took it, without thinking twice. Each day I spend with Maria, I realize more and more that Nicole and I were completely wrong for one another.
Maria’s sweet voice filled the silence. “Well, she’s pleasant.”
I chuckled at the sarcasm dripping from her comment. “Yeah, if you find a root canal pleasant, then she’s a gem.” I winked and grabbed for her hand, holding it securely in mine and resting it on my upper thigh.
The moment we pulled up in front of the place I had grown up in, the sense of home set in. This place held a lot of great memories for me. I was ready to share some of this place with the girl I had almost broken. I wanted to let her into my world, my life.
“You ready to meet my best friend?” I smiled, and she returned an excited smile, nodding her head as we both crawled out of the truck.
Wayne is my best friend, the man who taught me everything. He was the one person who always stood by my side. Never passing judgment, he always understood and supported me.
I had taken only two steps toward the house before the back door came open. A big ole’ grizzly of a man filled the doorway and warmed my heart instantly.
“Damn, boy, you said she was pretty, but you sure didn’t do this girl justice,” Wayne said.
All I could do was shake my head and laugh. “I’m pretty sure what I said was, ‘She is so beautiful she makes my knees weak,’” I clarified and looked over to find Maria with reddened cheeks. She turned, looking back at Wayne just as he reached out and took her in his arms.
I watched as he held her close and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. Something in that moment made me realize just how genuine she was.
Maria has one of the kindest hearts, and she deserves to be happy. Standing back and watching her interact with one of the most important people in my life was enough to make a grown man feel weak.
“How do you feel about entertaining this old man while I go get this mess finalized and out of my life?” I asked Maria.
Wayne wrapped his arm around Maria and pulled her toward the house, hollering back at me as he dragged her along. “Oh, son, she’ll be just fine. I have a whole mess of photo albums filled with all your embarrassing, awkward moments.” He chuckled, and I hung my head with the thought. “We’ll grab us a good ole’ cuppa sweet tea and sit out on the porch. I’ll give this girl plenty of ammo to use against ya.”
Maria looked back, shrugging her shoulders and smiling. She was loving this.
I could only imagine the torture of her comebacks after a few hours with my pop.
Turning back to the truck, I climbed up in it and dreaded seeing Nicole.
After today, I would never be forced to be in the same room with her again. I could let go of my past and all the bullshit that had been dragging me down over the last year and a half.
I could finally face the fact that I was in love with an amazing girl. A girl that deep down I knew could make me happier than I had ever been before.
Chapter Eighteen
Walking into the conference room and seeing the glare on Nicole’s face almost made me laugh. Did she think that shit could still work on me?
My lawyer had arranged for us to meet at his office. So I took a seat next to Trevor, my lawyer and longtime friend.
“Glad to see you made it safe. Did you bring your friend ?” he asked quietly enough that I thought only I would be able to hear. I smiled, nodding my head, and looked up to find Nicole with a sour look on her face.
“Your friend, huh? Well, you sure moved right along, didn’t you?” she spat with venom.
“At least I waited until the divorce was filed. I could have been like you and slept with one of your friends.” Tilting my head to the side, I waited for her to make another comment.
“Okay, let’s get this moving along. There’s no need to drag it out any further,” Trevor stated, and I couldn’t
Maria’s sweet voice filled the silence. “Well, she’s pleasant.”
I chuckled at the sarcasm dripping from her comment. “Yeah, if you find a root canal pleasant, then she’s a gem.” I winked and grabbed for her hand, holding it securely in mine and resting it on my upper thigh.
The moment we pulled up in front of the place I had grown up in, the sense of home set in. This place held a lot of great memories for me. I was ready to share some of this place with the girl I had almost broken. I wanted to let her into my world, my life.
“You ready to meet my best friend?” I smiled, and she returned an excited smile, nodding her head as we both crawled out of the truck.
Wayne is my best friend, the man who taught me everything. He was the one person who always stood by my side. Never passing judgment, he always understood and supported me.
I had taken only two steps toward the house before the back door came open. A big ole’ grizzly of a man filled the doorway and warmed my heart instantly.
“Damn, boy, you said she was pretty, but you sure didn’t do this girl justice,” Wayne said.
All I could do was shake my head and laugh. “I’m pretty sure what I said was, ‘She is so beautiful she makes my knees weak,’” I clarified and looked over to find Maria with reddened cheeks. She turned, looking back at Wayne just as he reached out and took her in his arms.
I watched as he held her close and whispered something in her ear that made her laugh. Her eyes met mine and she smiled. Something in that moment made me realize just how genuine she was.
Maria has one of the kindest hearts, and she deserves to be happy. Standing back and watching her interact with one of the most important people in my life was enough to make a grown man feel weak.
“How do you feel about entertaining this old man while I go get this mess finalized and out of my life?” I asked Maria.
Wayne wrapped his arm around Maria and pulled her toward the house, hollering back at me as he dragged her along. “Oh, son, she’ll be just fine. I have a whole mess of photo albums filled with all your embarrassing, awkward moments.” He chuckled, and I hung my head with the thought. “We’ll grab us a good ole’ cuppa sweet tea and sit out on the porch. I’ll give this girl plenty of ammo to use against ya.”
Maria looked back, shrugging her shoulders and smiling. She was loving this.
I could only imagine the torture of her comebacks after a few hours with my pop.
Turning back to the truck, I climbed up in it and dreaded seeing Nicole.
After today, I would never be forced to be in the same room with her again. I could let go of my past and all the bullshit that had been dragging me down over the last year and a half.
I could finally face the fact that I was in love with an amazing girl. A girl that deep down I knew could make me happier than I had ever been before.
Chapter Eighteen
Walking into the conference room and seeing the glare on Nicole’s face almost made me laugh. Did she think that shit could still work on me?
My lawyer had arranged for us to meet at his office. So I took a seat next to Trevor, my lawyer and longtime friend.
“Glad to see you made it safe. Did you bring your friend ?” he asked quietly enough that I thought only I would be able to hear. I smiled, nodding my head, and looked up to find Nicole with a sour look on her face.
“Your friend, huh? Well, you sure moved right along, didn’t you?” she spat with venom.
“At least I waited until the divorce was filed. I could have been like you and slept with one of your friends.” Tilting my head to the side, I waited for her to make another comment.
“Okay, let’s get this moving along. There’s no need to drag it out any further,” Trevor stated, and I couldn’t
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