Page 92 of So Much More

“Sounds perfect. Thank you.”

“What toppings do you want?”

“Ham and pineapple.”

“Say it ain’t so.”

Wendy giggles. “It’s so.”

“I hope you realize that’s a travesty.”

“Travesty or not, it’s what I like. You can get whatever you like on your half.”

“My half? I think I’ll be eating more than half. I’m a lot bigger than you.”

“You get half. If you attempt to deprive me of one ounce of my half of that pizza, there will be hell to pay.”

“Noted.”

* * *

Wendy laughs when she spies the two pizza boxes in my hands as she opens her door.

“Didn’t want to test me?” she teases.

“Didn’t want any pineapple juice on one ounce of my half of the pizza,” I reply as I enter and set the boxes on the table, where plates and drinks await us.

She giggles, and when I turn back around to her, she’s only a foot away. I’m dying to kiss her, but there’s not a chance I’m making the first move. We gaze at each other for a few seconds, and then she steps forward, wraps her arms around me, and rests her cheek against my chest.

“I missed you,” she whispers.

I fold my arms around her and hold her tight. “Same here.”

It feels so right to hold her again, but I can’t help the tiny pang of disappointment that she didn’t kiss me. I hope she doesn’t regret her choice to kiss me on Friday, and if she doesn’t, I hope it wasn’t a one-time thing.

After a few seconds, she leans her head back so she can look up at me. “Just so you know, I want to kiss you, but I also want to talk to you. I’m pretty sure if we kiss now, we’ll never get to the talkingorthe eating, and I’m starving.”

“I’m starving for you, but I’ll settle for pizza.” I lean down and press my lips to her forehead before letting go of her and pulling out her chair. “Your dinner awaits, my lady.”

She sits. “Why thank you, kind sir.”

I push her chair in and take a seat around the corner of the table from her. My leg bumps into her knee, and when she doesn’t move her leg away, neither do I. “Are we conversing in Austen speak again?”

“Indeed.” She inclines her head toward me. “And you shall serve me.”

I chuckle as I open her pizza box and slide two pieces onto her plate. “As you wish.”

We eat the first few bites of our pizza in companionable silence, and then I say, “Would you care to regale me with tales of your adventures with my female relations?”

She smiles. “Yes, but I can’t do it in Austen speak. It takes more energy than I have at the moment.”

“My sisters wore you out, huh?”

“They have a lot more energy than this old lady, I’ll tell you that.”

“You’re not an old lady,” I gently chastise her.

“Much older than them.”

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