Page 29 of Caden

“Hey, sweetheart, how was your day?” he said as he stepped inside.

“Good.” She closed the door.

That seemed to be what he was waiting for because he hooked an arm around her middle and tugged her close.

“I’ve been thinking about doing this all day long.”

She didn’t have time to answer before his mouth covered hers in a kiss filled with so much need, so much passion, her toes curled. She didn’t think about it but leaned in, and when he pulled away, Olivia found her hands fisted in his shirt. She didn’t want it to end.

No. She wanted to use those bunches of cloth to drag him into the bedroom and continue what he’d started. But tempting as it was, she wanted more than just to have him in her bed, though she wanted that part a lot. And she knew she would get it, later. Neither of them had eaten dinner yet. It might be close to midnight, but they both worked swing shift. It was an odd schedule if you weren’t used to it, but she’d worked it for quite a while. She liked it.

Swings worked with her night owl personality, and she liked that Caden was a night owl too. It was just one more way they fit together perfectly. She could only hope Caden felt the way she did.

Slowly, she released her hold on his shirt. His arm around her middle loosened and she backed away, reaching down to take his hand instead. She tugged him with her into the kitchen.

Tonight it wasn’t that she was tired, just that she didn’t know what to make. She gave up on the freezer, closed it and opened the refrigerator door to look for inspiration.

“What did Cowboy say when you talked to him this morning?”

“Not much.”

“How upset was he?” She let her gaze flick from item to item in the fridge, not seeing anything she could throw together for dinner, at least not off hand.

“Not at all.” Caden lifted one shoulder and let it drop. “I didn’t think he would be, but I felt like I had to warn him anyway. It’s not like this is the first time we’ve had the police force watching us, and it’s not likely to be the last either. Someone’s bound to cross someone again and get a little extra scrutiny.”

She turned to watch him, trying to decide if he was telling her the truth or just trying to keep her from worrying. After a moment she decided he was being honest and turned back to her task at hand.

“So, what does this mean?” She didn’t watch him this time, but kept her gaze on the inside of the fridge. She didn’t want to see the thoughts on his face if he was thinking about breaking up with her.

Olivia jumped when he came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her middle and dropped his chin onto his shoulder.

“This means the same thing I told you this morning. I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. It will take a lot more than an upset mama to scare me off. I’m in this for the long haul. As long as you want me around, you’re stuck with me. And I’m not about to turn tail and run just because you, or anyone else, gets angry with me.”

She wished for a moment she could turn and see his face, but instead covered his hands with hers and tugged him closer as he hugged her back.

“What if you change your mind in a few months or a year?” Her voice was little more than a whisper as she gave voice to what she’d been worrying about all day.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. If we get to it. Right now I just can’t see it, ever.” He tugged her backward then once she’d cleared the door, used one hand to knock the refrigerator door closed. He spun her in his arms until she faced him then held her close.

After a moment he pressed a kiss to her forehead then loosened his grip.

“I know things have gone fast. Faster than I ever thought they would but—” He bit his upper lip as if he was searching for the right words to say what he was thinking. It took a moment for him to speak again, but his gaze never wavered from hers. “Hell, I’m just going to say it. If I scare you off, I’ll worry about it then. Sweetheart, I’ve fallen. Fallen harder than I ever thought possible.”

Olivia’s heart seemed to skip a beat, then raced until she wasn’t sure she’d be able to hear him if he spoke again.

“I love you.”

Despite what she’d feared, she heard him. Tears pooled in her eyes then fell unimpeded down her cheeks. She didn’t bother trying to stop them or wipe them away.

“You don’t feel the same way.” His tone had changed to one filled with disappointment.

“No.” Olivia fisted her hands in his shirt again to keep him from turning away. “It’s not that. Not at all. I do. I love you too. But I was sure it was too soon and if I told you how I feel, you would turn tail and run as fast as you could.” Tears kept falling, she could taste the salty flavor, but didn’t care. She smiled through the moisture not caring that she couldn’t stop the tears. They were happy tears after all. “I love you too. What are we going to do now?”

“People will say we’re crazy, but I don’t care. I know what I want to do, the question is are you up for it?”

Olivia laughed, wondering what he was thinking. “I don’t know, what is it?”

“Let’s get married. I know it’s fast, super-fast, but let’s do it anyway.”

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