What's Forever

Chapter 9

VALENTINA'S POV

"Val, what are you doing?" grandma Morgan asked when I walked away from Emmett.

"Grocery shopping, what are you doing?" I replied.

"That boy has asked you out four times in the past two weeks. Why haven't you said yes?" she asked.

"How do you know that?" I asked her.

"I hear things."

"So I can see, bionic gossip ears."

"Don't dodge the question. Why haven't you said yes?"

"I'm not here to date, grandma, and I have a baby to take care of."

"You also have a more than willing nanny. Go have fun while you're still young."

"I have fun with my daughter." I argued as we walked through the supermarket.

"That Brian boy didn't make you laugh or smile or blush like Emmett does. Sweetie, I understand that you're a single mom and that Ava Rae is your one big priority, but Val, you've gotta take care of yourself too. Go out on a date, get pretty, and have some fun. Enjoy yourself." she insisted.

"I . . . no one wants to deal with a single mother."

"He's asked you out four times already and all that after finding out about Ava Rae. I'd say it doesn't bother him."

Ever since we met he's been pulling a Brian, meaning to say, he started randomly popping up at the hospital to start random conversation. He has a habit of appearing right before Brian comes around and I don't know how he knows this.

Yes he has asked me out three times in the past two weeks and yes, I turned him down each time. Men who look like GQ models all the time see women as toys. I won't be a stopgate until someone better pops up. I deserve better and so does Ava Rae.

Have I considered going on a date with the super sexy yet somehow adorably cute Emmett? Of course I have, but there's still this nagging thought in the back of my head telling me that this is a bad idea, a very bad idea. There's something odd and possibly wrong with his family.

"This is so not the place to be talking about this."

"Go and stop that boy before he leaves, tell him you want to go to dinner. I've seen the way that the two of you look at each other. I'll go check out the groceries. Go!" she insisted and why the hell not.

"You know what, I will."

I looked around and saw him walking out of the supermarked so I took off running. Not to cause a scene I didn't shout his name, but I also didn't expect him to stop short and turn around. I ran right into his chest and he wrapped his arm around me to keep us from toppling over. The blush covered my cheeks and his brother, Jared I think, just laughed at me. The chill came on quickly from Emmett's cold hands but somehow I felt heat spread out from where his arm wrapped around me. It was sort of like running into a marble wall.

"Well hello again." he smiled, his golden eyes alight with humor and mischief.

"Hey . . . sorry about . . . sorry."

"It's okay, no problem for me to have a beautiful woman in my arms." his dimples were out on full display.

For a few seconds I was just stuck on stupid. Having the full force of his attention solely on me was staggering.

"Smooth talker." I whispered.

"I try, now can I do something for you or was you crashing into me a pure coincidence?" he asked.