Page 114 of Until Then

As I lock the door, Derrick steps in close so his front is pressed to my back, then wraps his arms around me.

“You’re going to help me, right?” he asks softly, resting his chin on top of my head.

“With what?” I relax into his hold, all tension escaping me when he’s close like this.

“Building the house. Picking out floors and cabinets and paint. All of it. I want you to put your touch on it.”

I close my eyes and imagine the paint colors I’d want, my dream kitchen, wallpaper, all the little details.

“Are you sure you want my help?” He’s had that land for years, and for as permanent as our connection feels, it’s still new. A whole house is a huge commitment.

“Yes.” There’s no hesitation. “It’s going to be your house, too.”

“Hmm. You think so?”

He smiles, the weight of his chin changing against the top of my head. “I know so, baby.”

He takes my hand and drags me upstairs to his room—our room, I suppose, since I’ve taken over, my shirt strewn over the back of the chair, shoes shoved in the corner.

In the bathroom, he turns the water on and dampens a cloth. Then he carefully wipes my face free of the mask. I do the same to him, making sure there are no green remnants left behind.

Once we’ve brushed our teeth, standing side by side at the sink, we finally crawl into bed with Wonton.

“Get over here,” he grouses, hooking an arm around me and pulling me over to meet him in the middle of the bed. “That’s better.”

It’s always better when he’s holding me.

31

IZZY

The sun warmsmy skin as the boat bobs lazily in the ocean. September is winding down, and soon, my chances of spotting a whale will be gone. By the end of October, they’ll have migrated elsewhere. I know they’re around—I’ve overheard tourists gushing over them—but apparently, they’re determined to elude me.

“I just want to see one.” I lean against the side of the boat, head cradled in my arms, with my knees on the seat. “Is that too much to ask for?”

Over my shoulder, Derrick grabs a bag of chips and opens it.

I narrow my eyes. “When did you sneak those on board?”

“Woman.” He cradles the bag protectively against his chest as he sits on the bench with me. “Let me have my chips.”

With a faux dramatic sigh, I drop my head again. “Fine. But only if you share.”

He gladly holds the bag out to me. Derrick’s diet has vastly improved since I’ve been around. I think he’s even beginning to like a few green foods.

I take a handful, then turn back to the water, my eyes shielded from the sun with a pair of sunglasses.

Behind me, Derrick fiddles with the string on my green bikini top. “How many of these things do you own?”

“An embarrassing number.”

“I don’t think I’ve seen you wear the same one twice.”

Humming, I munch on a chip. “I have a bad habit of buying swimsuits. And companies send them to me, too, when I’m traveling, so I have an entire drawer full of them.”

“And you brought them all with you?”

“Notall, but enough.”

---