And then I tell him what’s been weighing on my heart since I left the farm. “I’m sorry for taking off like that.”
“I didn’t exactly make a convincing argument about why you should stay. Then you were gone.” His voice drops to a whisper. “And it fucking wrecked me.” He reaches over and threads his fingers through mine. “I love you, Kat. I should’ve told you before you left.”
Everything in me feels jittery, pumped with elation and hope and a little fear. I blurt the words before I have time to censor myself. “Is this crazy? Is this too fast? You’re turning your whole life upside down to stay here. Are we insane?”
He looks over with nothing but confidence and adoration in his eyes. “No, this isn’t crazy.” His thumb strokes my hand gently. “My brother said he loved Mel after knowing her for seven days, and I’m starting to see the wisdom behind the things he went after. You and I have been taking the slow route in comparison.” He glances over again. “Cal and Mel were happy, right? And in love?”
“Madly in love.”
“Which sums up how I’m feeling about you. So maybe this is unconventional, but it feels right, doesn’t it?”
My heart is a jet airplane taking off into the sunset. “Yes, it feels right.”
“So there’s our answer.” A hint of concern etches his brow. “Look, let’s see how we get along when we’re not dealing with so much traumatic shit. You don’t have to pledge your undying love and loyalty to me... yet.” He glances over with a wink. “But I think we have something special.”
Feeling a little choked up, I nod.
He leans over for a sweet kiss and smiles. “Our home isn’t the same without you, babe.”
Home.
No word has ever sounded so good.
61
Brady
When my tires finally hit the gravel on our driveway, I couldn’t be more relieved. It’s been torture being around Kat and not be able to touch her. Really touch her.
My hand pats the pocket on my coat jacket. I brought her Christmas present with me just in case I had to go into full-scale grovel mode, but decided to wait until we got home to give it to her.
As we unload the truck, I watch her as she hugs Izzy, and my head goes a little fuzzy with emotion. Because I love my girls so damn much.
Kat’s the light at the end of this dark tunnel, one I’ve been traveling since before my brother died. I hadn’t realized it, but I wasn’t happy. I wasn’t complete. In fact, at the time I couldn’t even tell you what I was missing.
When I unlock the front door, I kiss Kat’s temple and take the baby from her arms so I can get Izzy ready for bed. Which can’t come soon enough, because if I have to wait one more minute to be alone with Kat, I might lose my mind.
As I’m heading down the hall, I hear her gasp, and I turn to see her in the kitchen in front of several drawings I did of her. She’s holding the image of her sleeping, curled up in bed with a sheet draped over her.
She looks at me with tears welling in her eyes. “They’re beautiful.”
“What can I say? I missed you. A lot. I even recycled while you were gone.”
“Aww! Really?”
She grins up at me, and I kiss her forehead. I have to admit I appreciate how easy it is to please her.
Izzy yawns in my arms and rubs her eyes.
“Let me get this baby to bed, and I’ll be out in a minute.”
Izzy is wiped from the road trip, so it doesn’t take long after I tuck her in before she’s asleep. Once she’s snoring softly, I head out of the nursery on a mission, because I’m dying to get my hands on Kat. I hear her using the sink in the bathroom, and when the door opens, I yank her into me, and she laughs.
“Shh. Don’t wake the baby,” I mumble against her lips.
“Mmm.”
Her whole body melts into me, and although I’m desperate to connect with her in a very naked and horizontal way, I want to give her a Christmas gift.
With an arm around her shoulder, I maneuver her to the living room, next to the Christmas tree.
“I’m sorry for being an ass last week. For putting work first.”
Pushing up onto her toes, she kisses my jaw as she winds her arms around my neck. “You don’t have to apologize. We both made mistakes and withdrew. I guess I got afraid. I knew I had promised to keep this casual, and then suddenly nothing about what we had seemed casual. And, well, I’ve only been in two relationships, and only one was serious.”
I can’t help the surprise on my face. “Really?”
She nods, a shy smile on her lips. “Really.”
As I sit on the couch, I tug her into my lap. Fuck, she smells good. I breathe into her hair. “What else do I need to know?” All of a sudden, I’m nervous about what I want to ask. “Did you love him? Your ex?”
She takes a deep breath. “At the time I thought I did. But when I compare my feelings for him to what I feel for you, it’s no contest. You’re the World Series. He was Little League.”
I bark out a laugh. “You’re so perfect for me.”
But she’s not laughing. In fact, her eyebrows furrow. “So I need to tell you something, and you might get upset.”