Page 21 of Blueberry Cake
Boyd gripped her chin, tugging her in for a kiss. “I’d like to hold you before I leave.”
“That’d be great.”
Still naked, they tucked themselves beneath the covers, with Boyd sliding in close to her from behind. His nose nuzzling behind her ear, Boyd traced his hand over her arm and elbow. “Would you feel comfortable telling me what happened?” he softly asked, his thumb tracing the spot where a wrist should be.
“Amniotic bands. They wrapped around my hand in the womb. Doctors offered to do surgery while mom was still pregnant, but it was risky back then. My parents werescared to lose me all together.”
“Do you wish they would have taken that risk?” Then his beard scratched her shoulder as he shook his head. “I’m sorry; you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”
“It’s okay—no, I don’t. I’ve never known anything different. My parents raised me like any other child. I was never told I couldn’t do anything because of it.”
“They didn’t coddle you.”
“God, no—the total opposite. They hated it when people thought of me as less capable because of it.”
“That may have been the best thing they could have done.”
She relaxed into Boyd’s arms, loving the way he didn’t hesitate to touch every bit of her. She’d noticed it when he’d made her hold on to him too. It was refreshing, different from the hesitance other men had showed in the past. She let him spoil her for a little longer before he kissed her cheek and got out of bed. As he collected his clothes, she dressed in hers again. Leaning against the door frame, she watched as Boyd’s gorgeous body disappeared behind denim and cotton.
He stepped up to her, blocking her against the doorframe. “Don’t look so sad. You can call on me any time you like.”
“So, you’re good with more adventure dates?”
“You had me at ’more.’” Cupping her jaw, Boyd’s thumb caressed her cheek. “I know this—us—is unconventional. I’ll follow your lead. If you want to take this further, we will.”
“I’m a little rusty.”
Boyd threw his head back and laughed. “You’rerusty? I’m the old man here.” And without another word, hekissed her forehead. “Call me, okay?”
“I will.”
Boyd swept her into his arms, capturing her mouth in a kiss that left her dizzy and breathless, needing to wrap her legs tight around his waist. They began to move, and she was only placed on her feet again by the front door.
“Be safe; message me when you’re home.”
“I will,” he promised and stepped out.
Once Queenie shut the door and latched the chain, she collapsed against the wood, hand over her pounding heart. This was going in a direction she hadn’t seen coming, and she was all for it.
“You did what?” Allison gasped, recovering her mug from where she’d just spilled her tea all over the counter.
“You heard me just fine,” Queenie chastised, having waited over an hour for Maggie to go to bed to share the news. Still, she repeated herself—if for no other reason than to solidify the idea to herself. “I spent the weekend in bed with my high school bully’s father.”
“Badass bitch,” Allison mumbled, mopping up her mess. “Are you going to see him again?”
“He said he would like that very much.”
“And how are you feeling about it?”
“Good. Though weird at the same time.” She reached for the Goldfish crackers Maggie had abandoned after dinner and helped herself. “Luka made my life hell and if I keep seeing Boyd, I’ll have to face him eventually.”
Allison slowly nodded, refilling her drink. “Well, heisthe man’s son. How do you feel about the age gap?”
“That doesn’t bother me. It could be worse than fifteen years, right?”
The garage door opened, pausing their conversation. Seeing his wife, Mikey went to set his work bags aside and pulled her into a kiss. “Don’t tell me you started gossiping with out me!”
Allison was quick to fill him in. “Our sweet innocent Queenie is contemplating dating her high school bully’s dad.”
