Page 119 of Home Town Advantage
“She’s not his biological child.”
She shakes her head. “I don’t understand. Why would he say the child is his when he never even slept with her?”
I take a few minutes and explain it all to her. She’s as in shock as I was when I found out. “Wow,” she breathes, “I can’t believe he did all that. What are you going to do?”
“I told him I needed time to process everything and think.”
She takes my hand in hers. “Babe, you’re in love with him. Any fool can see that. And he’s equally in love with you. The one thing holding you back no longer exists. What’s there to think about?”
I’m silent, but Keith feels the need to interject in my personal life for the first time in all the months he’s been with me. “He loves you, Ms. O’Shea. He checks in with me at least two or three times a day when he’s not with you to make sure you’re okay.”
“Thanks for the input into my love life, Keith,” I say sarcastically.
“Anytime, Ms. O’Shea. You two remind me of my relationship with my wife.”
“I didn’t know you were married, Keith. Didn’t you once tell me we should keep things professional?” I joke with him. At the beginning, I tried to pry information from him, and he remained tight-lipped, saying it wasn’t professional for us to engage in a personal relationship or to exchange any personal information.
I see him crack a smile in the rearview mirror. “I’m a sucker for love. I’ve been happily married for forty years, ma’am. I know what true love looks like. You and Mr. McCaffrey have what it takes.”
Kennedy raises an eyebrow. “If Dr. Love is done, I was going to say I tried to hate Vance, I really did, but he’s…likeable. I understand you needed to get your head on straight, but?—”
“But what?”
She shakes her head. “I can’t believe I’m going to say this; I must be hormonal. You know I’m not a romantic, and I think you’re way too young to settle down, but you guys have this amazing story. It’s like a romance novel. You had a childhood crush on him, and he had no idea. Then he had one on you, and you had no idea. Tragedy struck, and he did this incredibly selfless thing to honor your brother’s dying wishes, completely at his own expense. He’s head over heels for you. Even before I knew, I knew. You can see it in the way he looks at you.” She licks her lips. “Let me ask you something. Do you ever seeyourself loving or caring for anyone as much as you love and care about him?”
I shake my head and easily answer, “No. Never.”
“What’s holding you back?”
“I’m not sure.” I think for a few seconds longer, trying to articulate what’s been running through my head. “I wish he felt like he could have told me. Maybe it’s a trust thing.”
“I get that, but his intentions were never ill-conceived. He tried to do right by everyone in your family, including you. He’s basically been an angel on your shoulder throughout your entire adult life. If not for him helping you along, think about where you’d be right now.”
She’s not wrong. “I know. You’re right. I think I was in shock, but I want to be with him. I can’t not be with him. I…I love him.”
She squeezes my hand. “I know you do. You should go get your man. Tell him how you feel and then never let go.” She shakes her head. “Fucking hell, what’s wrong with me? When did I turn into a romantic?”
I let out a laugh before I lean my head back on the headrest. “I’m also concerned with us going public. We’re both well-known. The press will hound us. That’s a lot of pressure. What if it goes sideways? It will be in the public eye.”
She nods. “I get that. Maybe you can keep things private. For a little longer. You won’t know unless you try. You owe it to yourself to try. Go to him. When does he get back?”
“Tonight.”
“Honestly, Sulley, I think you should do something special for him. He’s sacrificed a lot and laid it all on the line for you. Go suck his dick when he gets off the plane. Something like that.”
I giggle. “And who says you aren’t a romantic?” I ask sarcastically.
“I heard that,” yells Keith from the front seat.
I roll my eyes. “Keith, didn’t you once tell me to pretend you weren’t here and to go about my business?”
“Now I’m invested in this relationship, ma’am.”
Kennedy and I start laughing. Who knew Mr. Stiff was a softie at heart?
In a much lower voice, she says, “That whole drive-in scene thing he did for you was hot as fuck. Fulfilling your fantasy?” She fans her face. “So hot. Does he have any fantasies he’s mentioned to you? You should fulfill them like he did for you.”
A smile finds my face as I answer, “Yes, he has,” while an idea starts to take shape in my mind.
