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“I want that one.”
Everyone in the place heard her.
Taking it all in stride, Matt blew her a kiss.
Venery played a thirty-minute set. After stopping to sign autographs and take pictures with fans, slowly, they made their way over. Chloe letting him go, Chandan flew to his father. Bo kissed Ava, Emery tipping out of her arms into his.
And Matt?
Sitting his ass down on the arm of the sofa, the rhythm guitar player draped an arm around Kelly’s sister. Then he laid one of his boyish grins on her. “Hello, pretty.”
Frozen, her eyes bugging out, it appeared that Kara had ceased to breathe.
“Now’s your chance.” Kristie snickered. “Cougar.”
Whispering something in her ear, Matt played with Kara’s hair and kissed her on the cheek.
Kodiak stopped paying attention to them then, because Kelly was coming their way, and he only had eyes for her.
Following his gaze, Bo elbowed him in the ribs. “You looking to wife up, man?”
“Are you?”
“I’m fixing to ask her,” he murmured low, so Ava wouldn’t overhear. “Yeah.”
If only it were that easy. Get a ring. Pop the question. Get married. Pop out a couple of kids. His own happily ever after was so fucking close, he could almost touch it. Only one thing stood in his way.
“I couldn’t be happier for you, brother. Congratulations.”
It was clear to him. Kodiak couldn’t put it off any longer. He had to tell her.
Up on the roof above Kelly’s loft and Sugar Beanie’s below, much like his stomach, he twisted his hair into a knot at the back of his head. It was just him and her. Everyone was up at the lake house for the Fourth. Even Kevin had taken off with some girl. With the sun making its descent behind him, First Avenue came ablaze in fiery hues of orange and pink and gold. People walked toward the park, hefting cumbersome lawn chairs and coolers, to watch the fireworks. Grateful, at least he didn’t have to mess with that, Kodiak readied the blanket.
He had a bottle of pinot.
The Garrett’s popcorn that she loved.
And a story.
The last easier-to-digest chapter, only this one was the most difficult of all to swallow.
Kodiak didn’t know how he was going to tell it. It’s not like he had the words. Except for Babs, he’d never confessed all his sins to anyone. Not even Bo, and especially not to Linnea.
But he was in love with Kelly, and for reasons he couldn’t fathom, she was in love with him too. If Kodiak wanted to share his life with her, and he did, there couldn’t be any secrets between them. They always have a way of coming out, don’t they? And of all people, he knew just how quickly lives could shatter once they did.
Those who choose to forget the past are condemned to repeat it.
Her back to his chest, she sat between his legs on the blanket. Munching on popcorn, and sipping on wine, they watched the lights burst up in the sky. His arms folding around her, he kissed the spot beneath her ear. “I love you, Kelly.”
“I love you too.”
He took a breath. “I just need you to know that.”
“What’s wrong?” Twisting her neck, pretty blue eyes sought his own.
Maybe she detected a change in his tone, the hesitancy in his voice. Kodiak wished there was a way to ease into this, to make it palatable, but he couldn’t think of one.
“Nothing.” Stroking her arms, he kissed the top of her head. I just needed to hear you say it one more time.
