Page 92 of Single Girl in the City
He brushed a tear away with the pad of his thumb. “I did.”
Now the hurt was turning to anger. A hot, from-the-depths-of-her-soul anger that had her hands shaking. “And for what? Maybe I wasn’t upfront but all I wanted was to make your life better and you acted as if I kicked Waffles.”
His lips quirked. “Waffles?”
“The dog you’re going to buy to bring more joy into your life.” She opened her mouth and then closed it. The hurt was back. “You broke my heart, Owen,” she whispered. “Broke it so thoroughly I can’t even feel all the pieces.” Embarrassment crept in all over again. “Why am I so hard to love?”
He cupped her jaw. “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.” He turned to face her and took her hands in his. They were both wet and chilled, but at the contact a warm glow flickered inside.
“I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a wet piece of paper and hand it over. Uncertainty rushed over her as she opened it. Was this his official resignation from being her friend?
“What’s this?” she asked.
“A job posting I wanted to talk to you about.”
“At the bar?” She’d already filled that position, then quit. Just like he’d quit them.
“That one’s already taken,” he said. “This is for another job.”
Not sure how to take that, she lifted the paper, but she was shaking so badly it was impossible to make out anything beyond a few words likepillowandspoon. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m a big spoon looking for my little spoon. She’s about yay high.” He held up his hand to right above Abi’s head. “Got this sweet Southern accent that gets to me, loves ice cream, doughnuts, the feel of the sand in her toes, and litters of puppies. She is also kind and strong and the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.”
Abi’s eyes filled but for a whole other reason. “I may know of someone, but she’s kind of a bed hog and has ice-cold feet.”
“Good thing I run hot.” He waggled a brow and she burst out laughing, which was more of a sob-laugh combo. “Now that.” He kissed one hand. “Right there.” Then the other. “Is the best part of my day. You get to me, Abilene Woods. For me, you’re it and if you let me I promise to show you every day that you are enough. More than enough.” He kissed her lips gently. “More than I deserve, which is why I promise I’ll put you first. Above work, my family, even above my own stupid fears and insecurities.”
She paused, thinking back to what he’d first said. “I scare you?”
“God, yes. The way you make me feel, the way you look at me, the way you say my name. I’m not scared now, and I intend to spend the rest of my life proving it to you.”
His words reached her in places she’d thought were buried so deep they’d never see the light of day, but she couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“You don’t scare me. You make me feel safe. And it’s because that’s what love does. It makes all the bad things seem manageable.”
He rested his forehead to hers. “When I saw that your stuff was gone, I thought I’d lost you forever.”
“I’m right here.” She wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Does this mean you’re applying, because you should know this is a forever kind of job.”
“This little spoon would accept no less.” The drizzle picked up and, when she looked at the sky, the rain was falling like a million twinkling stars around them.
“Do you know one of my happy things?” he asked. “Kissing you in the rain.”
Epilogue
Happy Things:
Puppies named Waffles
Six weeks later …
“That right there is the sweet spot,” Owen said. “Hit that every time and she’ll purr like a kitten.”
Heart racing, palms sweating, Abi pushed down on the clutch and shifted into second gear. Today was her third driving lesson and she’d finally moved up from first gear. And she hadn’t cried once.
The truck pushed forward at a steady eleven miles per hour as she did her first circle of the parking lot. She rounded the pylons Owen had set up, slowly weaving in and out of them like some kind of geriatric NASCAR driver.
