Page 60 of From Grumpy to Forever
Unaware of the dagger in my heart, Avery turned to continue walking, but I couldn’t let it go one more minute without telling her something. Anything about how I was feeling. Talking about feelings or emotions was not something I had any experience with at all, but neither was a fake marriage and that had been working out okay.
More than okay.
It had been working out really damn well.
The last few days with Avery had been amazing. And it wasn’t just the sex, although that had been off-the-charts amazing. Together, we were fire and I couldn’t get enough, evidenced by the fact that I’d almost lost control and taken her right on the front lawn of the inn a few days earlier. I would have, too, if she hadn’t cooled me off when she had.
That was the thing. With Avery, I forgot about the world around me. Hell, I forgot about everything except for her. Because there was nothing else that mattered besides her. And with every minute that passed, it was a feeling that only grew stronger.
Before she could get away, I took a step and reached for her hand, tugging her back toward me one more time. Her eyes were wide with question as she spun to face me.
“Avery. I need to tell you something.”
Instantly, her face shifted to worry. “Is everything okay?”
“It’s fine.” I cupped her cheek with one hand while the other rested on the swell of her hip. “No, it’s better than fine. It’s amazing. That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, actually. These last few?—”
“Hey, lovebirds!”
A slap on my back jarred me out of the moment. I spun to kick the ass of the jerk who dared to interrupt me before I told Avery how I felt about her.
“What the—Preston.”
My youngest brother stood on the sidewalk behind us with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Did I interrupt something?”
I filled my lungs with a deep breath, using the time to calm down. It wouldn’t do any good to punch my brother in the face in the middle of the street. No matter how much he deserved it for ruining what could have been a monumental moment between us.
“Yes.”
“No.”
Avery and I spoke at the same time.
She shot me a look before turning to Preston and holding out a hand to him. “Not at all. We were just heading to the Sprout n’ Shout. Are you coming?”
There was no way Preston would be going to a plant festival. If it didn’t involve snowboards in the winter or mountain bikes in the summer, my youngest brother didn’t have the time of day for it.
“I’m sure he’s?—”
“Wouldn’t miss it.” Preston flashed me a cheeky grin.
Yes, I was definitely going to need to remind him who the older brother was.
“Great,” Avery said. “Join us.” She held both her arms out, inviting each of us to take one, which we did, and together, as an awkward threesome, we made our way toward the throngs of people who’d gathered at the end of the street.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Avery
I had no expectations as to what a Sprout n’ Shout would entail, but after just over an hour of visiting the many tables of various plants for sale or trade, I couldn’t help but be impressed. The town of Trickle Creek was not only full of prolific gardeners, but everyone seemed to be in the mood to celebrate.
Besides plants, seedlings, and cuttings, there was an entire selection of artisans selling and showcasing their various handicrafts, a row of food trucks along the back of the field, and a smattering of musicians walking through the crowd, entertaining people.
I couldn’t help but get caught up in the festive atmosphere around me. Somewhere around the table full of irises, Reid had begged off and gone in search of the beer gardens and his brothers.
Even though he wasn’t right next to me, I could feel his presence. From time to time, when I turned around, I spotted him watching me. When he caught me looking, he’d wave, and more than once, I got a smile out of him. But only for a second before one of his brothers would elbow him in the ribs and no doubt give him a hard time.
As it turned out, my grumpy handyman wasn’t nearly as grumpy as he’d have most people believe. At least not for me. I loved the way the warmth spread through me at the thought that Reid was mine and his sexy smiles were for me only.
