Page 172 of That Rush

I take her into the bathroom and show her the empty shelf beside mine, then the cleared section beneath the sink.

She folds her arms. “Did you conduct an audit?”

“You make two trips to your car every Friday.”

“You may be the first man to turn organizational efficiency into foreplay.”

“I made room for your things. You kissed me.”

“Strong preliminary findings.”

I set my hands at her waist and draw her against me. “Leave it all here. Your dresses, the ridiculous number of bottles for the counter, the books you can’t sleep without.”

“My books travel for emotional support.”

“They can stay here and provide it.”

Her smile softens, though her gaze flicks toward the bedroom where her tote still waits downstairs.

“You should never have to pack for Fridays again,” I tell her.

She goes still beneath my hands.

Her gaze drops to the key in her palm, her fingers tightening around it.

“This is a lot.” Her voice is quiet.

“It’s a drawer, closet space, and a key.”

“Yes. Exactly.”

I wait for her to hand it back.

Instead, she rises onto her toes and kisses me once, her lips warm and lingering against mine.

She says the words against my mouth. “Thank you.”

I hear the emotion in her voice and pull her closer. Paige still carries everything she needs in one bag each Friday. Now she has a key and a place here that will always be ready for her.

To me, that feels like an answer.

We end up on the porch while Josie makes a sign for Sprinkle’s office and Paige drinks the coffee she abandoned during the library event. She has tucked the new key into the front pocket of her dress. I can see its outline through the fabric.

I like knowing it is there.

My phone rings against the table. Mom’s name fills the screen.

“Your mother has suspicious timing,” Paige says.

“She developed it when she gave birth to three children at once.”

I answer and put her on speaker. “What do you need?”

“Hello to you too,” Mom says. “I need to confirm the branch cookout before your father invites half the county.”

“He knows half the county.”

“He believes that’s a reason to feed all of them.”