They hadn’t really discussed their relationship deeply yet, but he had told her how much he desired her. Just as much as she desired him, even now, as he frowned down at the many floor choices.
“What do you think?” Conner turned to her.
She walked over and looked down at the six different hardwood flooring choices. She knew which one she liked but wasn’t sure it would go with all the other choices Conner had made so far.
“I like this one,” she replied quickly. “But I’m not sure it goes with the cabinets you picked out.”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s my favorite as well. I was thinking the same thing.” He walked over to look at the cabinets again and held up the sample of flooring to the cabinet choices. “What do you think about these instead?” he asked, holding the chunk of wood up against soft gray cabinets.
“Those look good together.”
Conner turned to her and smiled. “What are your thoughts about carpet colors?”
By the time her parents and Jacob walked back in the trailer, they had picked out every option for Conner’s place.
“How did you come up with all these choices?” Conner asked Rose. “If memory serves me, you couldn’t pick which bikini you were going to wear to the Fourth of July party when you were sixteen.”
Jacob laughed and earned a glaring look from Rose.
“Blake,” she answered quickly. “She’s the one who narrowed down all these choices for us. She’s pretty amazing. She’s even agreed to decorate the model home when it’s done,” Rose added.
“She helped us out with decorating the barn for Sunset Wedding,” Kara added. “She really is amazing.”
“We haven’t met Blake yet,” her mother chimed in. We’re looking forward to meeting her at the dinner tonight.”
Kara’s eyebrows shot up. “You… you’re going to the dinner?”
Her mother chuckled. “It’s one of the reasons we came down tonight. I had a really nice chat with Megan, who invited us along.”
Kara had believed it was a Jordan family dinner only. There was no way she was going to keep the fact that she was planning on moving in with Conner a secret after tonight.
She figured that over lunch, she might as well rip that bandage off quickly.
Shortly after noon, the five of them, including her sister, walked into the Golden Oar and sat out on the back deck. The sun had come out and melted the snow and heated everything up nicely.
“I don’t think I will ever get tired of this view,” her mother said, leaning into her father’s shoulder.
“With some of the snow still on the ground, it reminds me of our first time here,” her father added with a slight grin.
Robin groaned slightly and rolled her eyes. Kara nudged her on the shoulder, and they settled back to hear the story they’d both heard a million times. Still, she loved to listen as her parents retold how they’d been snowed in one Christmas and had found themselves stuck in Pride, all for Conner’s benefit.
There was more laughter and wine than any other lunch she’d had with her parents before.
“It’s strange how one tiny decision can change the course of your life,” her father said, holding her mother’s hand. “If I hadn’t been roped into driving you home that Christmas”—he lifted her mother’s hand to his lips, much like Conner had done to hers that morning over breakfast—“then we would’ve never explored our feelings for one another.”
She looked over to Conner and realized the same was pretty much true for them. If he hadn’t been out for a swim and she hadn’t been almost drowning—it was past time to admit this to herself in her own head—then they wouldn’t be here now.
“I’m moving in with Conner,” she blurted out.
Instead of shock or concern flashing across her parents’ faces, they both smiled at them as if they had already known this news.
“That’s wonderful dear,” her mother said easily.
Kara narrowed her eyes. “Something tells me you already knew?”
Her mother chuckled and glanced over at her father. “Another reason we were invited for dinner. Megan and I have been long-distance best friends for years.” She shrugged. “She hinted at the news over the phone call.”
Conner smiled over at her. “I should have warned you; my family can’t really keep secrets.”
When they were done enjoying their lunch, and just before clouds cooled things off outside, her parents claimed they were going to head to the B and B and get some rest before getting ready to go to Riley and Carter’s for dinner.
“We’ve met both Carter and Corey on several occasions. They are such wonderful men and are so perfect for the girls,” her mother said easily as they all walked out to the parking lot.
“Yeah, they fit in the Jordan clan perfectly,” Conner added.
“And your cousin Suzie just married Robert and Amelia’s son, Aiden?” her father asked.
“Yes.” She smiled. “We held the wedding at the barn.” She motioned between Robin and herself.
“We sure are proud of you girls,” her mother added with a sigh. “Now, I’m in need of a nap. But maybe a walk on the beach first so all that wonderful food settles.” She rubbed her flat stomach.
Kara watched her father take her mother’s hand in his. Even now, twenty-five years later, anyone with eyes could see the love between her parents. It warmed the heart, and sometimes, according to Kara and Robin, who’d had to watch all the PDA between their parents their entire lives, could be a little too much.
Still, her entire life she’d dreamed of finding a man as dedicated to her as her father was to her mother.
After watching her parents and sister drive away, Conner turned to her.
“A walk on the beach sounds good. What do you say to a short walk, then stopping by your place to grab a few things before getting ready for dinner?”
“That sounds like a good idea.” She took his hand, then followed him down a set of stairs to the side of the restaurant that led down towards the beach.
“So,” he said after she reached down and removed her tennis shoes, leaving them at the base of the stairs with his. He’d rolled up his jeans slightly and she was thankful she’d pulled on a pair of capris earlier that morning after hearing the weather report. “I think that went well with your folks.”
She smiled over at him. “Yeah, I should’ve known that they’d love you.”
“Everyone loves me,” he said with a silly grin.
She nudged his shoulder with her own as he took her hand and started walking down the wet sand.
“I hear we’re supposed to get rain later tonight.” He glanced off over the water and she followed his gaze. Sure enough, the skies were already dark in the distance.
“Snow, sunshine, rain.” She shook her head. “Oregon weather.”
He chuckled. “Still, when the sun comes out”—he lifted his face to the sun and sighed—“it makes it all worth it.”
She did the same and sighed at the warmth on her face. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It does. I still love rainy mornings though.”
“You know, when I was younger and had to walk to the bus stop, while everyone else rushed to the stop or hid under umbrellas, I was the kid splashing in all the puddles and trying to catch raindrops on my tongue,” Conner said with a smile.