“That you’re human?” he asked back.
And again, Lawr was right.
“I guess,” I said quietly.
“Anyone can find themselves in a place they don’t wanna be, and even knowin’ they don’t wanna be there, they can’t get out. It’s findin’ it in you to get out that says it all about you, Amy. So no. I’m not alarmed you’re human. In fact, knowin’ this shit, I went from likin’ you to likin’ you a fuckuva lot more.”
I couldn’t believe that either.
I wanted to believe but it seemed too easy.
“Really?” I asked, my voice pitched higher.
His face again dipped lower as did his voice. “Yeah, baby.”
“It was ugly,” I reiterated.
“Life isn’t always beauty,” he returned. “Most of the time it’s shit. But you keep fightin’ to turn it around, that says it all about you. And you’re fightin’. As a fighter too, I fuckin’ love that in you.”
Oh God.
It was that easy.
My voice dipped lower too when I said, “I love it that you understand.”
“I love it that you had the courage to give that to me,” he replied.
Oh God!
I was going to start crying.
In case that happened, I ducked my head and shoved my face in his chest.
Mickey started stroking my back with one hand as he said into the top of my hair, “You got your face in my chest, we can’t make out on the wharf for the five minutes we got left before we gotta go get my boy.”
I instantly took my face out of his chest, but even though I wanted a kiss, that wasn’t why I did it.
I did it to beg, “Don’t go home and think on this, Mickey, think on it and decide differently. Decide I’m some whackjob, psycho, crazy lady you’re worried about starting something with, worried about her being around your kids. Because I might not have known who I was before I moved to Maine, but I’ve spent a lot of time figuring it out once I got here, and that is not me.”
He stopped stroking my back and used that hand to cup my cheek. “Good I got your assurance on that, but don’t need it. I’m thinkin’ I knew who you were before you knew, and you’re worried about something that’s just not gonna happen.”
“Okay,” I said shakily as the vision of him started getting misty. “Now I like you a fuckuva lot more.”
I got his misty smile before he dipped his head and then I got his warm lips.
He kissed me.
It wasn’t wild and hard and amazing.
It was slow and sweet and amazing.
And apparently it lasted five minutes, because when he ended it, he lifted his head and whispered, “Gotta go pick up Cill, darlin’.”
I held on because I had to (slow and sweet also did a number on me) and I nodded.
He gently pulled away but held my hand as he walked me down the wharf and to his truck. He put me in. He got in. He backed out. I took deep breaths.
Then I let all that settle inside me.
I’d fretted.
I’d worried.
And Mickey made it easy.
That was when I smiled.
We drove and got Cillian, who hefted himself into the backseat, crying, “Hey, Amy!” then took up the entire conversation babbling all the way home.
Mickey didn’t drive to his driveway. He drove to mine.
Then he turned in his seat and said to his son, “You can get out and run home or you can hang and I’ll drive you there, but not makin’ Amy walk in her shoes.”
“Wiped so I’ll hang,” Cillian said to his dad and looked to me. “See you later, Amy.”
I turned in my seat too. “Later, kiddo.”
I got Cillian’s grin, which also brought relief since the last time I saw him he was far from grinning.
Then Mickey and I got out and he again held my hand, right in front of his son, as he walked me to my front door.
When we got there and I got it open, he surprised me by stepping in with me.
He also surprised me by shoving me to the side.
It wouldn’t be a surprise after he did this when he took me in his arms and kissed me again, this time hard and deep, but short. So I knew he shoved me to the side so not only could Cillian not see us from the drive, but if Aisling was home, she couldn’t see us from their house.
When he lifted his head, he noted, “Your turn to have us over to dinner, Amy.”
“Tomorrow okay?” I replied instantly and got his easy grin.
“Yeah,” he whispered.
“Good,” I whispered back.
“Kids wanna go back to Dove House,” he told me.
I nodded. I wanted them back too, and so did the oldies.
“I’ll talk to Dela and arrange it with the kids tomorrow night.”
“Great,” he murmured, eyes dropping to my mouth.
That was when I said something I didn’t want to say.
“Cill’s in the truck, honey.”
His gaze lifted to mine. “Right.”
I pressed closer in his arms, tightening mine still around his shoulders. “It was a good night.”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you, Mickey.”
“We’ll do it again, Amy.”
We’d do it again.
I smiled.
He smiled back, dipped in, touched his mouth to mine and let me go.
I walked him to the door, stood in it and watched him walk out.
He was two steps out before he twisted his torso my way.