First, I gently push her hair aside, working the stuck hair loose from the clasp, one strand at a time. She shivers, and goose bumps flood the nape of her neck. “Tickles,” she says, her voice hitching.
Once the tangle is free, I drape the rest of her hair over her shoulder, and my palm skims her bare skin. Loren draws in a breath, and warmth radiates from her.
This is how the universe likes to torment me.
With thin straps on a yellow sundress.
But I’m a capable, mostly normal man, right? Surely I can get a grip and get this choker off of my wife. Slowly lowering my head, I study the clasp. “Ah. Yeah. I see.”
As I open the hook, my lips are close enough to graze the spot just behind her ear. The temptation is intense. Almost too much to fight. But I refuse to take advantage. I mean, yes, we’re married now, and living together, and I’ve been in love with her for years.
But I can’t, right?
No, you can’t. She's vulnerable in this moment.
Don't cross any lines.
So I carefully slip the choker off her neck, even as a fault line of self-control shudders inside me, and Loren makes the smallest move backward. Just an inch. But it’s almost as if shewantsme to kiss her ear.
Does she want me to kiss her ear?
Bridger.
She wants you to kiss her ear.
I’m about to feather my lips along the curved edge when something starts to hiss across the room, sudden and loud, like a snake about to strike. Loren leaps away, and I thrust my body between her and whatever is about to attack us. Then our eyes zip toward the source.
And we bust out laughing.
The bolognese sauce is boiling over on the stove.
Man. So far, being married is a trip.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Loren
Two weeks after my dad moved to Havenwood, I finally start to believe he could be safe. Even when I’m not with him in person. Even when I’m not checking in remotely. Still, I’ve got years of worry-habits to unravel, and he’s got years of practice with my hovering. So the shift is an adjustment.
For both of us.
His adjustment involves plenty of sunshine, extra PT sessions with Noah, and signing up for every enrichment activity Havenwood offers. Literally all of them. Joanna told me.
My adjustment involves plenty of snacking.
Oh, and Bridger.
One night, I find him on his laptop, reading all about brain-health optimization. Naturally, I ask him if this particular research is inspired by me. After all, my dad’s brain health is … sub-optimal … and I may have inherited his issue. ButBridger swears he just wants to focus on getting healthy before his thirtieth birthday.
Spoiler alert: he’s as bad a liar as I am.
Still, his gesture takes my breath away.
The man clearly wants to care for me in practical, logical ways using methods that don’t involve money. So under the guise of promotinghishealth, we both commit to a whole new lifestyle routine. And in case you’re ever in the market for any kind of optimizing or routine, Bridger Adams is your guy.
We start each morning with a walk outside for the fresh air and exercise. Then, with breakfast, we gulp down a series of vitamins and probiotics. In the evenings, we make our dinners from scratch, and Bridger turns out to be a shockingly good cook, considering he grew up in a household with a professional chef.
I’ve eaten fish now. Twice.