Page 86 of Welcome to Forever
The lights in the kitchen were still on. She headed straight toward the fridge, and then stopped cold, staring at the two women leaned against each other on her couch, fast asleep. This was starting to become a regular thing, and she didn’t mind it one bit. The TV was still on, flashing some horror flick that she tried not to look at as she turned it off. That would completely sway her dreams from sexual to scary.
She stared at Julie and Val for another moment, then her stomach snarled as she spotted the container of popcorn between them.
Perfect.Sitting beside her sister, she grabbed the bucket and shoveled several handfuls of popcorn into her mouth, still thinking about the note. Once she was satisfied, she snuggled into the cluster of people she held dear, and closed her eyes.
—
Micah lay in bed, unable to sleep. Ben was with his aunt next door, so he guessed he could’ve stayed with Kat tonight, instead of leaving her an awkward thank-you note and heading home. Why the hell had he left a thank-you note? That wasn’t at all what he wanted to tell her. He wanted to say he liked her. Liked her a whole damn lot.
He got up and paced the room, deciding to put his hands where they belonged—in the dirt. Or up Kat’s skirt, but they’d already had that pleasure tonight. He grabbed his spotlight and loaded several tools in the back of his Jeep, where Ben’s wheelchair usually sat. Then he loaded several of his offspring plants that needed a new home. And he knew the perfect place to put them. He’d caught sight of Kat’s yard this afternoon. Or really, it couldn’t justifiably be labeled a yard. It was a large square of land behind her house. A yard was meant to be a sanctuary. Kat didn’t have one of those. She spent every waking moment at that school, and she deserved a place to kick up her heels, preferably flats since she wasn’t that graceful with women’s footwear, and relax.
He revved the engine of his Jeep and headed back in the direction he’d retreated from a little over an hour ago. Kat would be asleep by now, so he wouldn’t wake her. He just wanted to leave an expression of his heart. Something that said more than thanks for the great sex.
He flinched because that’s probably how she’d interpret it.
Ten minutes later, he pulled past her driveway. Val’s and Julie’s cars were both parked out front now. He drove through the grass toward the back of the house and stopped beside a five-foot wooden privacy fence. After a military-style fence jump, he unlocked the gate and let himself in, deciding to work on the far back corner, where the sunlight hit the yard best in the mornings. In the late evenings, when Kat would most likely enjoy the garden, the sun would be down, and she’d be shaded. It was too late in the season for anything to bloom right now, but the bulbs he intended to plant tonight would produce vibrant flowers for her to admire come spring. And every time she saw them, she’d think of him.
After unloading the supplies, he started working, losing time like he always did when he was landscaping. Two hours later, he stood back and surveyed the small square of plowed earth where he’d planted the flower bulbs. Parallel to the side fence, he’d placed a lattice that roses would overtake next spring. There was a stand-alone swing in the center of the garden that he’d picked up earlier in the week with Kat in mind. She was the first woman he’d seriously considered allowing in his life since Jessica. She was special, and deserved a beautiful place where she could sit and think. This was a good start.
Maybe he’d add a small fountain and motion-detecting flood lights. It was unsafe for her to be living practically alone without them, although their lack served him well tonight he thought, as he wiped a hand across his brow. But right now he was tired. He packed up his stuff and headed home with a smile set on his mouth. He’d liked doing that for her, liked imagining her face when she woke up to his surprise. The thought made him want to find other ways to make her happy. That’s what people in love did. They found ways to show each other how they felt. Better ways than leaving a thank-you note by someone’s bed.
—
Something wet stroked the inside of Kat’s ear. She snapped awake and then tumbled off the couch. “What the—?” Her eyes shot open and she clutched her ankle as it hit the carpeted floor. “Oww!”
Val’s eyes widened as she looked at Kat’s foot. “Oh, crap. Did I do that?”
Kat’s gaze slid over. “Give the wet willy to my ear? Yes, you did. And it was very gross, by the way.”
“No.” Val pointed. “That. Your ankle looks like something from a sci-fi movie.”
Julie yawned, then gasped, too, pulling herself back into the cushion of the couch.
“It’s not contagious,” Kat teased, lifting her leg and waving her ankle in her sister’s face.
Julie’s face scrunched. “What happened?”
Kat rested her leg back on the couch. “A couple of vandals at the school attacked me with spray paint last night and I lost my footing a little bit. I guess it aggravated my sprain from the hospital.”
“What?” Val shook her head. “For crying out loud, how many times have I told you it’s not safe to stay there alone?”
“I wasn’t alone.”
Julie and Val stared at her.
“The vandals?” Val asked. “The ones who did that to you?”
“And Micah. He caught the boys who have been vandalizing the school. Then we called their parents. It’s fine.” Kat nibbled on her lower lip as the two women continued to stare at her, waiting for more.
“And then what happened?” Val asked, a wicked smile spreading along her sleep-creased face.
“And then…” Kat’s cheeks burned at just the memory. She tried not to look at them. “Then he took me home,” she said, opting for truth. It was the truth. And if she could avoid eye contact until she veered the subject in another direction, no one would need to know about the encounter in the school’s front office. Or what had happened in her own bedroom afterward—not that her sex life was a secret from the two these days.
“See.” Val gestured toward Kat. “It’s in her eyes. That far-off, glassy look. That’s how I know she got some.”
Julie nodded. “At least a kiss.”
Val shook her head. “Oh, no. It was way more than a kiss. I’d be willing to bet—”
