Page 79 of Trusting You
I smiled. I loved this wacky town.
“So how about we move this conversation to my apartment?” he asked, squeezing my ass.
“That sounds sensible,” I replied with a sexy smirk. “You have a lot of groveling to do.”
42
Liam
1 Month Later
And grovel I did.I knew I had to make it up to her. I had to regain her trust.
So we took it slow. Too slow for me, but I wanted to show her I had learned and was going to do better. I wanted to show her I was serious about a future with her. I wanted to show her she was worth making room for.
Apparently showing her included freezing my ass off on the pier in the middle of winter. We were standing with her sister, Maggie, her two kids, and Mrs. Leary. Her friend Emily joined us a bit later, with her husband, Derek, and their three kids. I currently had the middle one, Jacob, on my shoulders.
It was probably in the low twenties and the winds were brutal coming across the water. But we stood and waited along with hundreds of other families, bundled up and huddled for warmth. Next year, I would set up a tent and sell beer—several of the parents looked like they could use a drink.
After what felt like hours but was probably more like twenty minutes, we saw it. An enormous Coast Guard cutter cruised into the harbor, and on the bow were Santa and Mrs. Claus, waving to the throngs of screaming people.
I couldn’t help myself. I got excited. I grabbed Cece’s hand as we screamed and cheered. Jacob kicked me in the chest several times, but I didn’t care. The high school marching band started playing Christmas carols and the crowd sang along.
Santa had been arriving in Havenport on a Coast Guard cutter for generations. It was a tradition I remembered fondly from my childhood. I hadn’t been out here to see it in decades, but Cece insisted we go. She said she missed this kind of thing when she was in New York. And how could I say no to my girl?
And so here I was, freezing my balls off and screaming with a ton of little kids as Santa disembarked and started waving to the crowd. You could feel the kids in the audience positively vibrating with happiness, and I couldn’t deny how fun this was. Cece looked gorgeous as usual, her wild hair shoved under a beanie and her brown eyes shining. I couldn’t help but imagine bringing our kids to see Santa. Camping out for a good vantage point and bundling everyone up in their winter gear. Something that once seemed so far away was finally in my grasp.
I wanted this future with her. I wanted to be a dad and watch her become a mom. I wanted to raise our kids in this strange, quirky town and celebrate all our wacky traditions.
We had just gotten back together, but my heart did not want to listen to my brain. I wanted this future now. I wanted forever to start today. However, my brain kept fighting back, reminding me to take it slow.
But things were looking good. She had started joining Tuesday night beers with my brothers, and I had earned some brownie points with her mom by doing some projects around her house. Our families and friends were coming together, and we were building our own community in Havenport. Cece had decided to officially start her own marketing company and had already taken on a few clients. We were planning a trip to New York to clean out her old apartment next weekend. I wanted to drive that moving truck straight back to my place, but she hesitated about moving in so soon.
I wanted to wake up next to her every day, but I knew I had to earn that privilege. So we talked, and I listened, and together we built something beautiful and strong.
Epilogue
Liam
Two Years Later
“Ugh.”I let out a growl of frustration. “I hate ties.”
Cece came over and took control, crafting the perfect Windsor knot while smiling at me. “I know. But you look so super hot in that suit.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe how gorgeous you look right now.”
“Well, believe it, kid, because we need to leave in twenty minutes.”
“Okay, okay. Do you need a zip?”
“Yeah, I do.”
I gently tugged the zipper up Cece’s charcoal-gray bridesmaid dress. Her hair was up in some kind of bun and soft curls escaped around her face and neck. She looked beautiful, as always, but today she just glowed.
When she turned around, I pulled her close and rested my hand on her stomach. “Are you going to behave, Maverick?” I asked, rubbing her belly and winking at her. “Be a goodboyand don’t give mom too much trouble, okay?”
Cece smiled at me. “Shewill be fine. But I just have to make sure I find a bathroom before the ceremony starts.”
