Chapter 33
KADE
There’s a knock at my door as I’m putting my coffee mug in the dishwasher.
I run a hand down my face as I consider ignoring whoever it is.
It’s probably Gracie wanting to vent about Reed and how he won’t find money in the budget so she can go all out for the fall festival this year.
They’ve been arguing about it a lot lately and I’m the one stuck in the middle.
She’s got ten minutes to get it all out before I need to leave and pick up Chloe. And considering this—her coming over to bitch about Reed and his lack of giving in to her—is a weekly occurrence, I have zero issues with kicking Gracie out.
I reach the front door, pulling it open with the words on the tip of my tongue before I bite them back and stare at the five-foot-nothing blond standing in front of me. She’s most definitely not Gracie.
My brows pull low as I check her over from head to toe. “Chlo? I’m supposed to be picking you up. Is everything okay?”
She waves an arm in front of herself before looking around nervously. “Yeah. I kind of did something this morning, and if I don’t tell you, I might burst.”
Hope flickers in my chest as I step back, holding the door open wider for her. “We can’t have that. Come in.”
She comes to a stop in the hallway, wringing her hands nervously.
“Have you eaten?” I ask, needing to fill the tense quiet.
Her voice is impossibly soft, a hint of laughter in it when she says, “Kade, you don’t need to feed me.”
“I know, but I want to.”
Chloe takes hold of my hand, her fingers warm to the touch as she leads me through to the living room. I like how she moves around in my space like she’s already part of it.
When she presses lightly on my shoulders, I fall back onto the couch. It dips under my weight, the oversized cushions swallowing me whole, like they’re preempting my need for a hug. I stare up at her expectantly, curiosity and uncertainty swirling up a storm in my gut until I feel almost nauseous.
“I’m going to need you to tell me what you’ve done, sooner rather than later, Chlo.” The anticipation is killing me as a million assumptions run through my mind.
She stands in front of me, huffing out a breath before turning her green eyes to me. “I love how you take care of me. And I’ve really enjoyed our time together.”
“Me too.” I drag the last word out.
Chloe paces in the space between the couch and coffee table. “You have?” she asks, vulnerability shining in her gaze when she finally stops moving.
I reach for her, pulling her onto my lap. “Hell, yeah. I meant it when I said last night that I didn’t want you to leave. Why do you think you’ve barely had any time to yourself since you arrived in town?”
She chuckles, smoothing her hands up my arms until her fingers are playing with the hair at the nape of my neck. “So, you wouldn’t be weirded out if I took the job Maddie offered me and rented an apartment in town?”
I want to jump for joy, but I need to know that this is real. “Are you being serious? Don’t mess with me, buttercup. Not now.”
She can’t contain her grin as she leans back, scrunching up her nose. “I just signed the lease on your cousin Autumn’s apartment.”
I open my mouth, lost for words. A noise I’ve never heard myself make leaves me as I exhale; it’s a mix of relief and elation. “You did?”
Chloe nods, her throat working on a swallow as her face falls serious.
“Yeah. I know I probably should have spoken to you before invading your hometown, but I’m not ready to leave, and I needed to take action for myself.
Besides, the offer she made me was too good to turn down.
” She rests a palm against my chest, tilting her head to the side.
“That being said, I still have to go back to Seattle tomorrow. There are some things I need to sort out, but I thought I could get them all done and then be back on Saturday to watch you at the rodeo.”
If that isn’t the best news I’ve had all day. She’s staying. Our time is no longer limited, and we can see where this thing between us goes. I capture her lips with mine; it’s a testing kiss, making sure this is real. That her staying in Coldwater isn’t a dream.
Chloe pulls away, resting her forehead on mine as she cups my face. “So you’re not mad or freaked out?”
I turn to kiss her palm. “Not at all. In fact, you’ve made my year, buttercup.”
Her body visibly relaxes as she exhales. “Good. On the drive over here, I managed to convince myself that you’d think I was a crazy person.”
“I mean, it is a little stalker-ish. We barely know each other,” I tease.
Chloe swats at my chest, and I break out into laughter, rubbing at the spot. “You know I can take myself back to Autumn’s and tell her I changed my mind. I can turn Maddie down.”
I grab hold of her hips to stop her from moving when she goes to stand. “No fucking chance, buttercup,” I growl against her throat.
She angles her head away, giving me better access, and I take full advantage.
Kissing and nipping at her fluttering pulse point.
“Now that…” She pauses when my tongue darts out, as if she’s lost her train of thought.
After a moment, she clears her throat, continuing distractedly, “Maybe we can go to Yellowstone another day?”
“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea,” I growl, changing position and flipping her onto her back so I can hover over her on the couch.
When I pull away to look down at her, something in my chest tightens. The look in her eyes is awfully close to how I feel about her, but I don’t think it’s something either of us is ready to acknowledge. Not right now.