My voice trailed off, and Bree quickly took my mind away from where it was going. “The important question here is, how many times did he give you the big O?”
Greer nodded. “Oh, good question, Bree. Tell us, Arabella!”
I buried my face in my hands and laughed. Dropping them to my lap, I gave them a shrug. “I lost count.”
“Holy shit!” Abby said and the other girls burst out laughing.
I sighed. “You guys, I thought I needed to be in control last night. I told Hunter I wanted to make him, you know, feel good…but I asked if he’d be okay with not touching me. I wasn’t sure I could do it otherwise. And he was so sweet about it.” I closed my eyes and let the memory of last night seep in before I focused back on the girls. “Then I realized I needed him to touch me. Needed to feel…well…you know. He was slow, and passionate, and gah!”
We all fell into a fit of giggles.
“I feel like maybe this should gross me out, but I’m so freaking happy for you both,” Willa said.
“So you were okay? No issues when he did touch you or while making love?” Abby asked with a concerned expression on her face.
I shook my head. “None at all. The only way I know how to describe it is, I feel…healed. Like his touch, his lovemaking, was the medicine I needed. I’ve never felt so alive. He made me feel…” I crossed my hands over my heart and smiled. “Cherished and wanted and loved.” I laughed. “He made me feel so loved.”
Willa reached for my hand as she tried to blink back tears. “That’s because he loves you with every fiber of his being, sweetie.”
I wiped away a tear that slipped free and nodded. “I know he does, and I love him so much. I just wish…”
“You just wish what?” Greer asked.
I lifted my shoulder in a half shrug. “So much time hadn’t been wasted. We could be married with kids by now, but we aren’t. And it’s all because I couldn’t face what happened to me.”
Bree took my other hand and squeezed it. “The past is in the past, Arabella. It’s time to move on and focus only on the future. You and Hunter have your whole lives ahead of you still. To get married, pop out a few babies, and grow old together. The only thing that matters right now, in this moment, is that you’re happy, healthy, and safe.”
I threw my arms around her and squeezed. “Thank you, Bree.”
She hugged me back, and when we broke apart, my eyes widened. “Are you crying?”
She quickly wiped away her tears. “Hell no. I don’t cry, Arabella Adams.”
I glanced around the table to see Abby, Greer, and Willa all wiping away their own evidence of tears.
Clearing my throat, I said, “Do you want to know what he did?”
“Depends on how graphic you’re going to get,” Willa said, her face scrunched up in mock horror.
Laughing, I said, “This has nothing to do with last night. I think you guys already know about Hunter buying the Wickerman place, right?”
Greer groaned. “Lord, I could not stand Kathy Wickerman. Remember when she spread those rumors that she slept with Hunter?”
“What about the time you punched her?” Abby asked with a laugh.
Willa’s eyes went wide. “That was you who punched her, Greer? I heard about that but didn’t know it was you! Someone said she got beat up because she was sleeping with Kyle.”
Greer laughed. “Who didn’t Kyle sleep with in high school? No, it was because she was a lying little—”
“Greer,” Abby said, taking Greer’s hand in hers. “Deep breaths. We all know how much Kathy got under your skin.”
Rolling her eyes, Greer looked at me. “It’s a damn good thing Hunter renovated the house, or I couldn’t have set up that gazebo lunch for you guys.”
Laughing, I replied, “Thank you for doing that, by the way. Everything was so beautiful.”
Abby cleared her throat. “Can we talk about the gazebo? I can’t believe Hunter built that.”
“I know!” I replied with a wide smile. “He also talked about an area of the farm that would be perfect for an apiary.”
The three of them sighed.
Abby placed her hand over her heart. “How romantic. He never gave up hope on you guys.”
“I know. When I think about it, I get so overwhelmed with emotion. I love him so much, and last night and this morning was magical. I keep wondering if I’m dreaming.”
Bree reached over and pinched me, causing me to yelp.
“Not dreaming.”
I shot her a dirty look. “That hurt!”
Willa took my hand in hers again. “Arabella, you have no idea how happy I am to see that smile on your face.”
Greer and Bree both reached across the table and placed their hands over ours as Greer said, “I second that. To see the color back in your cheeks and the pure happiness radiating off of you is wonderful.”