How would she and Joe make it without them? Would they survive uprooting their entire existence? But if they didn’t, would they sacrifice the time he had left with his family in trade for the rest?
Neither was a good option.
Choosing between the crew and his family had to be tearing Joe apart.
She kneaded his chest, trying to comfort him. No matter what they did, they were facing some difficult decisions. As long as they stuck together, they’d figure it out and make it work. So she tried to make him understand that was exactly what they’d do, even if it took her a minute or a month to come around to the direction he’d obviously been heading for a while now. “Can I take some time to process this before we talk about it some more?”
“Yeah. Of course. I didn’t mean to drop a bomb like that. It’s enough to think of getting a new place. But it just seems with the kids growing up that this is our last chance to make a change before they get to high school and we’re locked in for a while longer. I don’t want to ruin their friendships and sports and whatever else they get up to, you know? So…if we’re going to do it…”
“It would have to be now.” Morgan hummed, hating that he was probably right. “Okay. I’m going to really think about it for a little while and then we’ll figure it out. Together. We’ll make this work, somehow.”
When she offered her reassurance, Joe melted into the pillows, looking more exhausted than she’d seen him, even after building an entire first floor of a house in a day with the crew.
“What’d you think?” She got a little annoyed. “That I was going to pitch a fit, or scream at you for being honest about your feelings? Come on, Joe. You should know me better than that by now.”
He gathered her into his arms and kissed her sweetly. “I’m sorry, cupcake. I guess I’m just afraid of making a terrible call for us and our family. That’s all.”
“On our first date, that night in the pumpkin patch, do you remember what you promised me?” she murmured as she stroked his strong jaw.
“That I’d make you come so hard you’d never want to fuck anyone but me and my friends again?” he teased.
She tugged on his scruff.
“Hey!” He laughed.
“I’m being serious.” She tried not to let her eyes glaze over as she remembered the moment her life had transformed. The instant all her dreams had begun coming true. Because of Joe. “You said, ‘I’m not rich or a genius, but I’ll never let you down.’ And you know what? You never broke that vow. You’ve always been there for me. For our family. For us. This time—and every time—we’re going to be here for you, too. Never forget that, okay?”
Joe rested his forehead on hers. “You mean everything to me. If this is too much to ask…”
“It’s not.” Morgan bit her lip as she tried not to concentrate on the sacrifices they’d have to make, even if they only moved to a new home detached from her business instead of all the way to Middletown, and instead thought of how many opportunities the change would bring. “If this is what you need, this is what we’ll do. Together. We can work out a detailed plan after we’ve had some time to mull it over.”
“I love you, cupcake.” He clutched her close enough that she could feel the impact her faith in him and them had on her husband. His pulse pounded in his neck, his eyes were a little too shiny, and…to her surprise…his cock was rock hard against her mound.
“I love you too.” She had to make sure he knew it was true. And the best way she knew to prove it was to show him. “Now, let’s do something a lot more fun than worrying about the future. The kids are gone and we have all night.”
5
Relief flooded Joe, making him nearly giddy as he rolled on top of Morgan and crushed his mouth to hers. He intended to be gentle, but hope buoyed his spirits. It got him high on the rush of finally showing her what was in his heart without being instantly shot down.
It shouldn’t have shocked him that she was gracious and kind while considering what he had to say, but he’d really thought this time he’d gone too far. Asked too much of her. Maybe moving to Middletown would be over the line, but he didn’t doubt what she’d promised for one second. If they worked on the problem together, they’d find a solution eventually.
Joe held Morgan close and stared into her eyes, which were bright even in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. She sighed and said, “I’m serious, I was really lonely without you. Not just being physically far away but emotionally too. Don’t do that, please. Whatever happens, I want us to do it together.”
“Same.” He stole a kiss before sinking more completely onto her.
“I have to admit…” She cleared her throat.
“What?” Joe straightened, having learned through the years when she was saying something important, even if she wasn’t shouting to get whatever it was through his sometimes too-thick skull.
“I had a few moments lately where I wondered if it was me, or the kids, and the chaos of our daily lives you were trying to find some escape from on these trips to Middletown without us.” Morgan swallowed hard, glancing away from him.
“Shit. No.” He rolled to the side, settling into the soft nest of pillows and blankets that she had picked out for them. There was nothing quite like falling into his own bed after having been away. Would it be like that with the crew too? Would what felt exciting—a different environment and new people—morph into a longing for the familiar if he was gone long enough? Would he appreciate the crew even more if he wasn’t with them every moment of every day? Or would he realize just how much he’d given up?
Joe was terrified he was going to do something stupid and hurt the people he cared about most, as he’d obviously done to Morgan, at least a little, without even realizing it.
He reached out and cupped her cheek, slowing down to make sure he showed her how precious she was to him. Joe angled her face toward him once more. Without breaking her stare, he promised, “I love you, Morgan. And I’d give my life for you or the kids, you know that. Don’t you?”
She nodded, although slower than he’d like. Then she said, “But duty isn’t the same thing as desire. You know Betsy Rae, who comes in on Thursdays to buy a slice of pie for her husband?”
“Uh, yeah.” Joe knew most of the regulars who kept Morgan’s business thriving. After all, who wouldn’t get addicted to the mouth-watering creations she whipped up in the bakery? He’d had to start jogging in addition to his shifts with the crew and their late-night workout sessions in order to keep his six-pack from turning into a keg. Despite his best efforts, he wasn’t the young guy Morgan had fallen for either.
Both of them had grown, matured, and hopefully that meant they could work through whatever they were facing now without fear of imploding the life they’d built together.
Maybe. But only if they were open and honest now as he should have been during the months since his unrest began to bubble to the surface.
“Well, she quit buying any two weeks ago.” Morgan frowned. “And when I asked her if her husband had lost his appetite or maybe didn’t like the seasonal flavors I’d been making, she told me no. That he’d started craving someone younger instead of her and that he could buy his own damn desserts from then on. They’re getting a divorce.”