Page 116 of Choosing a Forever
I sit on the couch and stare at the ring for a long while, willing myself to feel the heartbreak of my fiancée not wanting to be with me anymore, but I can’t find it.
All I feel is relief. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I’ve been feeling apprehensive about marrying her, but I thought it was just nerves.
An image of green eyes filled with tears flashes through my mind, but I shake it away.
I shouldn’t be thinking about the girl I left behind when my fiancée just left me.
I grab my computer and reply to the email from the fire chief, telling him I’d love to schedule a time to talk about the position.
Maybe the love of my life is in Utah.
The twins are gone when we get back. Off at the movies with their friends, possibly making out with boys.
Oh boy. Nope. They’re too young to date.
They’re not my biological children, nor are they my biological sisters, and I may have only been in their life for a short time, but they’re my family, damn it. I’m going to have to beat stupid boys off with a stick if the whole Jeremy debacle is anything to go by.
Or maybe not, considering Kinsley’s thirst for revenge. She can probably handle herselfandHarper.
I can tell the pain meds Mack took are wearing off, and the weight of the emotions from lunch is making her shoulders slump.
“Go take a bath, I’m going to feed Siren and let her out to play, then I’ll be down.” I kiss her forehead.
“Okay. Thank you.” She places the gentlest kiss on the underside of my jaw, and my dick stirs.
No. Mack’s not feeling well.
She heads downstairs, and I grab Siren’s food from the pantry and put it in her bowl.
The twins put her in her crate before they left, so I open the door, and she steps out, stretching her limbs like she’s been cooped up in there for days instead of just two hours.
I crouch down. “Hey, girl. You hungry?”
Her caramel tail wags at the mention of eating, and I chuckle.
“Come on.” She follows me to her food area, sitting like a good girl while I put the bowl down. Her tail twitches in anticipation while she waits for her command to eat. “Chow time,” I say, and she digs in.
I scroll through social media while she eats, hearing the faint sound of the water running while Mack fills up the tub.
Unbidden images of Mack’s naked body flash through my mind and make me hot. I love her body so much. The artwork, the hills and valleys of her lush skin, the softness of her belly, and the way it molds perfectly to mine.
I shake the thoughts away and try to think about literally anything else. I don’t know if it’s okay to have sex while a woman is on her period, but it doesn't seem like Mack would be up for it because she’s in so much pain, and I’m not going to force anything.
Siren finishes eating, and I let her out into the backyard to chase birds or bask in the late afternoon sun. There’s a dog on the other side of the fence she’s become friends with, so as soon as I open the door she bolts to the fence and starts sniffing to find her friend.
My parents' thoughts about getting another dog pops into my mind. Maybe I should talk to Mack about it. Siren would love to have a buddy.
Lunch went a lot better than I expected. My parents were genuine in their apology and their desire to be in our lives, and the way they handled it made me feel… proud. They could have had a different approach, like my cousins’ parents. They could have berated us and tried to guilt us into coming back to church, but they didn’t.
I’m sure they’re still secretly hoping we’ll come back, but as long as they don’t try to force us into anything or push us, I think today was the start of something good.
When Siren seems settled in the backyard, I head inside and make my way downstairs. When I get into our room, the scent of lavender and vanilla seeps through the slightly cracked bathroom door.
“Mack, did you take any more pain meds?” I call out.
“No,” she answers.
I run back up the stairs to get her some water and the pills, then come back and push open the bathroom door.
