Page 98 of Homecoming

“As am I.”

“Do you agree with the statement?”

“It’s your statement to make. Doesn’t matter if I agree, but on a scale of one flame to five, I give it ten.”

“Your scale is skewed where I’m concerned.”

“That’s right. You’re ten flames every day, all day for me.”

“Since you’re of no help to me whatsoever, I’m going to send this message and get on with my day.”

Dan let his hand fall to cup her ass. “The fisher-people are long gone for the day. You know what that means?”

“I can’t imagine.”

“We have the house all to ourselves for hours and hours. What do you say we take a day off and spend some time together?”

“We spend every day together.”

“But we’re not naked on those days like we could be today due to the aforementioned aloneness.”

“You’re shameless, Torrington.”

“Point of order, you knew that about me before you said, ‘I do.’”

“Indeed I did, and don’t legal-speak me.”

“Can’t help it. It’s in my DNA, and you love my DNA. You regularly wallow in my DNA, in fact.”

“Now you’re just being gross.”

“Nothing gross about it, babe. What say you? Shall we declare this a naked day in the land?”

“How about a naked half day? I’ve got a few things I want to do today.”

“I can live with a half day as long as it’s the first half. In fact, I’ve already gotten things started just thinking about it.”

Her laughter was his favorite thing in the whole world.

“You’re nothing if not predictable.”

“Which is one of the many reasons you love me.” Dan moved her gently to the side so he could stand, wrap his arms around her and direct her backward into the bedroom. If they’d been at home on Gansett, the closest horizontal surface would’ve sufficed, but here, in her grandmother’s home, he wanted a door they could close.

As soon as they were both inside the tiny bedroom, he kicked the door closed and reached back to lock it, just to be safe.

“I love being here with Bertha and Buster and seeing more of your life here, but I really miss being completely alone with you at home.”

“Me, too. I miss that a lot, but it’s been nice to have some time with Bertha and Buster. I love this house as much as I love our place on the island.”

“I can see why.”

“It’s funny when you think about it. I grew up in a freaking palace that had every amenity, but this ramshackle house by the shore… This is my home.”

“That’s because Bertha lives here. She’s your person.”

“She was myfirstperson. I have another one now.”

“Who is he? I’ll freaking run him through the heart with the longest sword?—”

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