Chapter 29
Terry stood on his front porch, hands in his pockets, watching Sandra's car pull into his driveway. The way she moved with quiet confidence, and the smile that spread across her face when she spotted him waiting never failed to send a jolt of satisfaction through him.
She stopped at the bottom of the steps and looked up at him, that smile reaching deep inside him and settling somewhere around his heart.
He took a step down and lifted his hand. When she placed hers in his, he drew her forward and kissed her, keeping it lighter than he would have liked since the kids were probably watching from the window.
"Perfect timing," he murmured against her lips. "I just pulled a chicken-and-rice casserole out of the oven."
"Homemade?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Store-bought," he admitted. "But reheated with love."
The word hung in the air between them, and Terry felt his chest tighten with shock at what had just slipped from his lips.
Love. He'd said it so casually, so naturally, like it had been waiting there all along for the right moment to surface.
The realization hit him… not the word itself, but how absolutely right it felt.
Christ, I love her.
The thought should have terrified him. Instead, warmth spread through his chest, settling deep and sure.
This wasn't the affection he'd tried to build with Patricia.
This was something deeper, more solid. It was the kind of love that grew from respect and trust and the daily choice to build something together.
She laughed, seemingly unaware of the seismic shift happening in his chest, and they moved inside, where Sandra was immediately greeted with the kind of exuberant welcome that still amazed Terry.
Emma rushed over for a hug while Toby launched into an elaborate story about his science project that involved growing crystals and accidentally spilling salt water all over the kitchen counter.
Dinner unfolded with the easy rhythm they'd developed over the past few weeks.
Not for the first time, Terry realized this was exactly how he wanted family time to be.
Toby and Emma looked relaxed, smiling, and genuinely happy.
They loved their mother and accepted her more distant approach to parenting, but seeing them with Sandra made Terry witness their blooming when she was around.
She loves them too, he realized, watching Sandra listen to Emma's detailed explanation of her latest art project with the same focused attention she gave her legal cases. And they love her back.
The thought of what that meant for all of them made his throat tight with emotion.
He'd spent years protecting his children from disappointment, carefully guarding their hearts from anyone who might not stay.
But Sandra wasn't just staying. She was becoming part of them, woven into their daily routines and future plans with a permanence that felt as natural as breathing.
This is what it's supposed to feel like. Terry watched his family gather around his kitchen table, acknowledging that's what they were now… a family. This is what I've been waiting for without even knowing it.
After dinner, the kids settled at the kitchen table with their homework while Terry and Sandra tackled the dishes. The domestic routine felt natural now, as if they'd been doing it for years.
"What do you know about Harrison Blackwood?" Sandra asked suddenly, her tone casual but with an underlying tension that immediately caught Terry's attention.
He jerked his chin back, surprised to hear the builder's name come up in conversation. Terry started to ask why she was wondering about Harrison Blackwood, but something in Sandra's expression told him this wasn't idle curiosity.
"He's a builder of custom homes," Terry said slowly. "Works all over the shore, the whole Chesapeake area. He's active in the community. I've never heard anything negative about him. I know he donates to local charities, sponsors some youth sports teams."
"That's what I've heard too," Sandra replied, then chewed on her bottom lip in the way she did when something was bothering her. A little furrow formed between her brows.
Terry leaned his hip against the counter, studying her face. His curiosity was definitely piqued now. "Come on, Sandra. You didn't just suddenly think of Harrison Blackwood out of the blue. Why are you asking?"
She spread the dishcloth over the oven handle to dry, then turned to face him, her back against the counter.
"Do you remember the Garcias? Manuel Garcia's son was one of the kids at that party you investigated."
"Yeah, I remember him." Terry crossed his arms, waiting.
Sandra explained her work reviewing contracts for Manuel and several other clients, then launched into the story of what had happened with Mrs. Patterson.
As she talked, Terry found himself paying closer attention to the details…
the significant price discrepancy, Manuel's distress, the homeowner's accusations.
"It could be simple financial errors," Sandra concluded. "Or it could be fraud."
Terry felt something click into place. "It just so happens that I've had to deal with Harrison Blackwood recently too. He owns the rental house where that party happened."
Sandra's eyes widened as her chin jerked back. "Really?"
"Yeah. The house is registered to Blackwood Luxury Custom Homes as a corporate property. I have to admit, that place was absolutely gorgeous. And the views of the bay? Incredible."
Sandra's expression shifted to something playful. "Well, if you suddenly find a couple of million dollars for a custom home, let me know. I'm sure you can have him build it, and I'll sneak in an extra bedroom for myself."
Terry stepped closer, placing his hands on either side of her on the counter, leaning in until they were almost nose to nose. "Who the hell says you'll need a separate bedroom?"
Color rose in Sandra's cheeks, but she placed her palms flat against his chest. "I just don't want to rush anything."
He grinned, enjoying the way her breath caught when he was this close. "I'll be sure to let you know if I get a windfall of over a million dollars."
She tilted her head to the side, her smile looking like she was holding back laughter. "What would you do with a home that big?"
"For one thing, I'd have my own gym."
"Gym?" Her chin jerked slightly in surprise. "Why would you want a gym in your home?"
"So I can do whatever workout I want without having to wait for someone else to finish or trust that they're going to wipe down the equipment afterward."
"Oh." She looked genuinely thoughtful. "I never considered that."
"You go to the YMCA, which, by the way, the kids loved, so it looks like I need to use them more often besides just their gym equipment and the kids’ swim lessons."
"I go to swim laps and use the stationary bike or treadmill. I don't really use the other exercise equipment."
"Well, if I had a home gym, then you could have all of those things without having to wait on anyone."
She slid her hands from his chest around his waist and pulled him closer. "Are you saying I would have access to your home gym? No membership fees?"
"Well"—he grinned—"I might charge you in kisses. How would that payment plan work for you?"
She lifted onto her toes and sealed her lips over his. "I think I could handle those terms." Then she dug her fingers into his sides, making him jerk and laugh.
"Anyway," he continued once he caught his breath, "you didn't say what you'd want in your million-dollar luxury custom home."
"I love my little house, but the kitchen is tiny. So I'd want a really big kitchen with lots of counter space and maybe an island."
Terry glanced around his own kitchen and grinned. "Mine's bigger than yours."
Sandra snorted, then dropped her chin and let her forehead rest against his chest. "I think our attempts at flirting and our terrible puns are getting completely intertwined. And I'm not sure either one is very good."
Terry loved the sound of her laughter echoing in his home. He kissed the top of her head, then linked their hands together. "So other than the fact that Harrison Blackwood builds luxury homes, what are you going to do about him and Mr. Garcia?"
"I'm going to talk to him about these discrepancies." She shrugged. "I guess I think he's slick, but not slimy."
Terry barked out a laugh and shook his head. "I've never heard that distinction before."
Sandra laughed and nodded. "You know… slick is polished and charming, knows how to work a room. Slimy is obviously dirty and makes your skin crawl." She shrugged. "I know a few attorneys who fall into both categories."
Terry found himself nodding. "I guess we encounter people like that in all kinds of jobs."
They headed into the living room, where Terry checked over the kids' homework. Then they settled in for an hour of television, followed by a heated card game that had Emma accusing Toby of cheating and Toby insisting he was just lucky.
When it came time for Sandra to leave, the goodbyes had become a familiar ritual that Terry found himself dreading more each time. She hugged both kids, reminding Emma about an upcoming school project and telling Toby to practice his multiplication tables.
He walked her to her car under the porch light, reluctant to let the evening end. "I really wanted you to stay tonight. These goodbyes are getting harder," he said, pulling her into his arms. "I hate them more every time."
Sandra smiled and nodded, her hands resting on his chest. "When the time is right for us to move forward, we'll know."
"What if I already know?" he asked quietly.
Her expression softened. "When I was here… that day when the kids came home early—”
“God, don’t remind me of that fucked-up fuckup,” he groaned.
She chuckled. “It’s just that, honestly, all I was thinking about was having sex with the man I’d been falling for. It seemed like the next thing in our relationship progression.”
His gaze turned sharp, wondering where she was going with the conversation. “And now?”
“Now, your children aren’t just pictures on your phone that you proudly showed me. They’re real… they’re individuals who I know and care for. They… we… are a packaged deal. What we're building here, with the kids and with each other, is too important to rush."
Terry kissed her forehead, breathing deeply and memorizing every detail of this moment. She was right, of course. And that was one more reason he knew he wasn’t just falling in love, but had already lost his heart to her.
And that didn't make watching her drive away any easier.