Page 87 of Guarding My Love

“I’m not sure if you are serious or not,” she said. “I hope you’re joking.”

“Guess you’ll never know,” he said. “But I was happy to get my bed back. You don’t stay on your side either. You like to snuggle more than I thought.”

She’d asked for it and he was being honest.

“You keep the house colder than I like. And your body is hot.”

“I know it is,” he said. “I work hard to get it that way.”

She snorted. “You know what I mean.”

He closed one eye at her, not even grinning now.

The funny part was, he was acting free, but he was the old Foster and maybe she was making more out of this than she realized.

Was she looking for something to go wrong because so much had been going right?

She didn’t think she was that type of person, but it felt as if she was doing that a lot more lately.

“Maybe,” he said. “Listen, I don’t think I’m changing all that much. I’ve never been a dick, have I?”

“No,” she said.

“Don’t worry. I won’t talk like that in front of your sister’s family.”

She started to laugh. “You can. I think you and Bode will get along well. He’s always been the grouch of the family. Though I don’t see it as much. They say Sam changed him.”

“How does he feel about that?” he asked. “Everyone saying it?”

“I don’t know him that well. I don’t think he minds.”

“I don’t think I’ve changed, but if I have, I don’t mind either. Maybe think of it that way.”

He had a point. “If at any time you need space this weekend, just let me know. I’ll give it to you. Or you can leave. I’ve told Amanda how you are.”

He snorted. “I don’t think I’ve ever been afraid of saying what is on my mind, right?”

“No,” she said. And she wouldn’t let it hurt her that he hadn’t said he loved her.

She hadn’t said it again either.

Why do it when he wouldn’t return the words?

The last thing she wanted to do was put any pressure on him or their relationship when things seemed to be going well enough.

“There you go,” he said.

He pulled onto the ferry and parked.

“Do you want to stay in the car or get out and move around?”

He looked at all the people. The deck was getting more crowded than she’d seen it before.

“I’m staying in here, but if you need to take Marco out or want to, be my guest.”

She turned and smiled at him. That was the old Foster and it made her feel good.

And when they were pulling off the ferry forty minutes later, she had gotten out at one point and walked around with Marco, leaving Foster in the car alone.