Page 115 of The Birthday List (Maysen Jar 1)

My arms wrapped around his neck as he fell into my chest. “We finally broke in the kitchen.”

He chuckled and held me tighter. “You’re not a clean freak.”

I kissed the top of his shoulder. “You’re not a slob.”

We stayed like that for a few moments, holding one another while Nazboo was off somewhere exploring the house. When she came back into the kitchen, Cole leaned back to meet my eyes.

“I’m sorry you tripped. I’ll work on the towel thing if you promise to work on the gum thing.”

“Gum thing?”

“You smack your gum. It drives me crazy.”

“What?” My eyes got wider. “I do not smack my gum.” Do I?

He grinned and kissed my forehead. “Do you still want to take a shower?”

“No.” I slumped against his chest. “I just want to go to bed.”

“All right.” He slid out and went to the towel drawer for a fresh washcloth. After he’d dampened it with warm water, he came back and cleaned me up. Then he scooped me up in his arms and carried me through the living room toward the stairs. Nazboo followed behind.

“We need to let her out.”

“I’ll do it.”

“Thanks.” I rested my head against his shoulder as he took me upstairs. Carefully setting me in bed, he went to the closet, coming back wearing a new pair of briefs and tossing me one of his T-shirts. I pulled it on and snuggled into bed while he went downstairs to take care of Nazboo and kennel her for the night.

When Cole returned, he brought all of our clothes with him, and I smiled as he dumped them into the hamper instead of on the floor of the walk-in closet. I kept my smile as he climbed into bed and tucked me against his naked chest.

“Do you want to tell me why you picked a fight with me tonight?”

I snuggled deeper. “My day went downhill after I left you at the courthouse.”

“I gathered that. What happened?”

As much as I hated to talk about other people while we were in bed, I also didn’t want to shut Cole out. I didn’t want him to think that he was the cause of my frustration, so I sighed and admitted why I’d been so upset. “Me and Molly kind of got into a fight.”

“Why?”

“Because I said something stupid. And because she and Finn aren’t getting back together.”

“Did you think they were?”

I nodded. “I had hope. Now it’s gone.”

“Sorry, beautiful.” He kissed my hair. “But don’t give up hope. They were right for one another at the time. They’ve got two awesome kids to prove it. It’s just, maybe the person they’ll be right for in the future is still to come.”

I closed my eyes and let out a breath as I contemplated his words.

Cole might be the most insightful person I’d ever met. It made him a great cop. A good man. The perfect one for me. And he was right. Just because Finn and Molly weren’t together, didn’t mean they wouldn’t find happiness with someone new. A happiness that would be the lasting kind, this time around.

Just like the kind of happiness I’d found with Cole.

I hadn’t understood it earlier at the restaurant—I’d been too upset to see things from Finn’s perspective—but now I understood why my brother wanted to date again. He knew he’d never get over Molly’s affair, and he didn’t want to spend his life alone.

He wanted to find love again too.

I snaked my arm across Cole’s waist and hugged him tight, breathing in the smell of his skin. “I’m glad you like to cuddle.”