Page 38 of And Everything In Between

“For tonight. For showing me your world. For...” She hesitated, searching for words. “For not pushing but not letting me hide either.”

Giovanni smiled, the kind that reached his eyes and made them crinkle at the corners. “You don’t gotta thank me. I wanted you there. I want you anywhere I am.”

The honesty of it made her head swim. How did he do that? Say exactly what she wanted to hear?

He walked her to her door, his hand in his pockets. When they reached her threshold, he stepped back slightly, giving her space. Giovanni was once again the perfect gentleman. She fought not to ask him inside.Slow down, Paige.

“Ball’s still in your court,” he said, voice low and sure. “I’m ready whenever you are.” Then he pressed a kiss to her forehead—a gesture too soft for the way she made him feel—and turned to head home.

But then he hesitated, his hand lingering on hers for a second longer than necessary. “You know what happens when you hold onto fear too long right?”

She shook her head, keys dangling from her fingers.

“You miss the ride,” he said simply. “And I promise you, Paige Bishop, I’m the kind of ride worth taking.”

With that, he turned and walked back to his car, his silhouette cutting a line through the moonlight. He didn’t look back, didn’t try to steal one more kiss, didn’t try to wheedle his way inside. He left her with a promise and the space to decide what to do with it.

Paige watched until his taillights disappeared around the corner and went inside. She melted against the door with a smile on her face. Under no circumstances would she allow herself to fall in love with Giovanni Dowlen. But as she pressed her fingers to lips still warm from his nearness, she knew it was possibly already too late.

“Shit.”

Chapter 11

Sunday afternoon sun filtered through the park trees where the women had spread their blanket for their weekly check-in. Between mom life, work, and marriage, they'd promised not to forget each other. Blake sprawled across the blanket popping grapes like royalty, unbothered and unapologetic, the way she'd always been. Taylor had her nose in a book while Kennedi was being Kennedi.

Children's laughter drifted from the nearby playground when Paige asked, “What’s a girl to do, y’all?”

Her friends all looked up at once, replies tumbling over each other like they'd been waiting for this very question since she told them about Giovanni.

“Call him,” Blake urged.

“Jump on that. Immediately,” Kennedi added.

The group cracked up like this was all a joke. But Paige wasn’t laughing. Her thumb hovered over her phone screen like her thumb was broken. This wasn’t light. She didn’t need jokes, she needed her girls to talk her off the ledge or push her over it. No in between.

“I feel ganged up on,” Paige muttered, sliding her shades down enough to show the war going on behind her eyes.

Everyone was chilling, living their best life, while Paige’s romantic hesitation was eating her alive.

“That’s because you are doing too much. The man sat with your daddy. That ain’t a red flag, that’s a husband starter kit. What’s not clicking?”

Taylor chimed in from her spot on the edge of the blanket, casually reading on her Kindle, while keeping one eye on Denver, who was attempting to climb the baby slide.

“Girl, it’s been a week. He left the ball in your court, and you haven’t bounced it once. That’s just disrespectful.”

Kennedi leaned forward from her camping chair, designer sunglasses pushed up into her hair like she’d been waiting for this moment, and she had. She’d missed her girls and being a part of their daily lives. Now that she was back, she had thoughts.

“Exactly. Stop trying to protect your peace so hard that you miss the party. That man is fine, available, and acting right. What else do you want? A notarized letter? A chariot? Or that little naked baby?”

Paige smirked, adjusting her head scarf. “I’m saying, I don’t need a man right now. I just peeled JT off me. I ain’t jumping back into anybody’s arms. I’m not pressed.”

“And again. JT never mattered and never counted.”

Two weeks had passed since Giovanni stopped traffic for her and rearranged her priorities, and one week since their spontaneous trip to the drag strip. She hadn’t called, and neither had he. The silence had killed her softly. She spent her nights wondering if the feeling in her chest was heartburn or a sign from God.

“I guess we had fun, and maybe we should leave it at that.” Paige shrugged, but her friends could see right through her. “He’s got his business and TV show. I got my shit.”

“Mmm,” Blake drawled, tossing a grape in her mouth. “You’re lying.”

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