Page 81 of Class Act

We said goodbye, and as soon as the phone was back in my lap, I crumpled into a sobbing heap again.

*****

Knocking on my door pulled me out of my TV stupor, and I glanced down at the phone sitting on the couch next to me. It said 9:30 p.m., and I blinked, surprised I’d been sitting in the same place for hours. Had I had dinner?

My eyes ached from crying, and I rubbed at my face as another round of three knocks sounded, reminding me of what had tugged me back into awareness in the first place.

I stood, stumbling a bit as I was currently wrapped in a blanket burrito and it was caught around my legs. I tugged at it and freed myself, dropping the blanket in a heap on my couch as the doorbell rang. My goodness, this visitor was impatient.

I’d had a good vent and mini therapy session with my mom and was feeling better emotionally but also so very drained, and I just wanted this person to stop making noise so that I could slink off to bed.

My stomach rumbled as I undid the deadbolt and pulled the door open.

The smell hit me first. Onion rings and a burger. The brown paper bag had greasy spots on its side, and saliva filled my mouth. I looked at the face above the bag and would have teared up again if I’d had anything left in me.

“There’s no way I wasn’t coming to see for myself that you’re okay,” Ford said.

His tone told me he expected an argument, but I simply swung the door wide and let him in. He brushed past me, and I followed that food bag with my eyes before closing the door behind him.

He walked straight into my kitchen, set the bag on the small table, and then marched right back to where I was standing, feeling like my tether to the earth had been cut. Without even a pause he slid his arms under mine, wrapped them around my waist, and hauled me up against him, pressing my body close to his and dipping his head to kiss my cheek.

“Hi,” he said against my skin.

An entire battleship of butterfly fighter pilots was loosed in my chest as I lifted my arms to circle around his neck. “Hi.”

We didn’t speak for a few precious minutes, just enjoyed the closeness and the silent communication. He’d come for me, and I was allowing him in. That was enough for now.

His hands coasted up and down my back, comforting but also stirring up some very interesting feelings that might not be what he’d bargained for. I pressed my nose into his neck, and then my lips moved to take its place. His skin was so smooth, and he smelled so nice. He was wearing a sweatshirt that was cozy against my cheek and under my hands.

I reached up to the back of his head and turned him into the position I wanted him in. Specifically, kissing position. He was more than willing to give in, and he met my vulnerable kisses with patience and comfort, holding me close and molding his body to mine until I wasn’t sure even the slightest breeze could get between us.

His hand moved to my hair and tugged my head back until he had access to press a lingering kiss under my jaw. His breathing was rapid against the sensitive skin. Chills skittered up my back and down my arms.

And then, my stomach rumbled again. It broke the spell, and he laughed as he slowly released me.

“Sounds like you’re going to need some actual dinner and not just me,” he joked as he slid away and moved toward the table again. “Go sit down, and I’ll serve you.”

“This is the best room service I’ve ever received,” I replied, smoothing my hair back into place.

“Sorry it took so long to get here. I swear kids have a radar of some sort that tells them if their parent has somewhere else to be. They were on one tonight, stalling about bedtime like real pros. I finally just turned them over to Ellie. I was hoping you’d still be awake.”

“I was awake-ish.”

His smile was sympathetic. “Emotional stupor?” he guessed as he crossed to where I was sitting. I laughed. “I was also assuming you hadn’t eaten. You’re clearly starved by this point, considering the sounds your stomach just made.”

“You’ve saved a life tonight.”

He handed me a bacon cheeseburger and a stack of onion rings complete with dipping sauce. I dug in, well, at least as much as someone with a real thing about manners can dig in. While I happily chewed, nearly moaning with pleasure, he kept up a light stream of conversation about nothing at all. As food filled my stomach and his presence filled everything else, I began to feel drowsy in that warm, completely satisfied way that’s so rare.

I wiped my face and hands on a napkin and then scooted next to him on the couch and put my head on his shoulder without any hesitation or doubt at all. His arm came around me, and he stroked along the outside of my arm.

“I hope you know how much this means to me,” I said softly, a yawn working its way out. “I would never in a million years have taken you up on your offer to stop by, but I’m glad you did.”

He kissed the top of my head. “Wild horses couldn’t have kept me away . . . but wild children nearly did,” he chuckled.

I closed my eyes, and my breathing became peaceful and even, and before I knew it, I’d drifted to sleep in the one place I truly wanted to be.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

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