That was my mother when it came to men. That’s not me.
I knew kissing him was a bad idea. He was too emotional. Too raw. And there I was, wanting to fix him like I try to fix everything else. He’s not a food drive I can organize or a cause that I can raise money for. He’s a grown man going through a major life change.
And I’m just the girl who fell for him.
“Miss Blackstone, how did bones get their names? Because femur is a funny word.”
I try to think of an answer, because I honestly have no clue, when a voice that I’ve longed to hear gives the best, and lamest, answer ever.
“It is a funny word, but it’s not your funny bone. Which is not actually a bone. It’s a nerve.”
Even though I don’t want to smile, I can’t hide it as Garrett walks into my room.
For a split second, I think I might be imagining him. But then I look at Cassie, whose jaw is on the ground, and Anthony, who is looking at him in confusion, and I know I’m not.
What is he doing here? After three days of no contact, does he think he can just waltz into my classroom like nothing happened? This man is infuriating.
And sexy. And charming. And lovable.
Like right now, when he is talking to Anthony about bones. There is just something about a grown man helping kids that gets me in the ovaries every time.
Especially this man.
“How do you know that?” Anthony asks.
“Because I’m a doctor,” Garrett says. “I’m actually a bone doctor, so I know the name of all the bones.”
He leans down and looks at Anthony’s homework, which has him drawing lines between the bones to the names that are listed on the side of the worksheet. “I think the funniest bone is the humerus.”
His joke earns a confused look from Anthony and an eye roll from Cassie. I can’t help but stifle a laugh, which I hate myself for. I’m supposed to be mad at him.
Oh, who am I kidding? I quit being mad at him the second he walked in.
“Come on, Anthony. Let’s finish in my room,” Cassie says.
“Why?”
“Because Dr. Dixon and Miss Blackstone have a lot to talk about.”
“Is it about the thing that happened after the thing?”
My face goes red and Cassie hurries to gather the rest of his stuff. “Yes. Now let’s go.”
I mouth a “thank you” to her as she shuts the door.
“So you use bad pickup lines on women and dad jokes on kids? Is that your thing?”
“Depends. Does it work?”
“That’s to be determined,” I say, standing to come around from my desk, offering him the only seat in my classroom that doesn’t make him look like a giant. Luckily, I don’t look completely ridiculous sitting in tiny human chairs.
It’s a Wednesday afternoon, so he should be at the office. But he’s here in casual clothes. His beard is longer than the last time I saw him, which only makes him even sexier. I wonder what it would feel like against my…
“I’m so sorry I haven’t called, Paige. I… the last few days have been a lot.”
Thank goodness he started speaking. My thoughts would have gone down the gutter real quick. Which is not appropriate for the fact that we are sitting around my class’s reading circle.
“I understand. But I’ve been worried about you, Garrett. And yes, maybe a little mad that you haven’t called. I wish you… I mean, I know you…”
I don’t know what I’m trying to say, but apparently I make myself clear as he reaches for both my hands, enveloping them in his. He takes his thumbs and gently rubs them over my knuckles, immediately soothing my worries.
“I know. And I should have called or messaged you. At least to tell you that I was OK. I’ve just… I’ve had a lot to deal with the past few days and I needed to do that on my own.”
“What happened? When you confronted Trevor?”
He tells me everything. His confrontation with Trevor and Annika. How Trevor admitted to the affair. How he took this week off from the practice to get his affairs in order and officially file for divorce.
“Wow. You’ve been busy.”
He smiles, a small one, but the first I’ve seen on him since we were at the restaurant last week.
“I have. That’s still no excuse for not getting a hold of you. We kissed, Paige. We spent the night together and then I basically disappeared.”
And there it is. The moment I’ve been hoping and dreading since he walked into my classroom. Heck, since he left my house on Sunday.
“That wasn’t how I wanted our first kiss to be. I wanted it to be romantic. Anticipated. A moment that neither of us would forget. I didn’t want it to be out of pity or because I was the pathetic guy who showed up at your house drunk and sad.”
“You know it wasn’t a pity kiss, right?” I interrupt.
He nods. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t feel bad about it. I meant what I said that night. I’m not good enough for you. You amaze me every day with your kindness and your heart. Your beauty takes my breath away every time I see you. Sometimes it’s hard looking at you because you are so damn beautiful and all I want to do is make you mine. You are the best person I know… that I have ever met. You can do so much better than a twice-divorced man with workaholic issues and baggage that weighs a ton. Oh, and I’m also selfish. Very selfish. Which is why I want you, Paige. I want you all for myself. Because even though I’m not worthy, and there are hundreds of men who would be better for you, the thought of my life going forward without you is unthinkable.”
It takes every ounce of strength in my body to not fall apart at this man’s feet. I want to cry, throw my arms around him and say “yes.” That I will go on this journey with him. That I want him in my life as much as he says he wants me. That I don’t ever want to go another three days without speaking to him again.
But there is one thing that I have to say. And he needs to hear it.
“I know you have meant every word you have said. So have I. I don’t care about your past. I care about the man you are now. Today. And the one you want to be in the future.”
He smiles, like my words were absolutely what he needed to hear.
“Garrett, I know that you have things you are working on. I see the man you are trying to be, and that’s the man I’m falling for. That’s the man I want in my life.”
I don’t even think my last words are out before he pulls me from my chair, up onto his lap. He has one arm around my waist while the other is slowly tracing the lines of my face. I lean into his touch because, God, I have missed it. Which sounds absurd considering we spent one night together three days ago. If I don’t watch myself, Garrett Dixon could become an addiction.
“You’re falling for me?”
Does he really need to ask that?
I nod. “I tried not to. I tried so hard. I know the timing is wrong and there are a million reasons we shouldn’t be together but—”
He places a finger in front of my mouth. “There are a million reasons why we should.”
And that’s it. If there was a string holding back my resolve, it’s officially snapped.
Garrett leans in to kiss me and I don’t deny him. He kisses me with everything he has, and I give it right back.