Page 87 of Love and Landscape (Rockland Falls 3)

When I reach the entryway, I find the front door open and Kate already loading the first bag in the fancy trunk. Grabbing the last bag on my way by, I take the final two pieces of luggage and toss them in the back. “There.”

“I’m going to head back upstairs and make sure you got everything,” Annabelle announces from the doorway.

“No need. We’ll ship you anything I may have overlooked,” I state, offering a friendly smile.

She just glares back at me. “Fine. I suppose I’ll be heading out now.” She stops as if waiting for one of us to object, which of course, we don’t. I’d rather have monkeys fly out of my ass than spend another minute in her presence. She sighs and slowly heads toward the driver’s side. “I suppose I could find a hotel or something this evening, though it seems a little extreme.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, Mother. Finding expensive hotels with spas seems to be one of your many talents,” Kate retorts, coming over to stand beside me. I throw my arm around her waist and pull her comfortably into my side. She fits like a puzzle piece.

“I wish I could say it was a pleasant visit, but that would be a lie,” Annabelle bites, always having to get in the last word.

“Well, you do know all about lying, don’t you?” Kate says, making me beam with pride.

“Goodbye, Kathryn. I’m sure I’ll be hearing from you soon,” Kate’s mom says as she climbs behind the wheel of her car and shuts the door.

“I’m pretty sure you won’t,” Kate replies, snuggling deeper into my chest.

After the car exits the drive and the gate closes, I turn her so she’s against my chest. “You might want to update the code.”

“Yeah, I definitely need to do that. I kept it the same during the construction phase, with the intention of changing it after. I’ll call the security company and get a new code programmed in the morning.”

“Good idea,” I tell her, placing my lips on the top of her head.

“I still can’t believe it was her having the affair. I mean, actually I can. It makes way more sense than my father as the adulterer. But your dad? Jensen, I’m so sorry,” she says, gazing up at me without an ounce of accusation.

“I’m the one who’s sorry, Butterfly.”

“Why? You didn’t do it, right?”

“Uh, no. But I guess I feel…”

“Stop it. You did nothing wrong. You’re as innocent in this mess as I am. Our parents made the choices, not us. All we can do now is move past their mistakes. We’re here—together—and that’s all that matters.”

Smiling down at the woman I love, I hang on to her words like a life raft. “You’re right.”

“Of course I am,” she giggles, burying her nose against the place in my chest where my heart beats only for her. “So, what was this about keeping me up half the night?” she asks, looking up at me under heavily lidded eyes.

“We didn’t get to eat dinner.” My cock doesn’t care. He’s hard and raring to go in my jeans.

“True, but maybe we can throw it in the fridge. I hear Chinese food makes a great midnight snack,” she replies, batting her eyelashes my way.

“You drive a hard bargain, Butterfly, but I think I can get on board with this plan.”

She slowly pulls away, but doesn’t release my hand until the last possible second. Kate glances over her shoulder, her eyes full of love and adoration that’s only for me. I smile like an idiot because, fuck, I know I’m a lucky son of a bitch, and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life showing her how grateful I am for the chance to return her love.

We may not have everything all sorted out, but we’re headed in the right direction.

And speaking of direction, I give her a wolfish grin and say, “Race you upstairs.”

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