“I used to go out in the yard with my umbrella during a rainstorm and hide under it like it was a large tent.” She chuckled.
He stopped and pulled her into his arms, and she felt her heart skip.
“I’m thankful,” he said, looking down into her eyes.
“For?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
“That I rescued you,” he said with a slight smirk.
“Oh?” She cocked her head to the side. “I thought we both agreed that I didn’t need rescuing.”
He chuckled. “Think what you want, just as long as the outcome was the same. I pulled you from the water, and I’m not going to give you back anytime soon.” He kissed her with a kiss that had her toes curling and her heart jumping out of her chest.
They continued to walk down the beach until his phone chimed, and he had to answer a call from his mother, who wanted to know if her parents had arrived safely.
Then they stopped by the cottage, and she packed a suitcase of her clothes and other items she would need for the next week.
She briefly talked to her sister about the coming week’s schedule and assured Robin that she’d be back over there tomorrow morning for her meeting with the young couple to finish the arrangements for their wedding that following weekend.
She knew she could easily balance living with Conner and work. After all, the apartment was less than two blocks away from the venue.
Besides, just knowing that she would be spending each night wrapped in his arms was worth the extra steps she’d get each day. At this point in their relationship, she’d gladly walk miles for the pleasures he gave her.
She’d never lived with a man before and taking the big jump this time just felt right. After all, even if she hadn’t admitted it to him yet, she’d never felt this much for a man before.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Being surrounded by your family always felt good. Even when they were all razzing you about the events of the last week. Being part of the group that rescued the downed crew, convincing Kara to move in with him, and purchasing a home all ranked top of the list in the family conversation.
That was until everyone sat down for dinner and Riley and Lilly both stood up and held up their water glasses.
His family was crowded around large dining table in the massive dining room since the rain had started shortly before they’d arrived. Normally, they’d all be out in the backyard gathered around the grill and playing tag football in the yard.
“We wanted to thank everyone,” Lilly said, getting everyone’s attention, “for coming out on such short notice.”
“We especially wanted to thank all the extra guests who were able to make it tonight.” Riley motioned to Kara’s parents and to Rose, who was sitting as far away from Jacob as possible. “It’s always great to have extended family share in special announcements.”
A hush fell over the entire group. Conner swore that if someone would have coughed, it would have broken the magic of the moment.
Riley glanced over at Lilly, who nodded at her cousin. Then they both turned to their husbands, who quickly stood up as matching grins filled the brother’s faces.
“We’re pregnant,” Corey and Carter said at the same moment.
Several things happened at once. Every woman in the place sighed at the same time while every man in the place grinned from ear to ear.
For the next few moments, congratulations were passed around like hors d’oeuvres. Carter and Corey either had their hands shaken or were hugged and cried all over, depending on who was handing them out.
Conner walked over to his little sister and wrapped his arms around her, then kissed the top of her head. “Congratulations, squirt,” he said, using her nickname. She pinched him in response. Chuckling, he shook Carter’s hand. “So, I’m a little confused,” he said loudly enough to get the attention of several other family members. “If Corey and Carter are the ones who are pregnant, why are you and Lilly the ones getting fatter?” He put a hand over his sister’s flat belly.
The comment earned him an elbow in the gut from his sister and chuckles from the rest of his family.
Thankfully, this news caused all conversations about him and Kara to stop. They focused on when the babies would be arriving, sometime next spring. Lilly’s due date was a full week before Riley’s was, yet they dreamed of having their kids born on the same day. They hadn’t determined the sex of either of their babies yet, as it was still too early. But they planned on having one big gender reveal party as soon as they knew.
For the rest of the evening, his mind turned to his own future and kids. In his mind, he continued to see images of children who looked an awful lot like a mix between himself and Kara.
He knew he’d moved fast in asking her to move in with him, but thankfully, she hadn’t shied away from the challenge of being with him. It wasn’t as if he was a difficult person to live with. Okay, so he was hardly ever around during the week and tended to forget about planning meals. But that’s why it was such a great thing that he was living above a grocery store. He could stop off and get anything he wanted for dinner moments before stepping inside his home.
He knew that when they moved up to the home in Hidden Cove, things could change. He’d have to get good at planning meals and maybe even get one of those large freezers he could fill up for inside the garage.
Either way, having Kara’s input meant a lot to him. After all, at this point, he imagined them living in the new home together.
Now all he had to do was convince Kara.
By the time they left his sister’s place, he had pretty much talked himself into giving their relationship a couple months before asking Kara to permanently move in with him. By Christmas time, at least as he figured it, she’d be ready. Which meant he had the next few months to butter her up and show her just how great he was for her.
“What do you say to having lunch with me tomorrow?” he asked as they climbed the stairs. He held the umbrella above her head so she wouldn’t get wet.
Even though they’d had the earlier conversation of enjoying the rain, he doubted she wanted to mess up her hair and outfit in the downpour that they were currently having.
“I’d say”—she turned to him just outside their door and wrapped her arms around his shoulders—“that it’s a date.” She kissed him.
“God,” he sighed as her lips brushed against his. “I can’t believe how wonderful you feel.”
She smiled. “I’ll feel even more wonderful once we get inside and you get these clothes off me,” she practically purred against his lips.
He fumbled quickly to unlock the door as she chuckled beside him.
Once inside, it was all speed as clothes landed in piles on the floor trailing back to the bedroom.
When his shoulders hit the mattress, he smiled up at Kara, who had pushed him back and was now climbing on top of him as her hands moved to his chest.
“So, I was thinking,” she said in a low sultry tone, “that I owe you.”
“For?” he asked, crossing his arms behind his head as his eyes ran over the matching bra and panties she still wore.
“Smoothing things over...” she began as she reached for the clasp of her bra. Her words fell on deaf ears and his mouth went completely dry when she removed the last of the barriers, freeing herself to his gaze.