Not Broken: The Happily Ever After(3)

She turned to look at me. She closed her eyes and took a breath. “Okay,” she whispered.

My world stopped and my heart squeezed when I registered what she’d said. That one word made me the happiest man on Earth. My first instinct was to embrace her, but the memory of her trembling in my arms stopped me. As much as I wanted to hold her, and kiss her, I refrained.

“So, let me see,” Macy said to Ginger, handing London to Mitch. “Mal wouldn’t let me see the ring beforehand.” She grabbed her friend’s hand and frowned up at me.

“It’s not an engagement.” Ginger spoke quickly before Macy could go off on me about the lack of bling. The platinum band was topped with one carat worth of diamonds embedded within the symbol. It was simple, yet classic. Perfect for her.

“Welcome to the family, son,” Collin said, giving me a pat on the back.

“Thank you, sweetie, for getting him to settle down,” Mom said, pulling her into a hug.

Ginger nodded then walked over to her mom, took Shawn, and headed farther into the house. I stayed to talk with everyone and to decide where we should go for dinner. After a few minutes, I went to see where she’d gone. I found her standing on the back deck. Mature trees shaded the medium-sized yard, but it was big enough to give Shawn room to run around as he got older.

“Did you see the rest of the house?”

She jumped at the sound of my voice.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“It’s fine. And, no, I haven’t seen the house. I needed some air, so I came out here.”

“Well, do you want a quick tour before we head to dinner?”

“Dinner?”

“Yes. The crew inside are all complaining of being hungry. We’re going to have dinner over at Front Page.”

She nodded, but didn’t respond.

“Unless you want to go somewhere else.”

She kept her eyes on Shawn, who sat playing in the sandbox the previous owners had left behind. “No, that’s fine.” She walked down the steps to pick up Shawn. He fussed, showing his displeasure at being interrupted.

“Okay, what about seeing the house?”

“I don’t need to see the house, Mal,” she said, heading back inside.

I reached out to touch her arm. “You don’t like it?”

She shrugged. “It’s fine.” She moved Shawn from one hip to the other, putting him between us.

“I don’t want it to be fine, Ginger. I want you to love it. It, or some place, will be my home. Our home.”

Her brows scrunched into a V, and she pressed her lips together. I cussed inwardly at myself. I wanted her and Shawn to live with me in the future. That was the whole reason I looked at houses instead of a condo. However, I knew it was too much too soon, and I should have kept my damn mouth shut.

For reasons none of us understood, Ginger refused to leave the house she’d shared with that bastard. I thought getting away from all those bad memories would be something she’d want. A fresh start. But she’d shut down anytime the topic was brought up.

“You’re right. Sorry. It’s been a busy day. Can you schedule a tour tomorrow or something? We don’t want to keep everyone waiting.”

Her answer surprised me. She was open to the possibility. I reached for Shawn, and then I took her hand and brought it to my lips.

“Yes, I’ll call my agent and set something up.”

She nodded before pulling her hand free.

During dinner, our moms talked excitedly about the house, our possible wedding, and how life was finally moving in the right direction. Collin joked about needing to have “the talk” with me. The mood was festive, but when I’d look at Ginger, she seemed to be elsewhere.

Sandy turned to her daughter. “Shawn can stay with us tonight, dear.”

Ginger’s brows furrowed together for a moment. Her face turned red when she picked up on what her mom meant. She signaled for the waiter to refill her Chardonnay. Was that the third or fourth?

“That won’t be necessary, but thanks,” she replied before excusing herself and heading off in the direction of the restrooms.

Sandra moved over, taking Ginger’s recently vacated seat. “We’ll take him home with us, just in case.”

I laughed and shook my head. “I don’t think that’s necessary.”

She patted my arm and smiled. “We look for any and all excuses to have him over.”

Being their only grandchild, Sandra and Collin had a nursery set up for Shawn at their house, so he always had a second place to call home.

After dinner was finished and the bill was paid, Sandra and Collin gave Ginger and me hugs, said their goodbyes, and left with Shawn. Ginger frowned in my direction.

I put my hands up in defense. “I told them no.”

Everyone parted ways, leaving only us. I wanted to hold her hand as we walked, but I kept mine firmly placed inside my pockets.

The air was still a bit stifling, even with the onset of nightfall. Boisterous laughter wafted down at us as we passed South City Kitchen on the way to the parking garage. Ginger didn’t say anything as we walked. Instead, she actively looked at the passersby, focusing her attention anywhere but on me. The nightlife in Atlanta was always active, even on weekdays, although some saw Thursday as the official start to the weekend.