42. Knox

Larkinand I walked to the outdoor dining area where all the other couples were already sitting, my arm around her shoulder, her arm around my waist, her wet hair tickling my arm. All of her makeup may have been washed off and her hair unstyled, but she’d never looked more beautiful to me than she did right then under the twinkle lights.

There were a few eyes on us as we went to the table with a place card that had our names on it in swirly letters. “Looks like this is us,” I said.

We parted from our embrace, and I helped her into an open chair.

“Such a gentleman,” she said with a wink.

I had to chuckle as I sat across from her. I moved my foot under the table so my leg could brush with hers.

I’d never felt this way before, and just when I thought everything was perfect with her, it got even better.

Hearing her say those words? It meant the world to me. It meant the world to my teenage self who thought he was unlovable and irrevocably damaged. It meant the world to my current self who worried that Larkin would keep her walls up indefinitely, never fully giving herself to me.

But she loved me.

She loved me.

Penny came over, now changed out of her pink yoga outfit and into a pair of jeans and a buttoned black shirt, carrying two carafes. “Here is your tea and water, and we’ll be bringing you the first course soon. Goat cheese crudités. The dip is to die for.”

“Thank you,” Larkin said.

“We also have conversation cards right here.” She pointed to what looked like a regular card deck in the seasonings and napkin holder. “They are questions for you based on the stage of your relationship. We’ve had some couples coming long enough that they get to move up from new relationship to married!” She gave us a wink and then left us to it.

Before Penny walked away, she reached for the tea and poured us both a glass while I reached for the cards that said New Relationship on the outside of the pack. I’d wondered why they wanted to know the state of my relationship while booking the class. “Wanna try these?” I asked Larkin.

“Sure,” she replied and took a sip of her iced tea.

I got the cards out, and since they had the look and feel of playing cards, I shuffled them a few times before drawing one from the top. “What is your love language?”

Larkin smiled gently. “Words of affirmation. You?”

“Physical touch.” I winked.

She laughed.

“And quality time,” I added. “I just like being with you. Doesn’t have to be anything special.”

“I can do that,” she said with a smile. Then she drew a card off the top of the deck. “Where do you see us spending holidays?”

“We usually do holidays at my dad’s place,” I said. “But if you wanted to do something together, I’m all for that.”

She bit her bottom lip. “Actually, I’m planning to do Thanksgiving in Paris with my sister. And she offered for you to come along.”

My jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

Larkin shook her head. “You can say no if you want.”

“Why would I say no to Paris with my girlfriend?”

Her lips parted.

“What?” I asked.

“You said girlfriend.” Her cheeks heated like she was almost embarrassed to bring it up.

“Shit. Was I supposed to ask?”

Her laugh made me buoyant. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I dated.”

“Well, I don’t care what I call you as long as I can call you mine.”

She reached under the table, squeezing my knee. “I’ll be your girlfriend, Knox Madigan.”

Now I was grinning like a fool as I reached for the next card. “Tell me something I don’t know about you yet.”

Penny came back with a platter of vegetables and sliced bread and a few ramekins of different goat cheese dips. We both tried some, and they were just as good as Penny had promised.

“Something I don’t know about you?” I prompted Larkin again. I wanted to know everything about her.

She twisted her lips to the side as she thought. The votive candle on the table cast a flickering glow on her skin. “I passed out in the ER when I was doing my nursing school clinicals.”

“What?” I asked, surprised by her answer.

“I don’t do well with trauma wounds,” she said. “That’s one of the reasons I’ve always worked in residential settings.”

“Fletcher is the same way,” I told her. “He worked in the children’s ER for a while, and it really took a toll on him.”

Her face was full of empathy. “Oh, I bet that would be really hard... So what about you?”

I thought of all the things I’d told her, and one I hadn’t. “I’m a jealous man.”

Her smile turned playful. “Is that so?”

I nodded, leaning forward and holding her hand under the table. “I want to buy you new lingerie so I know I’m the only man you’ve ever worn them for.”

A flame sparked in her eyes. “I’m up for any chance to turn you on.”

Damn, I needed to cool it, or I’d be hiding a semi under the table. “Okay, next question before I get carried away.”

She drew a card from the deck and frowned slightly before clearing her expression. “How many children do you want to have?”

“I already know two perfect children,” I said, nudging her leg.

Her expression eased.

“I’d love to have a big family,” I admitted. “Our house was never quiet, and I always have someone to count on, no matter what... What about you?”

But she didn’t get to answer because Penny came back with the main course. Free-range chicken breast, homegrown mashed potatoes, and gravy made with milk from cows on the Minnicks Ranch. There was even a side of fried okra that came from their garden.

We ate and chatted, enjoyed each other, until it was time to go pick up the kids from Henrietta and Tyler’s. I could tell Larkin was tired—she scooted to the middle seat and leaned on my shoulder as I drove us home, the radio playing softly.

The kids were half asleep when we picked them up, and it was easy to help them settle in at Larkin’s place. Once they were down, I followed her to her bedroom to tell her goodnight.

But she looked up at me with wide eyes and said, “Will you stay the night?”

I couldn’t believe she was asking. Sure, we went on vacation together, and I came over for short bits of time while the kids were asleep, but something about being here when they woke up felt like a big step for us. Even bigger than saying I love you and calling her my girlfriend. “Are you sure?”

She closed the distance between us, kissing me softly on the lips. “I would love to wake up next to you.”

I smiled at her and said, “Let me go get my pajamas and a change of clothes so I don”t scare the kids in the morning.” I couldn’t wait to wake up next to her, to make breakfast for her and the kids... I just didn”t know how wrong it would go when we woke up.