be able to help us with figuring out the legalities. Do we need to separate money into a business account or list it as an investment? I don’t know. It’s just easier for me if you can sign whatever has to be signed. Besides, I don’t want it to be like you have to come to me for permission or anything. I trust you completely… I wouldn’t be planning to have a family with you if I didn’t. Do you think I’d breed with someone, someone who can sign off on medical treatments for my child, without trusting that man with my accounts? Please.”
That was almost insulting. Poppy had been chattering on and only just then caught a glimpse of his amused half smile.
“You’re gorgeous.”
Which was what he usually said when she was showing her naivety. “I want us to be an us, First. I don’t want there to be a power differential. I don’t want one of us taking more of the responsibility than the other. I know I’m new to real life and I will rely on you to guide me, but I promise I will work hard to pull my weight.”
“Candy-Cane,” he said, putting down his fork to lay his forearm across the table. Poppy gave him her hand. “This is not work. You and me. This. Us. It’s the easiest part of my life. We’re gonna take each day as it comes. As long as we’re loving each other, as long as we’re strong, the rest doesn’t matter.”
“Our business? Our family?”
“Family will always matter, but we serve them best when we’re strong.”
Shaking her head, Poppy confessed the root of her worry. “I don’t know how you feel about any of it. I don’t know how you feel about Faye and Kev splitting up. About Charley going back to David Leicester. I don’t know how you feel about Zoey and Casey being together let alone your thoughts on how Casey’s family have handled the news of her sexuality.”
“You know I love my family and will do anything I can to support them.”
“Yes,” Poppy said. “But you’re so used to keeping your opinions to yourself that you don’t know how to let anyone in. You work all day, we eat dinner with everyone. There are always people around with us until we go to bed and…”
She didn’t want him to think that she was unhappy. With him, having him, being with him, it was the best thing that had ever happened to her.
“Then all we do is have sex,” he said, sinking back in his seat, taking his hand from hers. “You think this is just about sex?”
“No!” Poppy exclaimed. “I love you and I know you love me. What I’m trying to say is…” She paused to take a breath while searching for her words. “I’m your other half. The other half of your whole. You said I was your missing piece.”
“You are.”
“So trust me. Use me. Open up to me. You told me that you had been alone for fifteen years.” Poppy hoped a smile would relax him. “You’re not alone anymore, baby. I know that you’re strong, that you can handle anything. But when I don’t know what’s in your head, I worry… I worry about you.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I don’t have to. I want to… because I love you.”
Releasing a frustrated breath, he ran a hand through his hair. “This is new to me, Popkat. I’m not hiding anything from you, we just… we haven’t found our groove yet.”
Which, she guessed, was something to do with them not being home.
“If my parents come back with a positive report tonight, when do you want to go home?”
“I’ve spoken to Aitken. He tried to get me to stay on, but laughed at the idea more money might encourage me. I don’t like shirking my responsibilities.” But he had responsibilities in more than one state. “We agreed on a week’s notice.”
“Okay,” she said because that seemed reasonable. “I’m going home this week.” His head jolted back in surprise, so she explained. “Charley keeps telling me that she has to get back to work. I’m not sure how much of that is truth and how much is her desire to get back to David. But I don’t want her going back alone. Primrose has it in her head that she wants to come back with us as well, so I’ll need to figure out how that’s going to work.”