Page 82 of Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places
Georgia knew his family. Oh. That must’ve been what people did when they had a family to share. A family who didn’t hate them.
“Where do they live?” she asked.
“About twenty minutes away from me.”
She nodded. “How many siblings do you have? You never said.”
“Five. I’m dead-center middle child.”
“I love that for you.”
“It was hell.” He laughed. “My family is of the matching pajamas on Christmas day variety and really traditional. The eldest are responsible for the rest of us and should set a good example. The youngest get away with murder and are spoiled rotten. And then there was me, flying under the radar no matter what I did until Rebecca got pregnant. They cared about that.”
Lucky knew how old Maverick was when Rebel was born—nineteen—and how long he’d had full custody—since she wastwo—but not what happened to Rebecca or where she was. He never really talked about her. Neither did Rebel.
He continued by asking, “Do you have any?”
“Siblings? Yeah. An older brother.”
“Where does—”
“I don’t really want to talk about my family.” She kissed him. “What time is the party?”
“Two to whenever.”
“Daylight. Perfect. Xander won’t get upset if I’m back at the house before dark. I think. I’m willing to test it,” she said, gaze downcast. “I want to go. It really means a lot to me that you told your family about me.”
“Of course, I did.” He kissed her cheek and then the corner of her mouth. “There are some downsides. I tell them I have a girlfriend, and literally no one will stop bringing up how miraculous that is, but that’s family for you.”
Lucky’s heart stopped and sputtered back to life. She narrowed her eyes, determined to suppress the euphoria suddenly racing through her entire body. “Girlfriend? I’m your girlfriend now?”
“Yes?” Maverick’s adorably nervous reaction almost made her laugh and break character.
“And who decided that?”
“I figured it was implied.”
She thought the same but really,reallywanted to have this moment. “I would like to be asked, please.”
He moved to sit up and she followed his lead until they sat facing each other. Knees touching, holding hands and gazes, under the shade of a tree in the middle of a beatific park on a perfect summer day.
“Lucky.”
“Maverick.”
“I didn’t realize I’d been looking for someone until you found me,” he said. “That’s exactly how it felt—I saw your picture and I thoughtOh, shit, theresheis. She’s coming whether I’m ready or notand I wasn’t. I was not at all prepared for how quickly you turned my entire existence upside down. You have no idea how desperate I am to stay with you, to keep seeing where this goes. Be with me.”
“That didn’t sound like a question,” she teased. Meanwhile, the wordsbe with meechoed around her memory palace until it found his reading and settled in next to it. Forever.
“Because I’m not questioning it. That’s where I stand. I’m asking: Where are you?”
It took every single ounce of self-restraint she had to not crawl into his lap, wrap her body around his, and cover his face with an endless barrage of kisses. He’d given her so much more than what she’d hoped for.
“I’m standing right next to you,” she said, meaning it. “Because I’m yours.”
26
Back at Hennessee House, Lucky gingerly placed Gengar’s carrier on the floor.
