Katie Bailey

My eyes travel further south, taking in a tanned, chiselled torso and a glimpse of an inhumanly perfect deep V, just visible above white athletic shorts. Have I died and gone to hottie heaven?

And I might have skipped out on work early today so I could cook her favorite—steak fajitas—for dinner tonight.

Is it weird that I feel like I’ve missed her over the past few days?

Probably.

I’ll admit it, though. I’m falling anyway.

Because Jess is in the backyard right now, covered in paint, and against all of my better instincts, the only thing I want to do right now is join her.

Because I’m done trying to stay away from her.

“Conor?” A delicious smile flits on her lips and I’m an absolute goner. Remind me why I was trying to stay away from her again? Jess tilts her head. “Did you forget something?”

I want Jess to look at me like this—I want to make her smile like this—every single day of my life. ‘Til we’re gray and old and have to wear diapers.

“Because I love your art, Jess.” Conor’s fingers tighten on my shoulders and he looks into my eyes. “I love you, Jess. And, since the moment you threw that stupid fern at me, I knew that you were the one for me. There’s nobody I’d rather build a life, a future, a home with. Home is where the heart is... and my heart belongs to you, Jessica Shaw.” He smiles a small, hopeful smile that makes my heart ache with love for him. “If you’ll have it, that is.”

And, a little voice pipes up like a taunting onlooker, how much longer are you going to ignore the fact that you’ve thought about her more than you’d like to admit this week?

“I like that Aiden makes me feel like I can be myself and he won’t judge me for it.”