Accidentally On Purpose Part 16

"I love hairy legs on my woman," Luke said, still caressing my leg. "I love getting my fingers all tangled in your long, coa.r.s.e leg hair."

"Stop!" I smacked him with his book. "I just haven't felt like shaving."

"At least your legs will be warm and protected when it rains."

I gave him the most evil stare I could muster and then went back to my book.

"How is your book?" He asked, resting his head on my lap.

I ran a hand through his light hair and sighed a happy sigh.

"Amanda Hocking is my hero," I said about the author I recently discovered after Luke gave me the kindle as a gift. "I want to have her babies." I said dreamily.

"Well, that sure ruins my my plans." plans."

"What plans?" I put the kindle on the table next to the bed.

"I was hoping maybe you would want to someday have my my babies." When I looked surprised, he said "I didn't mean like tomorrow or next year, but someday." babies." When I looked surprised, he said "I didn't mean like tomorrow or next year, but someday."

I stared at him and s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably. He sat up and looked at me, but I couldn't meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize you felt so differently than I do..." He looked so deflated and I instantly felt bad.

"Oh, no. It's not that," I turned to look at him. I couldn't tell him the main reason I reacted that way, but I could tell him something else that was true. "I'm just not sure that I would be a good mother..."

"What? You would be an excellent mother. You're nurturing, caring, and responsible."

I winced at "responsible." My actions over the past several months were not responsible. To cover my reaction, I smiled and said "You know I drink way too much."

"You don't drink and drive, you don't drink at work, and you know your limit. I've never seen you out of control. Besides, I haven't seen you pick up a drink in weeks."

Oh, you poor man. I've been out of control for months.

"Now that my mom is back, that may change." I rolled my eyes, but Luke took me into his arms.

"You can come here whenever you want to get away from that old bag."

"Thanks." I laughed.

"And while we're on the subject..."

"What's up, doc?" I looked up into his face, which had grown serious.

"I'm thinking of moving back to Chicago, and soon."

"What?" I broke free of his embrace so I could look at him better. I must have looked as stricken as I felt, because he put his hands up as if to calm me down.

"I want you to come with me." He said in a rush. "I mean, you don't have to decide right now."

"Oh," I said softly. "How long?"

"By October, at the latest." He took my hands in his. "I really want to be with you, but my family is in crisis and they need me. And to be honest, I need them, too."

I nodded in agreement. His family did did need him. His parents were way older than my own and needed looking after. He had two sisters, but not only did they have their own families to worry about, one of them just found out she had cancer. I felt really bad for reacting the way I did. need him. His parents were way older than my own and needed looking after. He had two sisters, but not only did they have their own families to worry about, one of them just found out she had cancer. I felt really bad for reacting the way I did.

"I understand," I said. "I promise to deeply consider it."

"I'm going home in two weeks for a few days. Think you can get away?"

I considered it a moment. I had plenty of vacation time saved up and even if I didn't I wasn't worried about losing money. Kyle was a problem. He was insanely jealous of Luke.

"I'll go." I said, deciding that Kyle couldn't always be my first priority.

Luke grinned and kissed me. I locked my fingers behind his head and pulled him closer. I had told my mom I would be home for dinner, but once Luke slipped his hand under my s.h.i.+rt I didn't feel confident about making it on time.

Chapter Twenty-One

I did make it to dinner on time. My mom was her usual annoying self, but for the most part I was able to tune her out. My mind was already heavily weighing on Luke's proposal.

I could decide to go, and it would be the end of the triangle I was in, but the thought of letting Kyle go made my chest ache.

"You're not paying any attention to anything I'm saying!" My mom's voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Sorry. What did you say?"

She sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes. "I said said I wish you would consider coming back with us in the fall. I hate that you're up here all alone." I wish you would consider coming back with us in the fall. I hate that you're up here all alone."

"I'm not alone, trust me." If only she really knew how much I was never alone.

"Yes, I know you have Luke and you've become friendly with the Sterlings, but you ain't got no family here."

"I have cousins and aunts and uncles."

"I meant none that you talk to."

"I talk to Mayson all of the time and sometimes I may run into Tabitha at the store."

"You know what I mean!" She snapped.

I put my fork down and looked from her to my dad. "If you guys want me to move out of the house so you can stay down there, just say so."

Now my dad put down his fork and looked at me. "No one is saying that, Emmy. We would never make you leave here if you didn't want to."

My mom looked at my dad with a look of surprise. "I am am saying that!" saying that!"

"Oh for crying out loud," he grumbled, throwing down his napkin. I pushed my plate away and crossed my arms.

"I'm too d.a.m.n old and tired to be coming back and forth," my mom pouted. "I would rather use this time to maybe take a cruise or visit my cousins in France."

"News flash, mother," I said. "You don't have have to keep coming back and forth. I can take care of the house just fine." to keep coming back and forth. I can take care of the house just fine."

"If we didn't come up here, no one would ever see ya!" She said in a high pitched voice. "You never come down to see us or the rest of the family."

I couldn't argue that point, because she was right. I didn't feel all that close to my siblings or their kids, but it very well could have been my own fault.

"Fine. If you want me to move out, I will." I got up and carried my plate to the sink and started stuffing the contents into the disposal.

"You don't have to go anywhere," my dad said to me, and then to my mom "she doesn't have to go anywhere. If you're too tired to come back and forth then stay in Louisiana."

"What are you going to do if I decide to move further away?" I asked my mom. "Not visit me? Is that all I have to do to be rid of your incessant nagging?"

She wrinkled her nose at me. "You're a devil of a child."

"I'm thinking of moving to Chicago," I announced. "With Luke. In October."

They both looked at me quietly for a moment. My mom tried to be casual, but failed.

"Will you be moving there as a married woman?"

"No." I said defiantly.

"You're gonna live in sin?" She shrieked.

"Oh stop it!" I yelled. "Don't act like you're all about that because you're not."

"What are you doing wrong? You should have a marriage marriage proposal by now! Not a proposal by now! Not a wanna-live-together wanna-live-together proposal!" She slapped the table. proposal!" She slapped the table.

"Samantha!" My dad yelled.

"She's thirty-one years old and isn't even close to bein' married! Maybe you need a makeover. I can send you to New York and you can get your hair done so it won't be so plain."

"She is fine the way she is." My dad was trying to be patient.

Ignoring him, my mom continued on. "You can get a new wardrobe - a good one. You can go to the gym and maybe work some of that belly off."

"Are you finished insulting me yet?" I asked quietly.

"Is it the s.e.x?" Her eyes widened and even as my dad tried again to stop her mouth, she talked over him. "There are books you can buy and maybe you can be better in bed. Maybe you need all of it - the make-over, the clothes, the gym, and the s.e.x stuff."

"That's enough!" My dad boomed. My mom jumped and even I was a little startled.

"Thank G.o.d G.o.d I have some confidence in myself, because if I had to depend on my own mother I would be in sore shape." I said bitterly and stormed out of the kitchen. I have some confidence in myself, because if I had to depend on my own mother I would be in sore shape." I said bitterly and stormed out of the kitchen.

Later that night when I met Kyle for ice-cream, I was still fuming from my mom's idiocy, and at the same time I was trying to think of a way to tell him I was going away with Luke.

"You're quiet," Kyle said, looking at me carefully. "What's up?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. I was tapping my spoon on the table instead of digging into my sundae, and under the table my leg bounced.

"You're quietly freaking out, I can tell. What's going on?"

"You mean in addition to this four way love story?" I asked, irritated.

"Forget it." He said, tossing his own spoon down.

"Don't ask me stupid questions."

"Whatever. Are we done here?"

I put my spoon down as a response. Kyle rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wallet. He threw some cash on the table and we left the ice-cream there to melt.

Chapter Twenty-Two

I don't know what my problem was. I was so distracted by the current events of my life, I could not function correctly, even at work which I tried hard to keep separate from my personal life. That wasn't an easy feat since one of my boyfriends was also my boss and the other one worked a few floors down.

Monday morning after our failed ice-cream social, I still wasn't really in the mood to deal with Kyle. He wasn't much in the mood to speak to me either judging by his extra d.i.c.kness. I was even cranky with Luke, but he was too busy to really care. "Go take a nap," he had teased. Yeah, like a nap would solve all of my problems.

My sulkiness came to a head that Thursday. I had been taking constant bull from my mom all week and even though Kyle attempted to make up with me, I couldn't get my s.h.i.+t together. Luke was giving me a hard time because I still had not asked for time off and our trip to Chicago was less than a week away.

"Just forget about it," he had said, not really trying hard to hide his anger. We were in the elevator on our way into work.

"I'm sorry, okay? I've been distracted."