Page 61 of From Grumpy to Forever
“Well, if that isn’t the look of a woman in love, I don’t know what is.”
Heat rushed to my face. I spun to see Lauren Westfield next to me. I didn’t know her well, but we’d been introduced at the wedding and like most people in Trickle Creek, she’d been welcoming and warm.
“Sorry.” Lauren laughed. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I just think it’s cute.”
“Cute?” I forced myself to look away from Reid and focus on Lauren. “Really?”
“Oh my goodness.” Lauren put her hand on my arm and squeezed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen two people more over the moon for each other than the two of you.”
Heat bloomed in my chest. Love? Was it?
I hadn’t been in love with anyone since Porter, and it hadn’t felt anything like what I was feeling for Reid. But I was feeling something for him.
I couldn’t deny that.
This time with him had been refreshing and fun in a way I didn’t even know I needed. Being with him had made the stress of the will and the inheritance so much easier. To the point where I was almost glad of the husband clause my grandparents had put in the will.
No, I was glad of it. I couldn’t imagine doing any of this without Reid.
Aware I hadn’t responded to Lauren, I smiled. “It’s been a whirlwind,” I said honestly. “But I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Reid is just…” I sighed on my exhale, causing Lauren to laugh all over again.
“Oh yeah. You two are totally gone for each other. I haven’t seen Reid look at a woman like that since…well, ever.”
“Really?” Besides the one time I mentioned my ex, and the fact that I’d once thought we’d get married, somehow Reid and I hadn’t discussed our romantic history. It didn’t really feel right considering we weren’t actually a couple.
At least, we weren’t.
But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious, and with the opportunity to learn a little more about him right in front of me, I couldn’t help myself. “What were Reid’s ex-girlfriends like?” I asked casually. “I mean, from another woman’s perspective.”
Lauren nodded as if she totally understood. “Well, I’d like to tell you something, but…”
“Oh, was his ex a friend of yours?” That made sense. It was a small town, where everyone knew everyone else. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No.” Lauren put her hand on my arm. “It’s not that it’s weird or anything. It’s just that…well, Reid hasn’t had a girlfriend.”
My head snapped around. “What? Like, ever?”
“I mean, not since I’ve known him.” Lauren shrugged casually. “But from what little Brody’s said, there was a girlfriend in high school who did him dirty and after that, he’d kind of sworn off women.”
“Really?” That little bit of information made me sad for Reid. “That feels…”
“Lonely?” She nodded. “I think so.” Her smile brightened again. “But now he’s got you, so it all worked out the way it was supposed to.”
A flash of guilt hit me in the chest. He did have me. But for how long? If Reid had gone almost his entire life without a relationship, it wasn’t likely to change now. Especially not for someone he barely knew and was only doing a favor for.
No matter how I felt about him, and how I was quickly starting to feel for him, I needed to remind myself that it didn’t mean he felt the same way.
It wasn’t real.
I needed to remember that and keep remembering that. Or I was going to get hurt.
“Right,” I managed to say when I realized Lauren was waiting for my response. “Now he has me.”
“And we all think you’re great.”
Her smile was so warm as she looped her arm in mine, I had to ignore the feeling deep in my gut and hope she still felt the same when all this ended in Reid and I splitting up.
Thankfully, Lauren changed the subject a second later. “Hey, have you seen the lilacs that Geneva has at her table?”
