Page 77 of Welcome to Forever
She smiled, looking up at him now. “No. Just a little work at home in my bed tonight. Principals need their rest, too,” she said loud enough for Ben to hear.
Micah nodded, then angled Ben’s chair away from them and took yet another step closer to her. “Close your eyes, little man,” he called behind him, soliciting a whine from Ben.
“Aww!”
When Ben had dutifully obeyed, Micah bent and softly kissed her lips, cradling a hand behind her head.
In public. For all of Seaside to see.
“You guys are kissing. I know it,” Ben said, desperately trying to turn and see them. “I can hear the kissing sounds.”
Pulling back, Kat laughed, her insides lit up like one of the Christmas trees of her childhood.
Micah smiled at her, slow and easy, seemingly unbothered by their public display. Yeah, screw anyone who wanted to talk. Kissing him had felt good—too good for it to ever be bad. “Get your rest. I’ll call you later,” he said, holding her gaze for a long moment. His was a phone call she’d look forward to. The other one she needed to make—not so much.
Stooping beside the wheelchair, she kissed Ben’s cheek, making a loud smack with her lips just to tease him. “You need to get your rest, too. Principal’s orders.”
A dimpled grin replaced his frown. “I will. I’m helping out after school tomorrow, so it’ll be a long day,” he said, sounding like a little adult.
“That’s right.”
Micah reached for her hand, sweeping his thumb along the back and sending shivers up her spine before stepping forward and opening her car door for her. The gesture felt different than any he’d ever done. The kiss and the way he was looking at her felt different, too. No strings attached was definitely turning into something more. It’d turned into something more a long time ago.
“ ’Bye,” she said, pulling her car door shut as girlish excitement bubbled up inside of her. She’d expected that last night would change things between them. Expected that being at another military event with Micah would make her see him differently, that it’d remind her that he was something she never wanted to be a part of again.
Watching him with his son now, though, she definitely wanted to be a part of his life. Marine or not, it didn’t matter. What mattered was the man.
—
Later that night, after staring at her phone with her finger hovering over the redial button, Kat tossed it on the pillow beside her and reached for a stack of papers for work. She couldn’t very well call Rita with Micah on the brain. Much better to have a brain dulled by paperwork for that conversation.
A knock on her door made her look up from the papers. “Come in.”
Julie opened the door and leaned against the doorway. “Hey. Just checking on you. Making sure you’re all right.”
“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?” Kat asked a little too quickly, a telltale sign that she wasn’t okay. The weight of Rita’s phone call was gnawing at her.
Julie gave her an assessing look. “Oh, I don’t know. John’s mother called you last night.”
Kat shrugged, wishing she felt as nonchalant about it as she tried to pretend she was. “I’m sure it’s no big deal.”
Julie’s gaze moved to the phone beside her. “Which means you haven’t called her back yet.”
Kat shook her head. “Nope. Not yet. But I will. Just as soon as I finish this stuff up.”
Julie’s eyes narrowed. “It’s already past nine.”
Checking the watch on her wrist, Kat grimaced. “I guess you’re right. Tomorrow then. I’ll call her tomorrow.”
Julie’s gaze told her she wasn’t buying it. “Val said you’ve been invited to a support group at the Veterans’ Center. That might be something to think about.”
“Why?” Kat asked. “You haven’t been here, Julie, but I’m fine. Better than fine. You’re sleeping in the master bedroom that John and I shared. And this ring has moved off my finger.” Kat pulled the chain around her neck to show her sister. “There is absolutely no need to worry about me, okay?”
“There never is,” Julie said flatly.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
Julie took a step inside the room. “It just means that you’re always so in control. So together. It’s human to fall apart sometimes, sis.”
