AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He got off the train at Wabash and made the short walk to Jewelers Row. He supposed he could have gone to Tiffany’s or a myriad other stores, but Brendan wanted something created especially for Katelyn that was as perfect, beautiful, and unique as she was. And there was no better place than the city’s diamond district to do exactly that. Glancing at his watch, he pulled open the heavy glass door and stepped inside.
The jeweler stood hunched over behind a glass case, lighting strategically illuminating the brilliant gems displayed on midnight-blue velvet. He straightened as he sensed Brendan approach.
“Oh, you’re early, my friend.”
“I know.” He half shrugged with a smirk. “Is it ready?”
He answered with a wink, “Indeed it is.”
It was snowing when he stepped back outside and headed for the train to take him home. Brendan pulled the velvet box from his pocket and looked inside. He smiled. The future he’d never dared to dream of was in the palm of his hand. One chance encounter, one serendipitous kiss, had irrevocably altered the course of his life.
Not that he had much of one, he realized, until Katelyn came crashing into it. Sunshine and sugar. Rainstorms and whiskey. Each of them were just what the other needed. She smoothed out all his rough edges. He was her safe harbor. Together they were everything.
By the time the train reached the Coventry Park station the weather had turned to complete shit. Snow was accumulating quickly, coming down in big, heavy flakes. Gusts of wind blowing it in drifts. Visibility next to nothing. He sent Katelyn a text to let her know he’d pick her up from class and started the trek home to get his car.
Katelyn: I grabbed an Uber. A storm is coming, so they canceled classes. Snow day!
Brendan: Good girl. Have the driver bring you here. I love you.
Katelyn: Ok. ILY!
To keep himself occupied, he threw fixings for dinner in the crock pot. He sent off texts to let everyone know the club would remain closed tonight. Who’d want to go out in this shit? He lit a fire so the house would be cozy and warm when she got there.
Then he paced.
Brendan looked out the window, watching for approaching headlights. He could barely make out the gate through the swirling mass of white. It had been an hour since her last text. On a normal day it would be a fifteen-minute trip.
She’s fine.
Logic told him traffic was a nightmare, travel slow and treacherous. He didn’t have to worry. Not yet. But in the back of his mind flares burned on wet pavement.
He shook the image from his head. It wasn’t until headlights finally appeared and he gathered a slightly frozen Katelyn in his arms that the heaviness in his chest dissipated so he could breathe.
“Thank fuck.” He kissed the top of her head, dusting flakes of snow from her hair. “Let’s get you warmed up.”
She raised a brow, her aqua eyes heated, and grinned. “I fucking love snow days!”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I fucking love you.” He swatted her behind.
Katelyn stood on her tiptoes and kissed him beneath his chin. “That’s a good thing, because I love you too.”
Brendan tipped his head and took her mouth.
A very good thing.
After a warm shower, Katelyn came down the stairs in a pair of leggings, fuzzy pink socks, and one of his old sweatshirts. Fucking adorable. He could get used to days like this. Hell, if he wasn’t looking forward to a lifetime of them.
“Something smells good.” She twirled into the kitchen, her fuzzy socks gliding on the wood floor.
Yeah, she fucking twirled. Adorable.
“I’ve got dinner going in the crock pot.”
“Oh?” Katelyn backed herself into the island, pushing up on top of it. She did that a lot so she could reach him better, and he loved it. “Whatcha makin’?”
