Hix still wasn’t finished.
“And I’ll state plain I got more than the obvious reasons for askin’ you to think about that. But I’ll point out the obvious just to make sure you know. I love you. I’m sure about how I feel about having a future with you, and by that I mean I’m sure I want a future with you. And this two-house stuff is gettin’ old. I like this place. The kids do. But I want you in my bed every night and I don’t want you to have to lug your Crockpot or griddle or whatever over every time you’re cookin’ up something that you need them. Most important, it’s time we got serious about this. It’s time to take that next step, because that step’s gonna lead to the next one and I wanna move on through all of them with you. But the reason that might not be obvious I want you to let go of this place is your ex gave you this house and I’m down with him providing for Andy because of who he is to your brother. But where we’re at, you’re mine. So I’m not down with him providing for you.”
“Hix—” I forced out, having to force it because I was dealing with all he’d said, all it made me feel, how awesome all that was, but I got no further.
“That’s where I’m at. You’ll call it alpha-male behavior and I’m okay with that. It is. And that’s who I am. You need to know how I feel and I gotta share that honesty. That said, if you think on it and you love this place and you wanna open up the possibility of me and my kids movin’ here, we’ll talk. I’ll listen, sweetheart. I swear it. You love your porch. Your street. You want it, I’ll see if I have it in me to give it to you. But to do that, I might have to let go of my place so the owners can sell it and I still want us takin’ the next step, wherever that step will lead us.”
When I had my shot, I responded immediately.
“You buy your place, I’ll sell this place, Hix.”
His chin jerked into his throat. “Really?”
“Really.”
His brows drew together. “That easy?” he asked.
“Your street is the same as my street in all the ways that are important. And I love this house, but your kitchen is bigger, it’s nicer. And the kids are settled in.”
“Your bathrooms are nicer.”
“Your bathrooms aren’t awful, but you can gut a bathroom and make it pretty. We have room to put Mamie’s barre in my basement, but the floors in yours are wood so she can dance there and mine are carpeted. There also isn’t a bedroom down there for Shaw or a man cave for you.” I pressed my scarf and gloves into his chest and grinned up at him. “And if it bothers the alpha, I don’t wanna prod that beast.”
His eyes warmed, his face going soft. “You wanna stay here, baby, honest, you make that case, I’ll find a way to be cool with it.”
God, but I loved him.
“I failed to mention your mudroom and attached garage,” I noted.
“Babe—”
“It’s a house,” I whispered. “And yes, it’s the house that Keith bought me. And after what happened, where he is, how he’s made it clear he’s not gonna go back on what he said and find some way to make things all right between us again, for us or for us to share our love for Andy, I’m where you’re at in a way. It’s a reminder of that. And that isn’t a pleasant reminder. But more, if it bugs you, I can’t have that. So it’s a house, Hixon.” I pressed even closer and lowered my voice so he’d understand how much I meant what I said next. “I’m all in for taking the next step. I’m also all in, doing that, leaving behind what needs to be left behind so we can move forward through the rest of them.”
I transferred my gloves to my scarf hand, slid my free hand up to the knot in his tie and unnecessarily straightened it before I finished.
“Put an offer in, honey. We’ll tell the kids. You guys make a deal, you close, I’ll put my place on the market. When it sells, I’ll move in. That gives the kids time to come to terms with it happening and us time to deal with merging houses. Is that a plan?”
He took an arm from around me to put his hand on my jaw and sweep his thumb across the apple of my cheek.
He didn’t confirm we had a plan.
He still did.
He managed this by saying, “Love you, gum drop.”
“Love you too, snuggle bug.”
He grinned down at me.
Then he bent and kissed me.
When he lifted his head, the warmth was still in his eyes but it was tempered and I’d know why when he murmured, “We best get to Mrs. Whitney.”
I nodded.
Hix let me go.
He put on his coat while I draped my pashmina around my neck. He went to get my coat and helped me on with it.
I pulled my gloves on as we walked out to the Bronco.
And then Hix drove me to Mr. Whitney’s funeral so we could support Mrs. Whitney in her even more difficult effort to leave behind what needed to be left behind.
So she could take her next step.
I was sitting next to Lou watching Snow and Corinne play soccer at the same time glancing frequently to the side where Hix was standing having what appeared to be a serious conversation with Shaw.
Most high schools played soccer in the fall. But with most of the girls on the volleyball team also playing soccer, not softball, in a decision that divided the county and caused rifts between family and friends that were still healing to that day, Lou had reported that five years ago, they’d shifted seasons so all the girls’ soccer and/or volleyball teams weren’t terrible.
God, I loved a small town where the only thing that could upset you was the high school girls’ soccer schedule.
“You know what that’s about?” Lou said under her breath as she leaned into me.
“Wendy broke it off with Shaw,” I said under my breath back.
Lou’s voice rose. “Is she crazy?”
“Shh, Lou,” I hissed, slapping her on the leg.
“Is she crazy?” Lou whispered.
“Her dad’s treatments are over, things look promising, but that was harrowing. She’s a junior. She’s looking at going to University of Nebraska in a year. What she’s not looking forward to is having to go through that with her dad then having to deal with her boyfriend being wherever he’s gonna be, becoming a marine, thus not free to come visit her on weekends and the like. So she pushed the option of Shaw giving that up and going to work for his granddad so he can be close. He signed on. That didn’t go over great with her. There’s no turning back now but she didn’t stop pushing. He wasn’t liking that much.”
“Oh boy,” Lou muttered.
“A couple of days ago, she gave him an ultimatum. He made his choice. She ended it,” I concluded.
“Oh boy,” Lou sighed.