Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80555 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 322(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
“I get that.” Eric’s features softened. “John did invite you to come tonight.”
“Which was surprising, but him suggesting it gives me hope.”
“Then hold on to hope.” Eric took my gloved hand, and I let him. We held hands the whole way to the school, and each step closer eased my tension. This was what I’d wanted. Being out with my person, waving to the neighbors, walking together. Normal, everyday life.
At the school, we were greeted outside the gym by a ticket booth where Eric purchased a stack of tickets for the games different classes and clubs were running to raise funds. As he finished the transaction, Wren came loping up, hand out.
“I require funds. The cookie booth is cash only,” Wren announced to Eric before turning to me. They wore a long-sleeve T-shirt with a piece of cake decorated with an ace Pride flag. “Hi, Magnus.”
“Hi. Nice shirt.”
“Valentine’s is a corporate ode to romantic excess.” Wren smiled smugly. “I felt compelled to do my part to push back. That, and Maren got me the shirt.”
“Should we bring back cookies for Maren and Diesel?” Eric asked. “I asked if they wanted to come, but Maren was worried about so many people and germs with the baby.”
“You’ll have to be the ones to take them a treat.” Wren gave a regal sniff. “I’ve been summoned to a sleepover.”
“The Dungeons and Dragons group?” I guessed.
“Yes.” Wren smiled wider, clearly pleased I remembered. “Bix’s mother has promised donuts in the morning for our next campaign.”
“Excellent.” I matched their grin, my chances of getting Eric to come back with me to the carriage house going way up. We hadn’t had much alone time of the adult variety since the baby’s arrival, and some quality sex might be exactly the reset my brain needed.
“John’s working at the football booth.” Wren gestured behind us at the crowded gym. “You have to hit a target to win a prize. It’s hard.”
“I’m sure.” Eric’s tone was sympathetic.
“See you later.” Wren ran off again, likely in search of cookies and more games to spend their tickets on.
The gym was a maze of colorful tables and booths with games, cookies for decorating, sweet treats for buying, and crafts for browsing and making. We headed toward the back corner, where the football boosters had claimed one of the larger booths with a series of elaborate targets to hit with soft foam footballs.
“Think I see John.” Eric threaded his way through the crowd around the booth, but I hung back. I wasn’t alone long before Caleb came up beside me. He had a red football booster shirt on and a wide smile.
“So, I hear congrats are in order.”
I had to think for a second about what notable thing I’d done lately. “The baby? Yes, she’s doing great.”
“Excellent. I need to see more pics, but I meant you and Eric.” Caleb gestured toward the booth where Eric was speaking with John and Tony. “We’re all happy for you.”
“Thank you.” I paused, expecting Caleb to add more, but when he kept on grinning, I frowned. “No don’t break his heart warning?”
“Ha.” He chuckled. “As someone with a small family and friend group who started dating someone with a large family and friend circle, I got far too many of those lectures myself. I was overwhelmed enough as it was.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem.” Caleb gave me a friendly shove on the shoulder. “I’m rooting for you. You’ve both been through so much. You deserve this.”
“Huh.” For a moment, I thought he meant Eric and losing his husband and everything else. But Caleb had said both. I’d spent so much time thinking about Eric’s trauma that I’d forgotten about my own. The fire. Raising Diesel as a single parent. Flo’s death. My chaotic upbringing. Maybe Eric wasn’t the only one who’d earned a second chance. “You’re right. We do. I do.”
Thinking about our relationship as something we’d earned was the perspective change I’d needed. I’d spent the past few weeks feeling like maybe Eric deserved better when Caleb was right: we both deserved each other, this relationship, and this chance.
Before I could thank Caleb further, Sean strode up, holding a rubber duck in the palm of his hand.
“Look what I won.” The duck was wearing a chef’s hat and white coat and was undoubtedly destined for Denver.
“A chef duck?” Caleb cackled. “I love it.”
“Took me more tickets than I care to confess, but I got the job done.” Sean pointed at a nearby booth run by the art club. “They’ve got first responder ducks too.”
I stepped closer, examining the row of ducks in different outfits like lumberjacks, police officers, firefighters, and even one in a blue uniform shirt with a red and white logo patch and a stethoscope around its chubby neck. “Is that one supposed to be a doctor or a paramedic?”