Swapping a Broken Heart for a New Start novel Chapter 1204

He realized this guy wasn’t just getting by with Dennis Williams’s help. The kid actually had a sharp mind for business, a vision that sometimes felt even more ahead of the curve than his own or his son’s. Even Billy Brown, who’d always been a bit cold to him, ended up chatting with him so enthusiastically it was hard to believe.

By the end of dinner, the whole Brown family looked at their future son-in-law with real approval.

When they got home, Billy led their parents inside first. Sarah stayed in the car, clinging to Larry, not quite ready to say goodbye. For once, Billy didn’t come back out to hurry her along or ruin the moment.

Larry held her close, a little nervous. “How did I do tonight? Was I okay?”

Sarah grinned and planted a kiss on his cheek. “You were perfect. Seriously. Couldn’t have done better. My parents practically treated you like you were already part of the family, didn’t you notice?”

She paused for a second, almost worried she’d said too much. Larry just looked at her, then leaned in and kissed her softly, his voice low and a little rough. “Thank you, Sarah. I’m really happy. You know, besides my grandparents, my aunt’s family, and Dennis’s crowd, I haven’t felt this kind of warmth very often. The gifts your parents gave me… I’ll really treasure them.”

Sarah’s heart ached thinking about what he’d been through with his own family. She hugged him tight. “That’s all I want. And you’ll get even more of this in the future. Once we’re married, you’ll have your own kids. With that kind of family, there’ll be more and more people who love you.”

Larry’s eyes grew even softer. After that night they spent together, things between them had actually settled into a sweet, almost tame kind of romance. Credit for that mostly went to Billy, who kept a constant watch over them. But just talking about it now made both their hearts race a little.

Sarah remembered that night clearly. It had hurt at first, but then it turned into something so natural, like they fit perfectly together. Her heart had never beaten so fast.

Larry had been a little drunk, his thoughts scattered and everything feeling dreamy. All he could recall was how amazing it had felt.

Right now, when their eyes met, the feelings were obvious. The whole world seemed to go quiet, the air between them warm and charged.

Sarah leaned in, almost kissing him, when her phone suddenly blared, making her jump. The moment shattered completely.

She glanced down. Her brother’s name was on the screen.

She answered, annoyed. “What do you want? Didn’t you just go inside with Mom and Dad?”

Billy sounded completely calm. “Just reminding you to get out of the car. You’ve got ten minutes before you need to come in.”

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