Page 82 of Confessions of the Funny Fat Friend

“If your hot ass isn’t on the job site every damn day, we’re going to have a problem,” I growled.

She laughed. “Where’s nice guy Tyler?”

“Right here.” I pulled her in, kissing her lips. “And I’ll stay that way as long as I have my girl at my side.”

“Gosh, you’re perfect,” she replied. And even though I knew I was far from perfect, I liked hearing the word roll off her tongue.

“Hey, there was something I wanted to talk to you about,” I said.

Worry instantly formed a crease between her eyebrows.

“It’s nothing bad,” I reassured her. “Actually, I’m excited about it.”

“What is it?” she asked, the crease disappearing.

I walked around my desk and opened the drawer, pulling out the decorative red box.

“What is this?” she asked, taking it gingerly in her hands.

“I’ve loved spending these last months with you, Hen, and getting to know your family has been incredible. But my family wants me to go home for Thanksgiving, and I can’t stand the idea of going without you.”

She watched me, a small smile playing on her lips.

“I want you to meet my parents and get annoyed by my siblings and stare at my brother’s office and spend a night under the Texas stars with me.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Camping? Won’t it be cold in November?”

“Makes cuddling that much better.”

Her smile grew, and the suspense was killing me.

Not able to take it any longer, I asked, “Will you go?”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around my shoulders. “I’d love to, Tyler!”

I held her close, breathing in her delicate perfume and loving every damn second. Until the door opened. The only time I’d ever jumped apart from a girl faster was when I got caught making out with my girlfriend in high school.

Rich grinned between the two of us, but didn’t say anything about what he’d caught us doing. Instead, he said, “We’re at the point where starting the next step would keep the guys here for another hour. Do you want to have them keep going or let them out a little early?”

I glanced at my watch, seeing there were about fifteen minutes left in the workday. “You can send them home. I need to show the boss here what we’ve been up to.”

Rich winked. “I’ll tell them to get the show on the road.” He turned around and left the trailer, and I shared a guilty smile with Henrietta.

“We should be more careful when the guys are on site,” I said.

She nodded. “Definitely.”

“But in the meantime.” I lifted the lid from the box she was holding. “I thought you should have a piece of home to look forward to.”

Her eyes softened as she took it in. “Tyler, it’s beautiful.”

My lips lifted, her reaction to the necklace was like an acceptance of me, my family. “Can I put this on you?”

She nodded, turning and lifting her hair off her neck. I draped the delicate silver chain around her and clasped the back. It fell against her dark skin, and it took all I had not to place a kiss there.

Instead, I let it go and stepped back. As she turned, she held her hand to the pendant. And when she removed her fingers so I could get a good look, I smiled. “It’s beautiful on you.”

“Thank you,” she said. “Now why don’t you show me the site? It’s so different every day.”

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