She straightens, pushes away from the wall, and walks toward me. “I can’t Cole. I need to go home—”
“Nor? Mom is babysitting the girls.” She snaps her mouth shut and scowls up at me. “Be ready at six.”
I came to a decision last night, and I’m not going back. I’m on a mission. Feed her, make her angry more often, and make her smile more often. Give her time, I have all the time in the world. Claim her as mine once again. I’m a stubborn son of a bitch and if I set my mind on something, I go for it with everything I have. Right now, I want Nor and the girls. I’ve spent my entire life wanting more, but returning home made me realize all I needed was her. She is my more.
I tuck my thumb under her chin and tip her face up. “Chin up, Beautiful.” I kiss her forehead, and head for the door, flipping the sign from CLOSED to OPEN on my way through.
AFTER LEAVING PHOEBE’S, I FIND myself driving toward the cemetery. I park the car a few feet away from Josh’s grave and glance out the window to the rows of tombstones until I find his. My hands tighten around the wheel, allowing his loss to sweep through me until it settles snugly in my veins. Pulling the keys from the ignition, I step out of the truck and weave my way to the spot covered with roses in different colors and sunflowers. I brought the later the last time I was here three days ago. I have no idea the kind of flowers he liked, but I remember he once said Nor was like the sun. Sunflowers had seemed like a good choice.
I spend the next five minutes sitting across from Josh’s grave, trying to look for the words I need to tell him how grateful I am. How much I miss him. And just like the previous times, I fail miserably. Some sacrifices are too big for words. So, I go ahead and toss in a joke.
“I forgot to bring fresh flowers. Please don’t smite me with lightning or some shit like that. I don’t know what kind of super powers people get up there.” I smile. “So, what do you guys do up there? I bet dudes have to work hard to get their wings, huh? Wait, is that shit for real? If it is, then there is no one who deserves it more than you do. That and a halo.”
“Yeah, I do bro,” the voice in my head says--Josh’s voice when he was seven and I was five before I lost my hearing.
I close my eyes and lift my face to the sun filtering through the trees. “Cora and Joce miss you so much. Our little Joce punched a girl in the face.”
I imagine him saying that my little girl got that trait from me, and I laugh.
“I know I’ve thanked you before for taking care of Nor and the girls. For being there for them. I know I’m stubborn, but your words finally sunk into this hard skull of mine. I’m going to try to mend things with Nor. Dad and I have been talking. I’ll finish my internship at his firm and then see how things go from there.”
I close my eyes and just enjoy the feel of being at such a peaceful place. It’s weird because it’s a place of the dead. But it calms me.
Half an hour later, I leave Josh, get into my car and drive away, feeling more at peace than when I came here.
I pick Nor up as promised. She doesn’t fight me. In fact she looks as if she’s been looking forward to six o’clock. She’s even wearing makeup, something I haven’t seen since I returned home. It’s minimal, but it’s there which makes me think she made an effort. Her eyes light up when I step into the shop. Then she tries to cover that look by quickly busying herself with shutting down the computer. What she doesn’t know is I’d give anything to see that look again. She steps around the counter and I suck a breath.
Fuck.
My gaze moves down her body, taking in the little black dress that hits slightly above her knees and hugs her ass and tits perfectly. The braid is undone and her hair falls in waves to her lower back. A pair of red heels, the straps tied around her shins, completes the little sexy package.
She wobbles a little before righting herself, then looks up at me, her bottom lip trapped between her teeth.
“Elon made me wear them,” she smiles nervously, walking toward me as if she’s treading on a tight rope.
Elon, thank you for this wonderful vision. As much as I love Nor in Keds, seeing her in red heels has my blood roaring in my veins. When she reaches for her purse, I quickly readjust my erection in my pants. This night is going to be torture.
“Elon is home a lot lately. Isn’t she supposed to be sleeping in the dorms? Is everything going ok in school?” I ask her when she turns around to face me.
“She shares an apartment with her friend.” Nor shrugs. “Elon doesn’t say much. She started coming home a lot after she told me they got a replacement professor. She doesn’t seem to like him a lot.”
I frown. “Do I need to go knock around this guy?”
She laughs. “You know Elon. She will talk only when she wants to.”