. Sucking in a breath to calm the electricity zipping through my body, I open the door and my grin grows as he steps into the house and lifts me up into his arms despite my squeal.

“Lucas!” I gasp, slapping his shoulder and he laughs as he slides me down the front of his body, igniting every single nerve ending under my skin. My breath catches as our eyes meet and I can smell the spearmint gum in his mouth as he leans in. His arm slips around my waist and he pulls me so close that I’m not sure where I end and he begins but I can’t bring myself to pull away - not when being in his arms feels like the only place I’m meant to be. Ever so slowly, he closes the distance between us and the moment his lips touch mine, I sigh because kissing him is like coming home.

“Mmm,” he hums as he pulls back just enough to touch the tip of his nose to mine. “I can’t decide if I want to keep kissing you or find out what the hell smells so damn good.”

“You know, I think I would be offended if the best damn ribs you’ve ever had weren’t waiting for us in the kitchen.”

He pulls back and smiles as he laces our fingers together and shuts the front door. “Lead the way, then.”

Brooklyn’s eyes light up when we walk into the kitchen and she smiles, raising her arms above her head as Lucas chuckles.

“Hey, girlie. Did you miss me?”

“Dada,” she babbles and I suck in a breath, unsure how he’ll react but it doesn’t seem to faze him at all as he unbuckles her from the high chair and scoops her up into his arms before raising her above his head. She squeals and kicks her legs as she giggles and any qualms I have about telling Lucas about my past vanish. Despite the fact that we’ve only known each other for a short time, the truth is that I do know him and I know he’ll be just as amazing about everything I have to tell him today as he’s been all this time that I’ve been asking him to take things slow.

“You want to move her chair up to the table?” I ask as I turn to grab a couple plates.

“Sure.”

I start dishing food up onto plates and grabbing silverware when I feel his arms wrap around my waist. He pulls me into his body and presses his lips to my neck, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Anything you need help with?”

I hold up a plate. “You could help me carry plates over to the table.”