Let It Be (Butler, Vermont #6) - Marie Force Page 0,23
he would love her forever for that.
“It’s lovely because you did this for us.”
“I’m a selfish asshole because all I want in this entire world is to make love with you.”
“I want that, too.”
“You do?”
“Lincoln,” she said, laughing. “For someone so smart, you can be awfully dumb at times.”
“Hey!” He came down next to her, landing hard enough to bounce her and take full advantage of her being off-balance to arrange himself on top of her. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“I can’t believe you’re being mean to me when I went to all this trouble to get you alone in the dark.”
“I’m not being mean. I’m laughing at you. Two very different things.”
“I’d much rather you use that sassy mouth to kiss me.”
“Before I do that, there’s something I need to tell you… Something I should’ve told you before now.”
The sadness and reluctance he heard in her tone put him on guard. He didn’t want to hear anything that would upset either of them. Not now, anyway. “What’s on your mind?”
“I… It’s something I don’t really talk about because it’s so painful.”
Linc moved so he was next to her, on his side facing her. The flashlight he’d left on made it so he could see the furrow of her brows and an expression on her face he hadn’t seen before. It looked a lot like grief. He cupped her cheek and ran his thumb over her soft skin. “You don’t have to tell me if it hurts too much.”
“I do have to tell you, and it’s not that I haven’t wanted to before now. It’s just that some things are almost unbearable.”
“I hate that something ever hurt you that way.”
“My mom says it’s the price you pay for loving someone, and I loved Andrew, from the time I was in seventh grade until he died our junior year of high school.”
“Oh God, Mol. I’m so sorry. What happened to him?”
“He was diagnosed with bone cancer in ninth grade. He fought it hard, and when we realized he was going to die… I, we, well…”
“You don’t have to say it. I get it.”
“I feel guilty that I’ve led you to believe I’ve never done it before.”
“I’m glad you got to have that experience with him, but I’m so sorry you lost him.”
“It’s the worst thing I’ve ever been through. I wanted to die myself for a while afterward, but over time, I got past those feelings and started to get back to living. I still feel guilty sometimes that I’m alive when he isn’t, and when I first met you, I felt super guilty for having those feelings for someone else. That night in Mississippi when we were kissing, and I said I couldn’t…”
“I understand, and nothing has to happen between us until you want it to. I want you to be comfortable.”
“I’m so comfortable with you. The way I was with him, and I didn’t think that would ever happen again. You have no idea what a relief it’s been to know that I can feel that way for someone else, even if I’ll always miss him.”
“I’m glad you feel that way with me. I want you to be comfortable and happy.”
“I love you so much, Linc.” Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears. “You can’t possibly know what you’ve done for me since we met. You’ve made me feel hopeful and excited when I worried for the longest time after Andrew died that I’d never feel that way again. I hadn’t dated anyone since I lost him.”
“I’m honored to be the first one you’ve dated since you lost him.” He wiped away her tears and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Is that why your dad has been so suspicious of me?”
She laughed. “Partly, but he acted that way with Andrew, too. I think he’s actually relieved to see me moving on after that terrible heartache. Anyway, he’s all bark and no bite.”
“He showed me his hunting rifle, Molly.”
As she collapsed into helpless laughter, he decided he much preferred that to the sadness she’d shown him when she talked about her lost love. And then she reached for him, and he wasn’t thinking about sadness or anything other than the way her lips moved under his, the way her body felt pressed up against him and how badly he wanted her.
“Stop.” Will held up a hand. “I speak for all my siblings when I say we do not want to know what went on in that tent.”