Chapter 28
TWENTY-EIGHT
Kinsley
“I know this is an older house, but with some work …”
The realtor goes on about the potential the house has, but I tune her out, frustrated that we’ve seen six houses in Brookside and I couldn’t imagine living in a single one. I know it’s only our first day of looking, but there aren’t many options in this small town, and every one she’s shown me felt like a stranger’s house.
I mean, obviously, that’s what it is, but when Brandon and I moved into our apartment, it was an empty space, yet it still felt right. I could imagine where we’d hang our photos, the color scheme I wanted to go with. And when my parents gifted us their old townhome, it instantly felt like it was where we belonged. Maybe it’s because I’m an artist, but I need to be able to feel something, and with every place I’ve seen, I haven’t felt anything.
“I appreciate you showing me these places,” I tell Patty, the realtor my mom is friends with. “But none of these feel right.”
“That’s okay,” she says. “There are plenty of options. I’ll take a look this week and then call you to schedule some walk-throughs once I have a few worth checking out.”
After saying goodbye, I text Shane that I’m on my way, and he lets me know he’s home and to just come in when I get there.
The second I open the front door, Becky jumps off the couch, greeting me with a wagging tail, so I kneel in front of her to pet her, and she comes closer, licking the side of my face.
Since I’m here often, I’ve gotten close with her. I never had any pets growing up since my sister is allergic, but I can see why people get dogs. She’s so sweet and cuddly and protective.
When I stand, ready to find Shane, I notice the living room is dark, and there are several tea lights placed on various surfaces, creating a warm glow.
And then my eyes land on the pink rose petals all over the floor.
“Shane?” I call out in confusion.
Becky runs to the back slider, so I let her out into the backyard and then close the door. When I turn around, I find Shane standing in the middle of the room, dressed in a blue button-down shirt with his sleeves rolled to his forearms, showing off his corded muscles and the sexy sleeve I tattooed on him, along with a pair of jeans that mold to his thighs perfectly. His hair is freshly cut, and his beard is trimmed … and he’s holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers that match the petals on the floor.
“What’s going on?” I ask with a nervous laugh.
“These are for you.”
He hands me the flowers, and I lean in, closing my eyes and inhaling the floral scent. When I open my eyes, Shane is staring at me with a mixture of concern and confusion, and I realize there are tears in my eyes.
“I love flowers,” I choke out. “And it’s been a long time since anyone gave them to me. They remind me of happiness and all that is good in the world.”
I smile down at the flowers, bringing my nose back to them so I can smell them again. “Thank you,” I whisper, looking back up at him with a smile.
Shane chuckles softly. “I knew it,” he says, cupping the side of my face. “I knew that under all that sour would be so much damn sweet.” He leans in and presses a soft kiss to my lips that has me craving so much more. “If buying you flowers means seeing you light up like this, I’ll buy you flowers every day.”
I snort out a laugh. “Maybe it’s not just the flowers,” I tell him honestly. “Maybe it’s partly you.”
Shane’s smile grows. “I love you, Kinsley, and I was wondering …”
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a small box, and my heart starts to pound in my chest.
There’s no way he would propose, right?
It’s too soon.
But even as that thought crosses my mind, a small part of me can imagine spending my life with Shane as my husband. He’s sweet and selfless, and the sex is incredible. He’s such a good person, and when I’m around him, the world feels like a better place because he’s in it.
But it’s too soon, I remind myself. We only just started dating …
My thoughts are cut off when Shane opens the box, exposing a key.
“This is the key to my house,” he says softly. “Taylor and I spoke, and we would love for you to move in with us.”
As I stare at the key in his hand, it hits me that if I say yes, I would move from my parents’ pool house into Shane’s house.
Is that the right thing to do?
For some reason, the idea of him proposing felt less intimate. Maybe it’s because engagements take time, whereas moving in together would be right now.
His home would become mine.
Am I ready for that?
“This is all so sweet,” I tell him, looking around at the romantic ambiance he’s created with the candles and flowers.
“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?” Shane mutters.
“No, not a but.” I step closer to him and put my hands on his chest, so we’re connected. “I want to move in with you. At least, I think I do.”
I shake my head, hating that I kind of suck at all this.
“You’re so damn good,” I tell him, trying to explain myself. “You give and give and give, and you deserve someone who can reciprocate. And I just don’t know if I’m capable of that.
“I want to be. I love you, and in the short time we’ve been together, it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”
“You give me so much,” he says, gliding his knuckles down my cheek. “You might not see it, but I promise that being with you makes me so damn happy. The way you are with my daughter and how every time you walk in, you make it a point to give Becky attention. Your passion for your work … I could watch you tattoo me all day.”
He chuckles. “I love going to bed and waking up to you in my arms. And when you mentioned getting your own place, my first thought was if getting to do that with you every day for the rest of my life is an option, I want you to move in here.”
“I love spending time with you,” I tell him. “I love going to bed and waking up with you. But I don’t know if moving in together is the right move.”
When he frowns, I reach up and run my finger along the seam of his lips, not wanting him to be anything but happy.
“I’m not saying no,” I clarify. “I just need to make sure. A few months ago, I couldn’t even imagine moving out of my parents’ pool house. And then today, I was looking at houses, and … I just need a little bit of time to make sure whatever decision I make is the best one … for everyone.”
Shane nods in understanding.
“Okay,” he says, taking my hand in his and placing the box in it. “But the key is yours. Even if it’s just so you can come and go as you want. I want you here as much as I can have you.”
He grips the back of my neck and captures my mouth with his for a quick yet emotionally charged kiss. “And until then,” he murmurs against my lips, “I’m going to do everything in my power to convince you that moving in is the right choice.”
He glides his hands down to my ass and lifts me into his arms. Then, he carries me to his room, where he does a damn good job of convincing me that the only place I belong is right here, in his bed, with this man.
* * *
“Kinsley, wake up.”
I hear Shane’s voice, but it’s so hard to open my eyes. The number of times he made me come last night left me in an orgasm-induced coma that I wasn’t sure I’d ever wake from.
His hand glides down my side and settles on my hip, and I snuggle closer to him, loving how hard yet comforting his body is.
“Sour Patch,” he says with a chuckle. “As much as I’d love to stay in bed with you, Katie and Eric had their baby last night, and my parents are on their way, so we can go to the hospital to see them.”
At the mention of his parents, I freeze. I knew he had parents. He talks about them all the time. They even live next door to him. But I’ve never spoken to or met them because they’ve been traveling in their RV all over the country.
“Hey,” Shane says softly. “If you don’t want to go to the hospital, it’s okay. Nobody would fault you for not wanting to?—”
“It’s not that,” I tell him, rolling over so I can look at him. “I’m okay with meeting the baby. But I’ve never met your parents. Do they even know who I am?”
Shane’s brows furrow, and then a grin spreads across his face. “Of course they know about you.” He shakes his head. “I’ve told them all about you, and Taylor has, too, and they can’t wait to meet you. They texted that after we leave the hospital, they’d love to go to breakfast.”
“Oh,” I breathe.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
“I’ve never met anyone’s parents before,” I admit sheepishly. “Brandon’s parents lost custody of him when he was younger, so he didn’t have any family, and before him, I’d only dated a few guys, but it was never serious enough to meet the parents. I just hope yours like me.”
Shane smiles. “Kins, they’re going to love you. How could they not?” He presses a soft kiss to my lips. “They already know their son has fallen in love with you.”
His words cause butterflies to swarm in my belly. I turn into him, hooking my leg over his, and he chuckles.
“As much as I would love to be inside you, they’re actually due to arrive any minute.”
“What?” I shriek, sitting up. “How did they get here so fast?”
“They left their RV with friends, so they can return to it. It would’ve taken them days to drive back, so they flew. Taylor is getting ready, and they should be here soon, if they haven’t already arrived.”
Holy shit, I’m meeting his parents today!
I jump out of bed and into the shower. Shane joins me, but I don’t try anything, knowing his parents might have to wait on us if we don’t hurry up.
Thankfully, I have enough clothes here that I can pick out something nice to wear. While I’m doing my makeup, Taylor yells that her grandparents are here, and Shane says we’ll be down soon.
I love that he didn’t leave me to walk down alone, proving once again that he’s always thinking about me.
Once we’re both ready, he takes my hand in his, and we head downstairs. The sound of laughter fills the space, and I can’t help but smile when I hear it. The way Taylor and her grandparents are talking and laughing reminds me of my family. They’re clearly close.
“Son!” His dad comes over and gives Shane a bear hug when he sees us. “And you must be the infamous Kinsley.”
He steps back, and I’m able to take him in. His eyes are brown, like Shane’s, and he’s about the same height as his son. He’s not as muscular and toned as Shane, but it’s clear that, even at his age, he’s fit. Shane mentioned he used to own a construction company that he sold when they retired.
“That’s me,” I breathe out, my heart thumping behind my rib cage as I pray his parents like me. I’ve heard horror stories about parents not liking their child’s significant other. One time, Natalia dated this guy whose parents hated her and despite him really liking her, he broke up with her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Evans,” I say, trying to be polite while extremely nervous.
“Oh, nonsense.” He shakes his head. “Family calls me Pop.” He leans in closer, like he’s about to tell me a secret. “And I hear you’re pretty damn close to being family.”
“Kurt,” an older woman, who must be Shane’s mom, chides. “Don’t scare her away.”
She steps over to me. “I’m Cathy, but you can call me Grams.”
She smiles warmly, and I know immediately where Shane gets his smile from.
“Has my son been courting you properly?” Cathy asks.
“Dad’s trying.” Taylor laughs. “But he’s not very good at it. I told him he should read a couple of my romance books.”
Shane groans, and I laugh.
“He’s doing a great job,” I say, patting his chest. “He’s pretty much made it impossible not to fall for him.”
“Does that mean you’re moving in?” Taylor asks, hopefulness lighting up her face.
“Umm …” I glance at Shane for help.
“She’s thinking about it,” he says, draping his arm across my shoulders and pulling me into his side. “Moving in with someone is a big deal. Something nobody should go into lightly.”
The way he protects me warms my heart and makes me want to go all in. I just need to make sure I’ve completely thought it through. The last thing I want is to break his—and his daughter’s—heart. I already hurt two people I loved, and I refuse to do that again.
* * *
“Oh my God,” Taylor whisper-yells as she scoops Emma-Lynn into her arms. “She’s so precious.”
“Don’t get any ideas,” Shane grumbles, making Taylor glare his way.
“Do you really think I would screw up my entire future by having a baby?” Taylor scoffs. “Besides, not that it’s your business, but I still have my V-card.”
Shane visibly blanches. “I wasn’t talking about you,” he murmurs. “I thought you were trying to hint at Kinsley and me having a baby.”
“Oh.” Taylor cringes. “Guess I misunderstood. But now that you mentioned it, I wouldn’t mind having a brother or sister.” She glances at me, her face softening, and I know, without her saying anything, that she’s remembering what happened to me … to my baby. “But only when or if you want to,” she adds softly. “I wouldn’t mind being an only child.” She shrugs. “Just makes me that much more spoiled.”
I can’t help but choke up at her sweet words. She’s only seventeen, yet she acts so much older and wiser.
“She is precious,” I say, looking over Taylor’s shoulder. “A beautiful little miracle. Proof that there’s good in the world.”
Katie and Cathy nod in agreement.
“Would you like to hold her?” Taylor asks, her words slow and careful.
“Sure.”
I haven’t held a baby since my daughter was born. Because she was stillborn, she was cold and still, but as I take Emma-Lynn into my arms, I note how warm she is. Her chest is moving up and down as she sleeps peacefully, and I realize in this moment how much I want to have this one day.
Not to replace the daughter that I lost—nothing and nobody can replace her—but because I want the chance to love someone the way my mom and dad love me. I want to share that love with my husband, to create a family that laughs and loves and fights. I want the good and the bad.
And as I glance up at Shane, who’s watching me hold his niece with love shining in his eyes, I know I want to have that with him.