“You said that years went by and then one night…”
“Oh, the part where my girlfriend, Jane, is hanging out with—”
“Yep. That’s the part I’d like to review.”
“Any objections?”
“Just some clarification.”
“I’m falling for you like crazy, and after last night…well, ‘girlfriend’ is as good a word as any to tell you that I only want to be with you.”
She shrugged. “Well, I guess…”
“You guess what?”
“I’ll be your girlfriend.”
“Thank God. You know, since we already planned out our future.”
“About that…”
He nodded at her, feeling sheepish. “Foolish, I know.”
“No. I shouldn’t have said that. About it being foolish. I didn’t mean the fantasy was foolish. Not at all. It was sweet. I just…things feel like they’re moving fast between us. Sometimes I feel like I’ve known you forever and other times I feel like it’s been a minute. And I don’t want to slow down, but it still makes me a little nervous.”
“Jane.”
“Lars.”
“I have no interest in hurting you.”
“I know, but—”
He pulled over under the Roosevelt Arch and looked at her. “Listen to me, Jane, because this is the truth. I’m not going to hurt you. Not now, not ever. If anyone gets hurt between you and me, it’ll be me. Not you. I promise.”
“You can’t promise me that.”
“I just did.”
She unbuckled her seat belt and slid over to sit next to him, staring ahead at the expanse of prairie in front of them before turning to him and lifting her eyes to his.
“I’m falling for you too,” she whispered.
“Aw, Jane,” he murmured, searching her eyes tenderly before closing his and lowering his lips to hers.
CHAPTER 13
Lars’s father had set up two picnic tables in the front yard of his property, which had a direct view of Yellowstone and the mountains beyond. As Lars parked the truck Jane recognized Mr. Lindstrom at a grill near the picnic tables talking to Maggie, and sighed in relief. It was good to see a familiar face amidst all of the blond Lindstroms filling Mr. Lindstrom’s front porch.
Lars looked over at Jane. “You ready?”
She took a deep breath, smiling for him. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He hopped out of the truck and opened her door for her, holding her hand as they approached his father’s house.
“Lars!” A tall, blond man who looked a lot like Lars jumped up from where he was sitting on the porch steps and rushed to greet Lars and Jane.
“Minste!”
Lars let go of Jane’s hand to embrace his brother, clapping him on the back. Jane watched as these two hulking blond men had a brief but touching reunion, wondering what it would feel like for one person to be that glad to see her, let alone a whole porch full. Lars put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her up against his side.
“This is Jane.”
“Heya, Jane.”
“Heya, Erik.” She smiled. “I didn’t think you guys would look so much alike.”
“Ugh!” Erik cringed, hitching his thumb over at Lars. “Are you saying I look like him?”
“Minste is just sore he’s the baby.”
“Jenny’s the baby,” countered Erik.
“Jenny stands alone,” said Lars, looking over Erik’s head.
“Yes, she does,” said a tall, striking, blonde woman, who approached the brothers with a wide smile.
“Heya, Lars,” she said softly.
“Jenny-girl.” What a different reunion now. Jane watched as Lars enfolded his sister gently in his arms, careful not to wake up the blonde baby sleeping on her shoulder. “Aw…look at Erin.”
“Nothing nicer than a sleeping baby,” said Jenny.
“This is Jane,” he whispered, reaching for Jane’s hand again.
“Heya, Jane. You guys don’t have to whisper. She’s out like a light.”
Another blond man, with slightly redder hair, came up behind Jenny, putting his arms around her waist, and Jenny leaned back against him.
“Want me to take her, Jen?” he asked in her ear.
“No, I’m good. Sam, this is Jane. Came with Lars.”
Sam stuck out one hand from around Jenny and Jane shook it.
“Hey, Jane.”
“Hi, Sam.”
Another woman, blonde and petite, approached them, holding a blonde baby in the crook of each elbow. This must be Katrin, Erik’s wife.
“Oh,” sighed Jane, “They’re so tiny!”
“They’re a handful,” said Kat Lindstrom, raising her eyebrows at Erik until he took one of the babies from her, transferring the little girl to the crook of his own elbow instead.
“You look good, Kat,” said Lars, winking at his sister-in-law.
“Watch it, Lars,” said Erik, giving his older brother a sour look then softening as he glanced at his petite wife with pure love in his eyes.
“Thanks, Midten,” Kat said, coloring pink as she kissed Lars’s proffered cheek. “It’s good to see you.”
She turned to Jane. “I’m Kat, by the way.”
“Hi, Kat. I’m Jane.”
“Oh! So, you’re Jane.” Kat smiled warmly, touching Jane’s arm with her free hand and winking at Lars. “Paul’s told us all about you.”
Lars huffed beside her and she felt his fingers tighten around hers.
Jane looked over at Maggie, who stood beside Mr. Lindstrom at the grill, then caught sight of Nils, sitting with Paul at a picnic table. She had expected to see Nils and Maggie canoodling, but it seemed that they were keeping their distance from each other instead. Hmmm.
“He called you ‘Lars’s Jane’,” added Jenny.
Jane looked up at Lars, as if to say, See? I told you that you had nothing to worry about. His expression softened to a grin as he winked at her, shaking his head softly.
“Lars’s Jane is going to go say hello to Paul.”
Kat took her arm with her free hand. “I’ll come!”
***
Lars watched them go, feeling a stab of jealousy as Jane sat down next to Paul at the picnic table, across from Nils. Lars clenched his jaw, narrowing his eyes, and put his hands on his hips. He didn’t have any reason to be jealous, right? Jane was with him. His girlfriend. Not Paul’s. His. Lars’s Jane.
He was suddenly distracted by Erik’s sharp elbow in his side. “Whoa, brother. That’s Paul. Our friend. Your best friend.”
“Yeah. I know. But he likes Jane.”
“Not like you do, Lars,” said Jenny, with a touch of humor in her tone. “Besides, Jane seems likable.”
Erik clapped Lars on the back. “He’s into some girl online. From Connecticut, of all places. Talking about going to see her, even. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just…it’s new, you know?” He turned to Erik, glancing down at the baby in his brother’s arms. “Who’s this?”