She slipped the piece of paper into her front pocket, never breaking eye contact. She took his hand and brought it to her cheek, leaned in to his palm, relished the warmth and comfort. “I’d love that.”
He led her into his house, shut the door behind them. Her breath caught at the sight before her.
“It’s all I could do in less than ten minutes,” he said.
“You didn’t… Just having you…” She’d lost the ability to speak a complete sentence. “It’s perfect.”
She followed him to the couch, taking in the flowers and candles and stack of letters on the coffee table. The smell of jasmine filled her nose, along with the scent of wood from the fireplace. That he had done all this for her spoke volumes and calmed the nervous beat of her heart.
“Those are all for you,” he said, pointing at the stack. “I needed the time away, Kennedy, but you were always with me. Here.” He put his hand over his heart. “I did mail one letter yesterday. I thought I ought to follow through with at least one, in hopes you felt the same way about me that I feel about you.”
Butterflies filled her stomach. “And what way is that?”
He brushed the hair off her shoulder and cupped the side of her neck. “You’re going to make me say it before we’ve had a chance to catch up?”
“I’ve waited three months to hear your voice again. I think you can say it now and later.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
“I love you.” No hesitation. No doubt. Pure, genuine honesty.
Her heart exploded in her chest. She hadn’t come to Windsong for him, but she had hoped in her heart of hearts that it would include them picking up where they’d left off, and hearing those three little words confirmed what she knew deep down: they were meant to be. “I love you, too.”
His dimpled smile knocked the wind out of her. She grinned back.
“Say it again,” he said.
“I love you.”
“Please tell me I can kiss you now,” he said.
“You could have kissed me two minutes ago, cowboy.”
His lips were on hers a split second later, lighting up her insides like her feet weren’t touching the ground. He pulled away far too soon.
“Best homecoming ever.” He took her hands in his, rubbed his thumbs over her knuckles. Months away from the ranch had softened his skin.
“It is. I wasn’t sure…”
“Never, ever doubt how much you mean to me, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Tell me what I missed. How is the job going?”
“It’s great. I love every day I’m in the office, and sometimes I even make house calls, which is so old-school, it’s beyond fun.” She glanced away for a moment. “You know, there is another reason I decided to come here.”
He lifted his brows. “Me, right?”
“No, actually. Hugo. He…he passed away the day after I got the offer in Boston.”
Maverick paled, his shoulders dropping. “Kennedy. I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” He wrapped her in a hug and held tight until she drew back a full minute later.
She’d rehearsed what she wanted to say to Maverick when he returned, but seeing the sympathy written all over his face, the shared pain of loss, made it difficult to remember the speech she’d planned.
“Thank you.” She glanced at the wood crackling in the fireplace, then focused back on him. “It changed everything for me. I realized how much I wanted to be close to the people I love, not live across the country from them. When Doc first called me about his practice, I told him I’d think about it, never believing I’d actually say yes. I thought Boston was my dream.
“But then I lost Hugo, and for a few days I could barely function. Then your mom called me. Bethany had told her the reason I’d left the ranch so suddenly, and she wanted to see if I was okay. My own mother hadn’t even done that, and it struck me that a family like yours was a dream of mine, too. The people of Windsong. The sense of community that I’ve relied on a hospital for. I could have an amazing job and be with friends and only a six-hour drive from Ava and Andrew instead of a six-hour plane ride.”
He stared at her with such clear adoration, she could barely keep herself from straddling his lap and fulfilling her naughtiest dreams of him. We have time for that.
“If I’d known…” he started.
“I know.”
He seemed to wrestle with what to say next, finally settling on, “I’m unbelievably proud of you.”
“Thanks. I’m ridiculously proud of you, too. I hear your pesticide is a big success.”
“I feel at a distinct disadvantage here, Dr. Martin.”
“Oh? How so?”
“I think I’ve got a case of Travelitis. Too much travel and not enough home. You know more about me than I know about you.” He faked a cough. “I think I need a doctor to keep a close eye on me this weekend and talk my ear off, among other things. You up for the job?”
“Are you asking me to play doctor, Maverick Owens?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hmm…” She tapped the side of her jaw, pretending to have to think about it. “I guess I could do that. I do like to talk.”
“I like to listen.”
“What exactly are the other things you need?”
“They don’t involve talking at all.” His eyes glittered with lust and his kissable lips hitched up at the corners. “And I should warn you, this is just the beginning, because I can’t ever go without you again.”
“I’m all for beginnings.” She climbed into his lap, needing to be closer, to feel his body against hers. “I missed you so much.”
“I missed you, too. Missed everything about you.” He twirled her hair around his finger.
“Did you have a good trip? Accomplish everything you wanted to? I did get info from your family, but not everything. I didn’t want to pry too much.”
“I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow. Tonight I have other plans.”
“As your doctor, shouldn’t I be in charge?”
“I think you’ll like what I have in mind.”
“Really? And what is that?” She played with the hair curling around his ears.
“Loving every single inch of you.” He kissed the side of her neck. “Showing you how much you mean to me.”
“Well, I have some news for you.” She dragged a fingernail along his chiseled jawline. “Absence definitely made my heart grow fonder.”