Page 30 of Feels Like Home

“We’re not dating but we’re dating,yeah?”

I hum a response because nothing is official, but it’s very clear there’s something happening between us. Him asking me to meet his kids just solidifiesthat.

“Right. We’re not official, but I want to be with you. I want you to meet my kids, and I think it would be nice for all of us to get to know each other a little better. The five of us. It’s time,Christine.”

“Okay,” I find myself saying, though knowing that I would have said yesanyway.

He doesn’t hesitate or gloat that he got me to say yes so easily. “Seven o’clock. Just bringyourselves.”

9

Andy

“Come on,boys! They’llbe here in just a fewminutes.”

“Dad. Calm down. We’ve met Christine before,” Reece says with a roll of hiseyes.

They don’t understand the significance of tonight. Hell, maybe Christine doesn’t either. But I served Heather divorce papers today, and now that the ball is rolling, I’m not willing to back off on setting my sights on something Iwant.

And I wantChristine.

Not even knowing my boys, she worries overthem.

Asks aboutthem.

Wants to know what’s happening in theirlives.

And me not knowing Bri, I feel thesame.

We talk everyday.

Multipletimes.

I know that Bri is looking at colleges near home and that she and Grady are growing closer by theday.

I know that she wants to go to school for Communications and is both nervous and excited about the change, much like Christineis.

Christine knows that the boys play basketball and knows how their season isgoing.

She knows how they’re doing in school, asks how tests or certain projects and assignments went after I had mentionedthem.

She knows their favorite foods and what vlogger they’re currently following and, even though they’re boys and she only has a girl, knows that puberty is a son of a bitch to deal with, especially as a single parent, and helps me understand that my kids were not, in fact, abducted byaliens.

But it’s more than just our mutual single parenthood that has me wanting to find out everything I can about her, and get to know her better, and… yeah, eventuallyreallyget to know herbetter.

It’s the fact that she’s kind and gentle and her genuine smile lights up myday.

It’s the happiness that radiates fromher.

And it doesn’t hurt that she’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve evermet.

So,yeah.

I want more withher.

I want everything withher.

But I’m not jumping intoanything.

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