Page 62 of Of Course, Cutie

“It is. I asked Sienna to add it to their wedding playlist.” He leaned down to press another soft kiss to my lips. “Do you know how much I love you, Charlie?”

I shrugged and bit my lip, meeting his gaze with a smile. “Is it the forever kind of love, Burke?”

“Yes.”

“Burke?”

Yes?”

“You’re not going to propose to me at my brother’s wedding, are you?”

Burke let out his deep laugh and shook his head. “I would never do something so pedestrian, Charlie.”

I laughed as he spun me in a slow circle. “We can take it slow.”

“Because we’ve got what it takes to make it.”

“Exactly.”

He pulled me closer, and I rested my head against his chest. Tess wandered over to us as the song ended, and an upbeat one started. Burke and I held out our hands to her, and she took them with a smile.

Tess laughed as I twirled her, her soft pink skirt billowing out as she spun.

Nothing would ever entirely swallow up the sting of losing my dad, but these two beautiful people sure as hell dulled the ache. Burke and Tess had me believing in true love and beauty and new beginnings. They showed me that I was strong and hard on my own, but softer and more stable with them.

30

Charlie

Six Months Later

Tess’s giggle rang through the air as I threw a pile of bright orange leaves at her face. She scooped up handfuls of leaves and returned the favor, laughing so hard she was almost wheezing.

Fall leaves used to symbolize death to me. I thought they always would, but I watched Tess’s beautiful smile as they floated through the air around her and wondered if maybe the leaves could mean a new beginning. Maybe the harsh winds that ripped through the trees—tearing them down to nothing—were doing the trees a favor. Maybe those winds were making room for new growth.

Burke’s Subaru pulled up the driveway, and Tess and I turned to smile at him. I gave Tess’s shoulder a light and playful shove. “I’ll race you for the first hug.”

Tess grinned and took off running before I said go. I hung back to let her win and smiled as I watched my sexy man hug his daughter. Burke turned to me next and planted a deep kiss on my lips, sliding his tongue into my mouth. I slid my tongue into his mouth and buried my hands in his hair. It was getting long again. He took control of the kiss for a moment, then passed it back to me, until Tess yelled, “Gross! Stop making out!” and pelted us with two handfuls of leaves.

I pulled away from Burke and held up my hands. “Fine! We surrender! No more leaves!”

“Tess, you want hot chocolate? I bought some at the store.” Burke said and turned to open the trunk. He pulled out a few grocery bags, and the three of us headed inside the little house that Burke bought last month.

I’d moved in with him a week ago, and it was the perfect little two-bedroom house for us. It was close enough to Lexi and Scott’s that we got to see Tess on weeknights, too.

“Are Matteo and Jonah still coming for dinner tomorrow night?” Burke asked as we put the groceries away. Tess collapsed on the couch and switched on the TV.

“Yeah, they’re super excited to see the place.” My best friend and his boyfriend both had crushes on my boyfriend. They flirted shamelessly with Burke every time we saw them, and it was hilarious. Burke was such a good sport about it and flirted back just enough to make Matteo and Jonah all giggly.

Burke turned on the oven and started to gather ingredients to make dinner. “Burke, love of my life, please get out of the kitchen.”

He glanced up at me and faked offense. “I haven’t burned anything since last Tuesday.”

“Yep. Let’s keep that winning streak going.” I pulled him in for a quick kiss and pinched his ass. “I made a promise to Tess that I would do the cooking when she’s here.”

“Right.” Burke rubbed his beard. “You guys formed an alliance against me.”

I gave him a serious nod. “Yes, we did.”

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