She kissed my cheek.
She wanted us.
I jammed my hands deeper into my pockets, grinning so wide my face hurt, replaying the moment over and over in my head like a favorite song. The way her eyes sparkled. The way her lips felt against my skin. The way, for the first time in months, maybe even years, the world felt… right.
By the time I reached my place, I was breathless, a little lightheaded, and completely, stupidly happy.
And I knew, without a doubt, that this was only the beginning.
Chapter 55
Ace
I don’t think I slept a single minute.
I lay flat on my back in the small guesthouse bed, the wooden ceiling fan spinning lazily above me, heart hammering like a drumline. Brittany Ashford had said yes. Not just yes to dinner — yes to us. To this impossible thing that had been quietly, steadily building between us.
And tonight, I was going to give her the kind of night that said everything I hadn’t been able to put into words.
By six a.m., I gave up pretending to rest. I threw back the covers and paced the room, fingers running through my hair, rehearsing every moment in my head. Dinner reservation? Check. Flowers? Check. Breathable, non-wrinkled shirt that wouldn’t make me sweat like a fool in the Arkansas humidity? Check.
But first — a call.
The phone rang twice before Sierra picked up. Her voice was soft, a little groggy. “Ace? Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I said, sinking onto the edge of the bed, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Sorry to wake you. Can I talk to Karla?”
A shuffle, a yawn, and then that small, piping voice: “Daddy?”
My heart squeezed. “Hey, bug. You having fun with Mommy?”
“Uh-huh,” she said cheerfully. “We made cookies! And Mommy let me have three.”
“Three?” I grinned, falling back onto the pillows. “You’re gonna be bouncing off the walls.”
She giggled. “Daddy, guess what?”
“What, baby?”
“I miss you.”
I closed my eyes, breathing through the sudden ache in my chest. “I miss you too, bug. So much.”
There was a pause. “Daddy?”
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“Are you happy?”
That one stopped me cold. I stared up at the ceiling, throat tight, then forced a shaky breath. “Yeah, baby. I think I’m about to be really, really happy.”
Karla giggled. “Is it because of the princess?”
I laughed softly. “Yeah, baby. It’s because of Brittany.”
“Yay! You can kiss her and be happy forever!”
“Slow down, matchmaker,” I teased, the burn in my chest easing just a little. “One step at a time.”
