Page 86 of Welcome Home, Katie Gallagher
“Please.”
“Can you wait until I get in the house and close the door? You can talk all you want then.” I reached for the front door.
“Will you go out to dinner with me tonight?” His voice was a low rumble.
Instead of opening the door, I leaned in and banged my head against it a few times. I was cut short when a hand appeared, cushioning my head from the hard door.
“Please don’t do that, sweetheart. I love that head and all the hilarious, ridiculous, profound thoughts rolling around in it.” He spun me to face him, took the flowerpot from me, setting it on the porch, and then held up a bakery box. “I also brought lots and lots of cupcakes.”
“Don’t. I’m not strong enough for this.” Against my will, tears fell.
He put the box on the porch next to the plant before his hands dived into my hair as he tipped my head back. “Please don’t cry. It kills me.” He leaned forward and kissed away my tears. “I love you, Katie Ann Gallagher. I always have. I can’t live without you. I thought I could, but I’m a stupid, stupid man. You are my heart. Please say you’ll give me another chance.”
I blinked rapidly, trying to see him better. “But?—”
“Forget what I said.” He shook his head. “I mean forget what I said before about my not doing love. Remember what I’m saying now about loving you wholeheartedly and not being able to live without you.”
“Seriously, Aiden, I really think you need some kind of prescription mood stabilizer.”
He pulled me toward the steps, went down one step, and then found my mouth with his. He nibbled and soothed, his lips brushing softly against mine, drawing me back to him, willing me to forget the hurt, to embrace the love. Could I?
I’d spent much of last night trying to talk myself into hating him, but I couldn’t. He’d screwed up, but he’d owned it and tried to make up for it. I thought about the security devices and the flowers dripping from his truck. The man knew how to make amends. I’d give him that.
The sound of tires on the drive disturbed the stillness. Aiden held on to me, one hand possessively covering my butt. He shook his head. “Worst timing ever.”
Bear climbed out of his truck. “Katie! What the hell? I thought I was the only guy you made out with on a regular basis.”
I started to laugh, but Aiden gave me a fierce look. “Not anymore, you don’t,” he said and kissed me again, and I forgot all about our visitor.
“Ahem. Right in my way, people. Move it indoors.”
I broke away from Aiden, laughing and smacking away his searching hands. “Ooh, let me see!”
Bear held up one of the flower boxes. It was perfect, with rounded edges that mirrored the rounded stones of the cottage. “I left it unpainted so you could see the box, but I was thinking either a whitewash to match the rail or a soft, muted blue gray to match the hues of the rocks themselves. Which would you prefer?”
I clapped and grabbed his arm, pulling him down for a kiss on the cheek. “It’s beautiful, Bear! I love, love, love it! And I want the blue gray.” I spun back to Aiden and hugged him, resting my chin on his chest and looking up. “Thank you for doing this for me.” I stared into his eyes and felt my heart lurch. “I love you, too, you know.”
He let out a breath and held me tighter. “Good.” He tilted his head toward the house, lifting his eyebrows. “Do you want to take this inside now?”
I laughed and smacked him in the chest. “No way. We’re gardening. I need to go get my gloves and a trowel.” I turned to Bear. “How long before you have them up and I can start adding plants?”
Bear paused in his measurements and shrugged. “Maybe a week? Aiden said you wanted them all around the house. I need to build and paint them first, then I’ll install them.”
“Oh, okay. Thanks, Bear. Well, then, have a good one.” I grabbed Aiden by the wrist and dragged him through the front door. “Our plans for the day have changed.”
He kicked the door closed. “Thank God.” He shoved me in front of him, and we ran up the stairs, desperate to find one another again in the violet room at the top of the steps. “Move faster, woman. I’ve got plans for you, and they’re going to take a while.”
I giggled and ran faster.
When we got to the bedroom, he pulled my sweater over my head and threw it at the door, closing it. He kissed me senseless and then picked me up and tossed me onto the bed. “Welcome home, Katie Gallagher.”
Epilogue
It was a frigid, snowy morning in Bar Harbor, but Nellie’s Kitchen was warm and crowded. Neighbors ate and chatted, calling out to one another. Katie was cooking in the back, Chaucer lying in the doorway to her office, watching her.
Connor sat in his usual spot, the last table, closest to the open door of the kitchen so he, too, could watch her and talk with her.
Kimberly waited tables four mornings a week before she drove to the university for classes. The arrangement worked out well for all involved, and it meant Jack was often in, eating breakfast with Connor so he could be served by his daughter. He said it never got old for him.
