Page 62 of What We Keep
He set the glass down and took two steps toward me. Breathless, I turned to face him. Whenever he was close like this, I felt encompassed, protected, and turned on. I loved it. My palm landed on his chest, only to discover his heart was beating as hard and fast as mine.
“You were the girl next door.”
“Next door in Alaska isn’t all that close,” I pointed out.
His chuckle sent goose bumps chasing over my skin. “Maybe. But then you showed up at the high school, and there you were, like a ray of sunshine.”
He lifted a hand, trailing the back of his knuckles over my cheek and down the side of my neck. I almost purred aloud, nearly shivering at his touch.
“With these freckles…” His thumb traced over my bottom lip. “And these lips. You were so cute.”
“Oh.” That was all I could manage before he dipped his head and kissed me.
Chapter Thirty-One
Haven
Walking into the kitchen, I snagged the moment in front of me. My mom was rarely alone in the kitchen and always on the move.
“So…”
She glanced over. “What is it?”
I got straight to the point. “You told Elsa I had a crush on her in high school.”
My mom was entirely unabashed and shrugged casually. “I sure did. I mean, you did have a crush on her in high school.”
“I did,” I admitted slowly.
Her gaze sobered as she studied me. “I’m really glad Elsa came back. Even more than that, I’m glad you two are together.”
I took a slow breath. “I think I love her.”
“Oh, you love her,” my mom said flatly. “You absolutely love her.”
“I don’t want to mess it up.”
“You won’t. Oh, it won’t be perfect. There is no perfect. Ever. It’s about finding someone who you can ride those choppy waters with and stay afloat together.”
“I miss Dad.”
My mom’s eyes shone with a glint of tears. “I do too. And I miss Bree so much.”
“Sometimes it hurts.” I swallowed through the rush of emotion balled in my throat.
“It means the world that you fought for us to be able to get this place back and rebuild it. Your brothers have helped so much. But I know we made it this far because you fought with the insurance company, and you won those battles.”
I let out a breath slowly. “I love you, Mom.”
She squeezed me tight when she hugged me, then stepped back, patting me on the cheek. “And I love you. Now go be good to that girl you love. It was just a crush back in the day, but now it’s real.”
“I know,” I said, that knowledge both freeing and terrifying.
A few days later
I was just paying for my coffee when I caught the scent of smoke. I glanced around, not seeing anything.
“Do you smell that?” I asked Casey as she handed me my change.
