37. Chapter 36
Four days later
“It feels almost surreal to be back here and I don’t know why.” Hope stepped into her kitchen, Bradford right behind her.
It was Wednesday morning and everything at her family home was quiet. Peaceful.
“Because you’ve been through a lot the last couple weeks.” He moved in behind her, wrapped his arms around her in a comforting hug.
She loved when he held her like this, as if he treasured her. She leaned back into him, savoring the protectiveness of his embrace. “You have too,” she murmured. “I’m going to miss your friends,” she added.
“Eh. I’m glad they headed back to New Orleans.” His tone was dry. “I want some alone time with you.”
Which just made her laugh. “Your friends are amazing.” And they’d very much accepted her, which was the best feeling in the world.
Hailey and her husband had been the first to leave three days ago.
Apparently he had some merger to deal with and they were the only ones headed back to the East Coast .
Then Ezra and Magnolia had left so she could get back home to “do nothing but rest” according to him. And finally this morning the others had trickled out.
Now… “Okay fine, I’m glad it’s just the two of us here. How long can you stay with me?” she asked as she turned in his arms so she could face him. They hadn’t talked about the future and she was ready to tackle it.
He looked down at her, his expression hard to read. “I already told you as long as it takes.”
She wanted to ask exactly what that meant, but the words stuck in her throat. She loved this man, knew it to her bones. But saying the words, actually asking him if they were…well, what they were and what the future might look like for them, was… The words were sticking in her throat.
Because she cared too much.
“Okay,” she whispered, leaning up on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. That seemed like a safe enough response.
He immediately deepened the kiss, taking her mouth in a hungry claiming she felt to her core.
As she started to wrap her legs around him, he pulled back slightly, a half grin on his face.
“Before we do this, I’m going to take our bags upstairs.
Then we’re going to eat, and then we’re going to talk about our future. ”
Their future. Tingles settled in her abdomen at the way he said our future . It was like he was in her head. “I can help.”
“Nope.” He kissed her forehead then stepped back. “But you can pull out one of those casseroles from the freezer. We can pop it in the oven for lunch.”
“I will.” But as he headed up the stairs, she stepped outside to grab something she’d been meaning to show him.
And now seemed like the best time to do it. She might be good with words on paper, but actually telling someone how she felt ?
She wasn’t sure who’d brought her vehicle back home, but she was glad for it as she popped the trunk. Feeling almost embarrassed, she pulled out the first aid kit and withdrew the thing she’d been traveling with since the morning after that fateful night in Vegas.
Instead of telling him, she was going to show Bradford exactly what he meant to her.
“Hands where I can see them.”
A menacing voice from behind made her jump and hold her hands in the air on instinct.
“Back away from your trunk and come with me. Or I put a bullet in that pretty face of yours.”