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He shook his head, making a clicking sound. “Nope. I’m a package deal. You get what you see.”
She made a face, and he laughed.
“Okay, fine.” Zeke lifted up his sandwich and took a large bite. After he swallowed, he waved it back and forth. “If you keep making food like this, I think I can be convinced to tone it down… just a little bit.”
“Deal.” She stood up and leaned over her plate, then he did the same. They shared a kiss, one full of promises—promises of mistakes, promises of compromise, and promises of grilled cheese sandwiches.
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
Agatha
Agatha wrung her hands as she paced her kitchen. “Are you sure they will want to come? I mean, it’s different for me to visit when one of your daughters is hosting, but—”
Zeke took both of her hands in his. “It’s going to be fine. It’s not like they’re unaware of how serious it is between us. In fact, I’m pretty sure I heard Brielle ask when we were going to get hitched.”
Agatha shot him a surprised look. Marriage? She’d be lying to herself if she said she hadn’t considered it. But she also didn’t know if it was something Zeke wanted. She’d figured she’d wait until he brought it up first.
Funny how this was the first time in her life that she had zero interest in taking control. The thought of even bringing it up filled her with a mixture of excitement and dread. That couldn’t be healthy, could it?
Zeke moved closer to her, his eyes searching hers. It was as if he wanted a sign she was ready. Or maybe he was just testing the waters and wanted to make sure she was in the same place as him… a place that wasn’t even thinking about tying the knot.
Agatha let out a quiet, anxious laugh. “What?”
“Are you okay?”
“Of course I am.” She moved to get away from him, but his hands still held hers too tightly.
“Agatha.”
“What?”
He tilted his head and a small smile touched his lips. “What are you thinking?”
Another laugh. Why did she have to react that way when he was around her? Agatha squeezed his hands and glanced away. “I’m just nervous. That’s all. I want them to like coming here. I want them to see me as someone they can spend time with. Ever since Thomas moved to Colorado Springs…” She let out a heavy sigh. “It’s just not the same.” She almost said she felt so alone, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so when the one person who made her life beautiful was standing in front of her.
“You miss him.”
“Of course I miss him. He’s my only child. I’ve never lived this far away from him before and even a few hours seems like millions of miles.” Agatha blinked back the tears that came more often than not when she talked about her son. “He’s happy. So I’m happy. But… like I said… it’s not the same.”
Zeke released her hands and pulled her in for a tight hug. “I get it,” he whispered. “Change is hard. It’s scary. And it’s definitely something that is only made easier when you have someone to help carry that burden.”
“I suppose you’re right,” she murmured into his shoulder. “If it weren’t for you, I don’t know that I would have been able to handle staying here.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Zeke teased. He pulled away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You have Shane and the folks at the club you work with. You have that horse… what did you name her?”
“Henrietta.” She chuckled. “And thank you. It was very generous of you to give her to me.”
“Well, it was either Henrietta or an ATV. I wasn’t about to go a single day without seeing you, and sometimes it’s just easier to meet in the middle.”
She leaned into him, allowing his warmth to wash over her. Everything hadn’t been perfect by any stretch of the imagination. The two of them still butted heads every so often, but in the end, they found ways to compromise.
Agatha had found a new purpose at work as well. She’d pulled Shane aside and asked him his thoughts on setting up a summer program for at-risk teens. He seemed to like the concept, and they were going to have a meeting about it in about a week.
If Agatha could be the one to head the project, she felt she could truly find her purpose again. Raising her son had been the highlight of her life and a calling she’d been proud to have.
“… and that’s why I think we needed to talk about it before they arrive.”
