Page 58 of Guarding Over You
“Oh, no. It’s my favorite. But my mother would get creative. Sometimes they were fruit based, others had peanut butter in them. She was doing her form of smoothies long before it was a trend.”
“Just with ice cream mixed in?”
“Hey, we were kids. Got to make it still a treat.”
“It’s a nice story. When I have a mildly bad day, I might have a hard cider to take the edge off. But I’ve told myself not to do that. Not to rely on it. I don’t need the crutch. I’ve seen what it can do to someone.”
He turned and looked at her. “Did you have a problem with your ex today?”
It was the way she’d said the words. As if there was a memory explosion of everything negative at once.
“I did. And I got through it. That’s what a milkshake is for. My reward. Kind of like what your mom did. I decided a long time ago that I needed to put a spin on the terrible things and make it about pushing through.”
He let out a breath, then sucked up some more creamy chocolate. “I’m not going to like what you’re going to say, am I?”
“Probably not.”
“But you called me to get it off your chest? Or for support?”
That’s what he was doing here.
Being Arden’s support because it was clear something was eating her up and she was taking her time getting there. And what he wanted more than anything was for her to admit it to him.
Not just play it off and tuck it away to eat her up for another time.
“Both. I’m not used to leaning on anyone for anything. And that’s my problem too. But here you are, coming into my life at a shitty time and instead of me saying it’s not right, I’m telling myself that there might never be a right time so I’m not letting this one go.”
He inched his chair to hers, put his arm around her shoulder and tugged her closer.
So close, that she got up and moved over to sit on his lap.
Even better in his eyes.
But that vulnerable move told him what she said next was only going to work him up, not keep his calm for her.
He put his arms around her, held her tight, let her snuggle in some and gather her thoughts.
“When you’re ready I’d like to hear what happened.” He kissed her on the forehead. “And I’m beyond thrilled you reached out.”
“I wasn’t going to,” she said. “I know you’ve got a lot going on this weekend and I shouldn’t burden you with this, but I did it before I could stop myself.”
“I’m glad that you still did it. I would have been upset if you hadn’t.”
She nodded. “I took Gracie to dinner after daycare today. She asked me to go right away because if I came home to change first I might change my mind. I do that. Start thinking it through more and decide against something. I’m learning that I need to go with my first response to something.”
“Sometimes that’s the best. Other times it’s not.”
Like her first reaction to reach out tonight rather than talk herself out of it.
“And figuring that out is often the hardest step of all.” She let out a breath when his hands rubbed up and down her arms. “When we got home there was a gift bag on the front porch. I thought maybe it was from you, but that was crazy. You were at work before and after me and it was a kid’s bag.”
“Do you like surprises like that?” he asked. He should know those things.
“Not really. I don’t do well with surprises.”
“I think you do well with anything that lands in front of you.”
“I used to think that.” She shifted some on his lap and he hoped to hell his dick stayed in place when it wanted more than anything to let her know what he was really feeling. “But we get in the house, I look inside and see two Barbie dolls.”
