Page 76 of Love Is Brewing

Her moans got louder and her body tensed.

He knew she was coming and slammed up into her harder and faster until he felt a relief like never before escape his body and join with hers.

She collapsed on top of him, his fingers loosening some. She kissed his chest and said, “You just bring so much out of me.”

“I know,” he breathed.

24

FALLING INTO PLACE

“Phoebe, it’s so good to see you again. Oh my God, your hair. I love it.”

She smiled at Maxine, the receptionist at the front desk of Kelly Law in Charlotte the following Friday.

“Thanks,” she said. “It’s much easier to do this way. But it’s only been about six weeks since I’ve been here.”

Why did it feel like so much longer?

“Which is a long time,” Maxine said, “when we are used to seeing you daily. How is it going in Southern Pines?”

“It’s going great,” she said. “Getting busier each day. Not many court cases yet, but I’m not complaining either.”

“Your parents are waiting for you in your father’s office,” Maxine said.

She nodded and walked past the front area and toward the back where her parents had their offices. She walked by her old one and saw it still empty. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that. Her desk was bare, but everything else of hers was still there.

“There is my baby girl,” her mother said, getting up to hug her. “And you’ve got your hair curly. You know I’ve always loved that. You haven’t said a word.”

Her father hugged her too but mentioned nothing about her hair. She’d almost forgotten about it until Maxine’s reaction.

“Wow, you’d think I moved to Mars and returned safely.”

“You talk as if it is Mars there half the time,” her father said, winking.

“Hard not to,” she said. “But I think I’m adapting fairly well. And loosening up some.”

“Good to know,” her mother said. “But we had no doubt either. Or maybe it’s a man in your life who is helping with that. Elias is at Fierce?”

“Yes,” she said. “He dropped me off and went there. I hope Ben isn’t giving him a hard time.”

“I doubt it,” her father said. “He’s talked to Elias several times and could have said something at any point. Has he?”

“Not that I’m aware of,” she said.

“Are we still on for dinner tonight?” her mother asked.

“Actually,” she said, “can we do lunch tomorrow before we leave? I thought maybe we could have it at the house and relax some.”

Dinner at a restaurant always felt rushed and she wanted her parents’ opinion on Elias.

She wanted them to have a chance to get to know him more.

She wanted to see what the people closest to her thought of the man she was pretty sure she was already in love with.

Or was it just a face in town that she felt so comfortable with that helped her not miss home so much?

No, what she felt for him was more than that.

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