BooksBarbecue
Back First Comes Love
Chapters (92)
  1. First
  2. Love Connection
  3. Zero
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. One Month Later
  16. Twelve
  17. Thirteen
  18. Fourteen
  19. Fifteen
  20. Six Months Later
  21. Sixteen
  22. Seventeen
  23. Eighteen
  24. Nineteen
  25. Twenty
  26. Twenty-one
  27. Twenty-two
  28. Twenty-three
  29. Twenty-four
  30. Six Months Later
  31. Twenty-five
  32. Twenty-six
  33. Twenty-seven
  34. Twenty-eight
  35. Twenty-nine
  36. Thirty
  37. Thirty-one
  38. Thirty-two
  39. Thirty-three
  40. I Have Never
  41. One
  42. Two
  43. Three
  44. Four
  45. Five
  46. Six
  47. Seven
  48. Eight
  49. Nine
  50. Ten
  51. Eleven
  52. Twelve
  53. Thirteen
  54. Fourteen
  55. Fifteen
  56. Sixteen
  57. Seventeen
  58. Eighteen
  59. Nineteen
  60. Twenty
  61. Twenty-one
  62. Twenty-two
  63. A Christmas Date
  64. One
  65. Two
  66. Three
  67. Four
  68. Five
  69. Six
  70. Seven
  71. Eight
  72. Nine
  73. Ten
  74. Eleven
  75. Twelve
  76. Thirteen
  77. Fourteen
  78. Fifteen
  79. Sixteen
  80. Seventeen
  81. Eighteen
  82. Nineteen
  83. Twenty
  84. Twenty-one
  85. Twenty-two
  86. Note from the Author
  87. Sneak Peek – To the Stars and Back
  88. Two
  89. Three
  90. Four
  91. Also by Camilla Isley
  92. About the Author

“I sensed she wasn’t ready, but I pressed on. Thought that if I didn’t give her time to overanalyze, she’d be fine. Well, you know how that ended. That was rushed. This”—he swings his spoon between us, wielding it like a sword—“isn’t rushed. You’re not pressing me into anything. I’m asking you.”

“Okay.” I still feel like I’m walking on eggshells. “Take some extra time to mull it over. Then, if you’re still sure…”

“I don’t need extra time.”

I’m at a loss for words… I so didn’t expect this.

“You want to know why I’m happy it’s raining?” Richard continues.

Oh, so he was pleased by the awful weather. I nod.

“Rain means you spend the night. A sunny day means you go back to your place, and I’m alone. I hate sunny days.”

“You hate the sun because of me?”

“Despise it.”

A dumb smile appears on my lips. “Ah well, in that case…”

“Should I free a drawer?”

“Poor man. You’ve no idea what you just got yourself into. I’m going to need much more space than a drawer.” My brain whizzes with all the technical, organizational steps. “I’d need to give Nikki some notice. I can’t just stop paying my share of the rent and leave her out to hang. Plus, she hates the holidays, but…” I get up, another thought suddenly bolting through my head. “Wait here.”

I retrieve my bag from down the hall and fish inside for something I haven’t looked at in months. After some rummaging, I remember it’s in my wallet. A piece of paper so crumpled and frail it might disintegrate at any second.

“What’s that?” Richard asks.

Spreading the sheet on the bar, I ask, “You don’t recognize it?”

“Is it the list?”

“Mmm-hmm. And there’s just one item in there I haven’t ticked off yet.”

“Which is?”

“Don’t move in without a ring.”

“Oh, I never considered that angle. Does it bother you?”

“I always thought I wanted to be super traditional, but that was the old me.”

Richard is still staring at the list, frowning now. “And when did you go skinny dipping, exactly?”

I blush and snatch the paper away. “I’m never telling you that.”

“Hey.” Richard makes to grab the sheet again.