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She nodded. “Maggie and I will try on our dresses while we gossip about you.”
He grinned at that. “My loss.”
“Mine, too. I really enjoyed brunch and being with you.”
“I have a feeling I’ll be surrounded by women tonight and all I’ll be thinking about is you.”
“When you say those kinds of things, it just makes me...”
“What?” He leaned in for her answer.
“It makes me want to do this.” She closed the distance and kissed him. A soft brush of her lips at first, his eyes on her as she watched them spark with desire and need. She pressed her lips to his again. This time with more intent, sweeping her tongue along his bottom lip.
His fingers slid into her hair at the back of her head, and he took the kiss deeper, his tongue gliding along hers in a sure and steady slide that left her breathless.
She cupped his hard jaw in her palm and leaned into him.
Gray kissed her one last time and pressed his forehead to hers. “You are... so much more than I expected.”
“I didn’t know what to expect when Maggie said we’d all be spending a lot of time together this week. I wasn’t happy about coming back home, but I’m so glad I did.” Maybe she hadn’t resolved her past or bridged the gap between her and her mom and Poppy, but meeting Gray and finding this kind of instant connection was definitely worth it.
Gray leaned back, giving them both some space to cool off. They were in public, and several people at nearby tables stared at them. One woman even gave her an approving grin.
“Why didn’t you want to come home? Your father is gone now.”
“I haven’t been home since I left for college.”
“Why?” he asked because she avoided a real answer.
She never talked about her dad, but with Gray, she found it so easy to open up. “All I ever wanted to do was get away.Escape. Live my life without always feeling like everything I did was wrong or stupid. And I did. But I left my mom and sister behind. Without me, Poppy became my father’s favorite target. She blames me for abandoning her. I blame myself.”
“You didn’t. You saved yourself. She’s angry at the wrong person.”
“That’s what I tell myself, but it’s little consolation when my sister hates me. As children we were so close, though I know it’s a little naïve to think we can pick up where we left off... Now... she can’t stand the sight of me. And I feel so guilty.” She pressed her lips tight and tried not to let the emotions overwhelm her. “My mom didn’t want me to come back at all. It somehow gave her comfort to know I was out there, living my life, happy and away from him.”
“As it should. I doubt she wanted you to stay and suffer with them.”
“He died three years ago. Fell down the stairs drunk. Snapped his neck and cracked his skull open. I didn’t go to his funeral. I didn’t come home. I didn’t care that he was gone. As far as I was concerned, he didn’t bring anything into my life but pain and anger. It’s sad to say, but I didn’t miss having him in my life at all.”
“You didn’t owe him anything. You don’t owe them.”
“I feel like I do. When Maggie told me she was having her wedding here, I couldn’t let my best friend get married without me. I couldn’t keep making excuses not to see my mom and sister. So here I am.”
“If they’ve experienced what you went through with yourdad, then surely they understand why you didn’t want to come back and face those terrible memories.”
She appreciated that he understood how hard it was for her to be here. “My mom does. Poppy is lost in her anger. I’m her big sister. I should have protected her.”
Gray brushed his fingers up and down her forearm. “Didn’t you do that all those years you were under his roof?”
She couldn’t deny the truth. “Yes. I simply couldn’t do it anymore. If I hadn’t left, I wouldn’t be here right now.” She’d never admitted that to anyone but Maggie.
Gray’s eyes softened with understanding and compassion. He leaned in, slipped his hand along her cheek, and pulled her close so he could kiss her forehead. The tenderness of the kiss made her eyes tear up. “Aw, sweetheart, I am so glad you survived.”
She leaned into his palm. “Thank you. But this conversation is getting way too serious.”
He used his thumb to tilt her head back so he could look her in the eye. “It’s not easy to share the deepest parts of ourselves, but it means a lot to me that you’d trust me with something so personal.”
She did trust him. When she revealed why she’d stayed away and why she’d come home, she felt he’d understand and not judge her. “I like you. You’re easy to be with.”
