Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81176 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 406(@200wpm)___ 325(@250wpm)___ 271(@300wpm)
Wes walked us back until I hit the counter, and for a second, I thought for sure he was going to pick me up and set me down on it. Before either of us could do anything, a voice cleared from the other side of the kitchen and we both froze.
Slowly drawing away from me, Wes and I opened our eyes and locked our shocked gazes. Both of us looking at each other as if asking what in the hell had just happened. I could see Wes was as confused as I was. That kiss had been so different from the others. We had both wanted it, but for the same reasons? There was no time to think about what the kiss meant, because what was about to happen next was going to change everything.
“Oh. My. God.” Angie gasped.
“How long has this been going on between the two of you?” Wes’s mom asked in a completely shocked voice.
Wes closed his eyes and dropped his head slightly in response to his mother’s question.
My teeth instantly dug into my still-tingling lip as I gently pushed Wes back and he turned around, giving us both the opportunity to see that it wasn’t just Angie and Jennifer standing there, but Finn, Rory, and Harmony. Rory and Angie were the only two grinning, as if something they had already known about had suddenly become news to everyone else.
“You two?” Finn asked, pointing between the two of us. Then he slowly nodded his head and laughed. “No wonder you were pissed and got so drunk when I said we were trying to set Clare up with Alex.”
“What?” I asked, confusion in my voice as I looked at Wes, who refused to look at me.
“I knew you guys were hanging out more, but this? How could you not tell me, Clare?” Rory asked, her smile now gone and her arms folded over her chest, staring at me like I had been keeping the biggest secret in the world from her.
I was about to come up with some excuse about why we were kissing when Wes took my hand in his. He cleared his throat, and I knew he was about to do something he’d regret. We’d both regret.
“We’ve been keeping it a secret.”
“Why?” Jennifer asked. “My goodness, Wes, I’ve been trying to set you up with girls to date, and poor Clare has had to watch it. You’ve made a fool out of me.”
“What?” Wes and I said at the same time.
“No! No, it’s not like that at all, Mrs. Ward,” I quickly said.
“We just started dating recently. We’ve been spending more time together, the shopping trip for the anniversary decorations, the drive home that night, me getting sick and Clare staying with me. We like spending time together,” Wes said, reaching out for my hand and tugging me to stand next to him. “And we have slowly been exploring things.”
Angie laughed. “Well, judging by the way you two were kissing, I’d say things are going well.”
I let out a bubble of nervous laughter, then quickly covered my mouth with my hand. I could feel my face turning redder by the second.
Finn’s eyes bounced between me and Wes, and I couldn’t tell, but I swore he was attempting to figure out if we were lying or telling the truth.
“Who ate almost all of the cheesecake?” Harmony cried out.
“Wes!” I replied as he whipped his head and stared at me as if I had just hung him out to dry. All I could do was shrug.
“We both ate it,” Wes stated as he walked back over to the table, picked up the fork, and ate another piece. My mouth watered, but not because I wanted a bite. Oh no, it was because I was instantly jealous of the freaking fork in his mouth.
“Wes! Clare! I bought that for a luncheon I’m having tomorrow.”
“We thought it might have been an extra dessert,” I weakly added.
Angie huffed. “Did you not see the Snickers cake?”
Wes clapped his hands. “Speaking of, when are we going to cut into that bad boy. I’m dying for a piece.”
“That’s what we were coming in here for, to get you two so we could cut the cake,” Rory said. “We expected to see you in here bickering.”
“Not pawing each other.”
“Angela!” Wes’s mom said, her hands on her hips and a stern look on her face directed to her daughter. “That’s enough. Now leave these two alone. I think it’s wonderful that they’re dating! I always thought you two made a cute couple. So much better than Mandy, I’m sorry to say.”
I could practically hear Wes moaning in his head.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Why don’t you all go on out and I’ll quickly clean up the kitchen and join everyone for the cake cutting.”
“That’s a great idea,” Wes said as he began to usher his family out of the kitchen. “Don’t be long…sweetheart.”