Page 169 of Make Me Trust Again
“You just know.” His expression grows distant, his hand running down my back. “That’s what my dad used to tell me. He saw my mom, and he just… knew. I didn’t believe him, but now I do.” He blinks, his gaze coming into focus. “One step at a time?”
Sliding my hand to the back of his neck, I pull him in for a soft kiss.
“One step at a time.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
CHASE
“How are you doing?” Mom asks softly, her fingers gently rubbing Shadow between the ears. She’s lucid today, but there’s that distant look in her eyes, as if she isn’t completely here. “How is Jax?”
“Good. Growing so big, see?” Becky pulls out her phone and taps a few times on the screen before turning it to Mom to presumably show her the pictures of her son. “Can you believe he’s almost one?”
Mom’s mouth curves into a smile. “He’s really grown.”
“I know, he’s been eating like he’s a teenager, I swear. Next week we’re celebrating his birthday. I’m making this big chocolate cake for him, and everybody will be around. He really likes this one cartoon, so I got him all the decorations and everything. It’s probably way too much, but he’ll only be one once, right? I already talked to the nurses, and somebody will come to pick you up for the party if you’re feeling up for it; what do you think?”
Mom nods slowly, her frail hands landing on Becky’s and giving them a soft squeeze. “I’m gonna try.”
“You’ve gotta. Jax loves to have you around, and we need our family there.” Those sharp green eyes turn to me. “That includes you, too, buddy. It’s bad enough that Matthew isn’t coming. You have no excuses.” A sly smile pops on her lips. “As a matter of fact, I’m expecting you to bring adate.”
That gets Mom’s attention. “You’re seeing somebody?”
I glare at Becky, silently promising retribution, but it only makes her grin widen. “Oh, he’s seeing her alright. Theylivetogether.”
“She lives in the cottage,” I correct absentmindedly. The image of Rose and Kyle’s smiling faces when I come home pops into my mind and makes my heart squeeze tightly. Lately, I’ve been spending more time with them over at the cottage than I did at my own place. In my own bed. But living together? The thought makes my palms sweat, and yet, I can see it.
See Rose’s head resting on my pillow. Hear the echo of Kyle’s laughter—the rush of footsteps through the house. Dogs barking—the smell of sweets coming from the kitchen.
“Close enough.” Becky’s clipped words snap me out of my thoughts. “Not just that, can you believe he went out of his way to go see her at the café? And he volunteered to go to her son’s class for career day.”
“I didn’t volunteer. He asked, and I agreed.”
Becky waves me off. “The same thing.”
Mom’s brows rise. “She has a son?”
“Yeah.” Lifting my hand, I rub the back of my neck. “Kyle. He’s seven. Cute kid.”
“He’s so cute, look at this.” Becky swipes over her phone, her lips pursed. “Oh, it’s here. They came together for our Fourth of July party.”
My brows pull together. “You have photos of that?”
“Do I have photos he asks,” my sister scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Of course I have photos, you dumbass. Men, seriously.” She turns back to her phone. “This is Kyle.”
Intrigued, I move closer just as she flips through a few more photos. “Aha! And this is Rose.”
I glance over her shoulder to find a photo of Rose sitting with the other women, dressed in that bikini that’s going to be my undoing. Becky slides through a few more photos, showing them to Mom. I suck in a sharp breath as I see the photo of Rose and me sitting on the docks that night. We’re just two blurry shapes in the distance, but I remember that moment as vividly as ever. Her lean fingers intertwined with mine, the sound of her soft voice piercing through the loud buzzing in my ears.
“See? That’s the two of them. Thinking they were sneaky.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you found somebody who’ll be there for you. Maybe you should bring them around sometime.”
“I’ll try, Ma.”
“Now, just to get your brother back home and settled.”
Becky locks her phone and puts it back into her bag. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it. You know Matthew. The further he’s from Bluebonnet, the happier he is.”
