Page 99 of Starting Over with You
I won’t accept anything else.
When Tilly comes to pull Skyye away, my sweet girl waves. “Love you, miss you, mean it.”
My heart tightens in my chest when I realize I wish I had told Kenni that before she left for the bar. The thought catches me off guard since I’ve always thought that sentiment was only for Skyye. I call it back out to her, saying goodbye to everyone, and head for the station’s SUV. It isn’t until I’m almost to the SUV that I realize Willie has fallen into step with me. I stop dead in my tracks and eye him, wondering what the hell he’s doing. “Sheriff?”
Willie nods and then tucks his hands into the pockets of his loose-fitting jeans. He swallows, and I don’t understand what is happening right now. His blue eyes move to mine, andhe sighs deeply. “I heard what you told Skyye.” My heart falls promptly out of my ass. Kenni is gonna be pissed. I press my lips together as he shakes his head. “You know I don’t hate you, right?”
I scoff at that. “Funny way of showing it.”
He chuckles, holding his gut as he shrugs. “I’m serious,” he promises, and I’m unsure how to react to that. “But I have been pissed at you for years.”
“Do I want to know why?”
His lips tip up. “Because you didn’t get to her before that fucker did.”
My jaw falls open, and I’m surprised it doesn’t hit the damn ground. “Sorry?”
“You think I didn’t know you loved my daughter, Dean?” he asks, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “No man keeps coming for more after getting arrested with that girl, but you did.”
I roll my lips, unsure what to say, but he doesn’t give me a chance to comment. “I love my granddaughter, I do—and my grandsons—but fuck if I didn’t wish you two would have had them all together instead of with other people.” I swallow thickly as I hold his gaze. “You’ve both spent your best years with the wrong partners.”
I shake my head. “No. Our best years will be together with our kids.”
His eyes dance with happiness, but his voice is steely when he says, “Promise me.”
Easiest promise ever. I hesitated before, but no more. “Sir, if she’s in the back of a cop car, I want to be beside her. If she needs a hat to throw up in, it’ll be mine. If she needs somewhere to fall, I’ll catch her. And if she needs someone to love her—hell, even if she doesn’t want someone to love her—I will.”
Willie flashes me a beaming smile that reminds me of Kenni. All dimples and that damn divot in his chin. As I hold his gaze, I realize that I’ve admitted to two people that I’m in love with Kenni. I should probably tell her. Before I can ponder how to go about that, the sheriff extends his hand to me. I take it, his hand envelopingmine as his eyes hold mine. He shakes my hand. “You have the time. Don’t waste it.” He pauses and then adds, “Chief.”
Then he drops my hand and walks away like he didn’t just give me the biggest blessing of my life while also showing me he respects me. I swallow past the emotion and look up at the sky, the night dark with the stars like glitter in the clouds. The light blues remind me of Kenni’s eyes, and damn if I don’t miss her something insane.
She must miss me too, because my phone rings. I smile when I see it’s her. Though, when I answer, her voice is off. “Where are you?”
I get into my truck, my brows basically touching. “Heading to the station. Do I need to come to you?” I ask with teasing in my voice.
“Yeah, come pick me up,” she says stiffly, and I frown at her tone.
“You okay?”
“No.”
“What’s wrong?” I ask, pulling out of the drive. “I’m coming.”
“Missy told me.” Her words are like a kick to the chest. “Is it true?”
I shouldn’t play dumb, but here we are. “What?”
“Dean August.”
Just my name, a warning. I roll my lips. “I’m coming.”
“I’ll be outside.”
She hangs up, and my heart jumps into my throat. She’s never hung up on me, nor has she ever used that tone with me. She sounds pissed, and I don’t know what to do with that.
But I’m not worried, because now that she knows the truth, I have nothing to hide.
That has me grinning from ear to ear.
