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Fuck. I retrace my words. What did I say?
The navigation system trills.
“Your destination is ahead on the right,” a mechanical voice announces.
I watch the little blue arrow on the map closing in on a black-and-white checked flag. Every passing millimeter makes my blood pressure rise.
This feels like visiting the enemy’s camp, except Pierce Montgomery isn’t the enemy. His former in-laws are. Is that where Katherine’s mind went?
“I’m sure there’s plenty of Delores to go around,” Alex says, flicking on the turn signal as the vehicle slows.
A laugh bursts from me the way biscuits explode from a cardboard tube. Trust Alex to sense the tension and ease it with humor. I glance back to see Katherine’s lips twitch.
We pull through the gate and get our first glimpse of the big shingle style home. I see why Montgomery purchased this place. With a lake as a backdrop and framed by tidy landscaping and mature trees, it’s a sprawling compound and incredibly welcoming.
Which is exactly what I want. An oasis. A haven.
It feels like a sign, and I half expect the clouds to part and a beam of sun to shine down on the house.
As Alex parks in the circular drive, his phone rings. His mother’s name flashes across the dash, and I sense the change in his mood. His parents are amazing, lovely people. They practically adopted me on sight. And by now, they’ve obviously gotten wind of our. . . adventure.
“You guys go ahead. I need to take this,” he says.
“Sure.” Katherine reaches for her door handle.
When we’re standing in front of the porch, looking up at the house, she blows out a small sigh, and I see her straighten her shoulders.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.”
That doesn’t sound convincing.
“It’s just. . . been a while since I’ve been here. Lots of memories.”
Sensing her unease, I turn toward the white, rectangular pavers cutting through the brilliant green grass. “Where does this go?”
I don’t stop for her answer, just lead her around the side of the house and hopefully away from all the heaviness weighing her down.
Especially if I caused any of it.
We pause beneath a rose-covered arbor, and she fiddles with the gate’s latch. I reach for her wrist, stilling her movements.
“The story I’m telling myself is you remember your grandfather hated me, and you’re regretting. . . everything. Coming out here. Our kiss. Even the fact that I bought a house on the same road as your dad.”
Her gasp is soft, and her gaze swerves up to mine. A second passes. Then another. She shakes her head and glances out at the lake. “I thought it was sort of serendipitous. You buying a place on the same road as my dad’s house? It’s complicated, but I’ve always loved it here. Felt comfortable. . . until I didn’t, but?—”
“You thought I was shutting you down.”
She turns her attention back to me and shrugs.
“I was thinking about how lucky it was to even get the property,” I admit. “How fast it came on the market. I snagged it immediately because as soon as I looked out the back window, it felt like home.”
She lets out a small, self-deprecating laugh and slips her arm through mine. “We’ve got to learn to communicate better, Gabriel.”
A breeze lifts her hair. Heaven help me, but she smells amazing.
“I think we communicate just fine when we want to,” I murmur, gaze on her lips. When she’s in my arms, we understand each other perfectly. All the complications fall away, and all the biting comments turn to embers, one kiss away from going up in flames.
