The Summer of No Attachments (The Summer Friends #2) - Lori Foster Page 0,106
find the right guy for her, but your brother did the trick. She is so happy. And that makes me happy, too.” She wiped at her eyes.
Corbin gently pulled her into his arms. “What about you, Ivey? Have you found the right guy?”
“Pfft,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. “I found you. It doesn’t get more right than that.”
No, it didn’t. “I love you, Ivey.”
It was as if time and space stopped, she went so still—then she exploded from his arms. “You love me?”
“Shhh. Sweetheart, you’ll tell everyone on the lake.”
Laughing, she surged back against him. “Who cares? I have a right to shout it.”
Corbin tugged her to a chair, sat down and situated her in his lap. “At first I was thinking that we should take it slow—”
“Slow is fine by me.” She pressed her palm to his jaw. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“—but every chance I got, I included you more in our lives.”
“That was for convenience.”
Laughing, Corbin shook his head. “Just shush and listen to me, okay?”
Her brows shot up. “You’re telling me to shush?”
“Please.” He kissed the disgruntled set of her mouth. “It’ll be easier for me to propose.”
Her jaw loosened, then her lips parted. She didn’t say a word.
“I love you, Ivey. Life is so much better with you, for so many different reasons. You see the best in me, you’re the most understanding person I know. The kindest and sweetest.” He lightly tugged on a bouncy curl near her temple. “Definitely the sexiest.”
She bit her lips as if to keep from talking, but he saw the happiness glowing in her mesmerizing green eyes.
“I had worried that it might be too much for Justin. I wanted his adjustment to be as smooth and easy as possible.”
Nodding fast, Ivey again showed the depth of her care for his son.
“But that was just dumb. How can it hurt him to bring more people into his life who love him and who make him a priority?”
Ivey whispered, “I do love him, Corbin. So much.”
He knew it. He’d seen it, felt it. And so had Justin.
“Now I realize that the more he sees of good relationships, the better it is for him.”
“We do have a good relationship.”
“The best,” he confirmed. Her relationship with Justin was also amazing. And she got along great with his brother and now his mother. All in all, Justin had something he never had before—a big, loving family. No matter how old he got, he’d have their support. “We can’t pretend that things are settled with Darcie. We both know better. And I can’t promise my mother won’t overstep at times.”
“With the best of intentions,” Ivey added.
“Yes.” His mother could smother a person, but she smothered them with love, not ill will. “It won’t always be easy.”
“Corbin,” she whispered. “I’m a veterinarian. I deal with wonderful people and awful people. Beautiful animals who have love and animals that have been horribly mistreated. I heal some and lose others. I still love my job and wouldn’t trade it for anything. Nothing in life is always easy. But together, I believe it’ll be easier.”
“Agreed.” He was kissing her, loving her, wishing he had time to get her alone, when voices carried up from below.
Justin and Hagan were returning from their tour of the boat. In his growing, carefree way, Justin talked about life on a lake, and Hagan—who really was a good guy—gave his agreement.
Ivey kissed Corbin’s throat. “Justin is flourishing with all the attention.”
He really was, and it gave Corbin hope. “So will you marry me, Ivey?”
“Yes. But for right now, let’s keep it to ourselves, okay? This is such a momentous thing for Hope, I don’t want to steal any of her limelight.”
Grinning, Corbin said, “I’m not sure my mother could suffer the shock anyway. We’ll let her get used to one wedding at a time.”
“As to the wedding...are you wanting something big?” Ivey rushed on before he could answer. “Because I’d rather something small and simple. I could invite my folks and your family and Hope, of course.”
God, he loved her. “Whatever you want is fine with me.” Thinking it through, he added, “We’ll let Mom get it out of her system with Hope and Lang.”
Ivey laughed. “There you go.”
Just then the patio doors opened and Justin came out. “Hagan wants to try tubing. Uncle Lang is going to take us out. Do you want go, too, Dad?” He turned to Ivey. “It’s super fun.”