Page 61 of Here With You

“Yes, I did.” That was the first time he had admitted it, but Darryl thought he was still pretending. “You think about that offer, okay?”

“Right.” They exited Cormac’s truck and walked to the Kessler.

Miles followed Darryl inside and found Margot standing at the front desk. He pointed to his brother. “Can you get him some tattered towels, so he doesn’t ruin the good ones?”

She looked at both of them. “My Lord. What happened to the two of you?”

“Just settling an old score,” Miles said. “By the way, he might be coming into some money soon.”

Margot smiled. “Well then, let me make sure you’ve got everything you need.”

Darryl stared at him. “You were joking, right? You didn’t win, did you?”

Miles walked out of The Kessler without answering. He returned to the residence, where he had a lot of work to do before Carter and Brie returned from their honeymoon.

Emmaline showed up just after he showered and was putting the first coat of paint on the bedroom wall. She leaned against the doorframe. “Are you okay?”

He sighed. “I will be. The thing about death is we are headed there the moment we’re born. You learn to appreciate each day a little more when you accept that.” He set his roller down and pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Emmaline, and I don’t want a day to go by that you don’t hear me say it.”

“I love you too. We owe each other close to eleven thousand extra I love yous. That’s how many we missed while you were gone.”

He kissed her, spilling all the day’s emotions into her mouth, and she accepted his grief and sadness and filled him with love and hope. When she pulled away, she looked at him with such love that he wanted to weep.

“I can help you finish,” she offered.

He loved that she would, but he knew she was swamped. “Don’t you have work at the resort?”

“I do, but you’re more important.”

“How about you do what you have to, and I’ll finish up here? I’ll probably be late, but I’ll be there.”

She pushed off the wall and gingerly touched the corner of his eye. “You’re going to have a black eye by morning. You should ice this.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She laughed. “That makes me feel old.”

He nuzzled her neck. “When I climb in bed with you tonight, I’ll make you feel young again.”

She faked a shiver. “Should I wear something sexy?”

He thought back to his and Margot’s conversation about teddies. “Do you still have that red number you had way back when?”

She shook her head. “No, but I have flannel pajamas and rabbit slippers.”

“I think Ollie stole one of them.”

She sighed. “He did. I found it on the stairs to The Brown a while back.”

“Speaking of Ollie, where is he?”

She grinned. “I’ve got him cleaning all my left shoes. He’s very good at it.” They walked to the door. “Now that you own a third of a ranch, what will you do with it?”

He wasn’t sure, but he had a few ideas. Emmaline was married to the resort, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t expand. “How would you feel about owning another resort?”

Her eyes grew wide. “Do you know how hard that would be? Besides, you’d have to get rid of Darryl because he’s not resort-running material, and that would mean paying him off.”

“Can we talk tonight? I’ve got some things I need to tell you.”

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