“Maybe,” the nurse reminds him.
“Maybe.” Harold nods as if he’s agreeing, but we can all see his desire and determination to convince the doctors to let him go home.
Quickly, we say our goodbyes and leave the hospital. The drive home is quiet until we turn on our road. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?”
“I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had. Besides, you promised Harold.”
She contemplates her answer. As we are about five hundred feet from her grandparents’ driveway, she says, “Yes. I’ll stay with you.”
I’m glad. I hadn’t planned on stopping anyway. I was going to drive on past their place and pull into mine to see if I could sway her decision. Not that I would ever force her to stay with me. But I was hoping a few kisses might help persuade her. If she decided to go to her grandparents’ place, I was good with taking the couch. Parking my truck in the driveway, I turn off the ignition and angle to look at her. “You hungry?”
“Starving, actually.”
“Come on, let me feed you.” Grabbing my phone and keys, I climb out of the truck and meet her at the bottom of the porch steps. With my hand on the small of her back, we climb the steps, and I give her the code to unlock the door.
“What if I come back and steal you blind?” she asks, pushing open the door.
“You won’t. Besides, you don’t have to steal anything. If it’s mine, it’s yours. I’ll give you anything you want.”
“Those are big declarations, Rip Callahan.”
“They are,” I agree. “That should tell you that this isn't a game to me, Kenna. I want you. I want you in my life, in my house, in my bed. I want anything and everything that you’re willing to give me.”
“That’s… unexpected.”
“Is it? I’ve been honest with you from the day you came home. When I kissed you that night at the bonfire, I knew I was tired of waiting.”
“Tired of waiting?”
“Let me make us some dinner, and I’ll tell you anything that you want to know.”
“Can I help?” Hope blooms in my chest. Maybe we can finally talk, and she’ll listen.
“You can. You can sit your fine ass at the island so I can see you while I’m making you something to eat.”
“I know how to cook.”
“I know you do, baby, but I want to take care of you. It’s been an emotional day, and you just need to relax.”
“What are we having?” she asks, ignoring my term of endearment. Well, she tries too. I saw the flash in her eyes, the one that tells me she’s not immune to me.
“Omelets.”
“Perfect. I always loved eating breakfast for dinner. Gram used to do it pretty often when I was growing up.”
“I think I might have heard you mention that a time or two.” I wink at her.
“Thank you for coming back with me today. It was nice to know I wasn’t alone.”
“McKenna.” I stop what I’m doing and wait for her to set those big brown eyes on me. “As long as there’s breath in my lungs, you will never be alone. Never.”
She swallows hard, and tears once again mist her eyes. Dropping what I’m doing, I dry my hands and make my way around the counter to her.
“I don’t know why I’m so emotional,” she says as I wrap my arms around her.
“It’s been a long, hard day, baby. You have to give yourself some grace.”
“I’m sorry.” She snuggles into my chest.
“You have nothing to be sorry for. Why don’t you go stretch out on the couch? I’ll bring you a glass of wine and dinner when it’s ready.”
“Omelets and wine?”
“We make our own rules, McKenna.” I grin. “Go sit, and I’ll bring you a glass while I’m cooking dinner.”
“Thank you, Rip. For everything.”
“Anything for my girl.” I kiss her forehead and step away from her. I promised my girl a glass of wine, so that’s what I’m going to do.
A few hours later, we’re sitting on the couch. McKenna’s head is leaning on my shoulder, and it’s my idea of the perfect night. When she yawns, I know it’s time to call it quits. “You ready for bed?”
“Yes.” She sits up and stretches before standing from the couch.
“Go on upstairs. You know where my shirts are if you need something to sleep in. I’m going to lock up and turn out the lights.”
“I have clothes to sleep in.”
“Yeah, but I like you in mine.” I grin before turning and walking away to lock up. It would be too easy to get lost in her down here, and if and when I make love to her again, it’s going to be in a bed, and I’m going to memorize every fucking second of it.
“Bathroom’s all yours,” she says a few minutes later as I walk into my room.
“Nice shirt,” I comment.
“Thanks, this really nice guy said I could wear it.”
“Did he now?”
“He did. Something about liking me in his clothes.”
I take slow, gradual steps toward her, which takes effort. All I want to do is run to her and hold her close. “I do like you in my clothes. Do you know what else I like?”
“What’s that?” she whispers.
“I like that you’re here with me.” My hands land on her hips, and I move in, pressing her body to mine. “You know what else I like?”
“Tell me.”
“You in my bed, in my arms.” I kiss the tip of her nose and release her. “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.” I disappear into the bathroom. After taking care of business, I strip down to my boxer briefs and brush my teeth. Turning out the light, I make my way blindly to the bed. I can see her form, lying on what I’ve come to refer to as her side. I waste no time sliding under the covers, moving over to the center, and wrapping my arms around her.
Her breathing evens out, and I think she’s fallen asleep. I let my eyes drift closed when I hear her soft voice.
“Rip?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you think we should talk about this? About last night?”
“Is that what you want? To talk about it?”
“I think we should,” she counters.
“I’m listening.”
“We had sex.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember it?”
“Bits and pieces. I remember walking back to your suite and following you inside. I remember kisses. There were lots of kisses.”
“I remember asking you to stay.”
“Yeah, you asked me to stay.”
“I don’t remember the actual sex part,” she admits.
“Me either.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
“I’d say where we are is a damn good start.”
“Here? In your bed?”
“Yep.”
“What does that mean? How is me in your bed a good start?”
I’m quiet for a few minutes, processing how to handle this. She’s had a rough day, but I swore I wasn’t going to hide from this any longer. “The day you left for college tore me apart.”