Page 82 of When Love Is Unexpected

"Yes. He wears it to the office on casual Fridays."

I fill her in on Sam’s and my sleeping arrangements, the argument, and how we made up last night before he went to sleep in the main house.

"Sleeping in the same room with him was stupid," she says.

"Don't hold back now," I say. "Tell me what you really think."

"The attraction you two have for each other has been there from the moment you met."

"I think it's something more," I say. "I'm in love with him, Katherine."

"I know," she says. "Everyone knows. The only one who had to catch up with the news was you, little sister."

I speak to Tori for a few minutes before ending the call, and then I walk around the side of the house and back upstairs. Without Sam, the room feels cold and sad. Kind of like me.

When I walk into the house a little before eight, the kitchen is abuzz with activity. Robert and Pops are at the table exchanging golf stats. Sam is over by the sink making coffee. He glances at me and smiles before walking up and kissing me on the cheek.

"Good morning," he says.

"Good morning," I say, looking into his eyes, searching for confirmation that we're okay.

When he whispers, "I miss you," into my ear, my knees go weak, and my heart does a happy dance in my chest. Everything is back to normal—our normal. He touched me, kissed me, smiled, and said something sweet. I love him, and with that comes a rush of emotion that tries to escape my body in the form of tears, but I fight them back.

"Can I help?" I ask Alice and Emma, who are cutting fruit and whisking eggs. It looks like French toast, fruit, and eggs are on the menu.

Half an hour later, Sam takes one last bite of French toast before taking his plate to the sink.

"I gotta go," he says. "My appointment with the tailor is at nine."

"I'll walk you to the door," I say.

At the door, he leans in and kisses me on the cheek again.

"Can we talk when I get back?" he says.

"Yes," I say before taking the initiative and kissing him on the lips.

After everyone's done with breakfast, Emma and I clean the kitchen.

"I received the wedding gift you and Sam got us," Emma says, stacking dishes in the dishwasher. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," I say. "I hope you like it."

"The box is huge and heavy," she says. "It's very nicely wrapped, by the way. I know exactly what it is. We can't wait to use it."

I smile and keep drying the pan in my hands. "Have you received a heavy box from Just In Clay Ceramics in New York?

"Maybe," she says. "All the gifts that have arrived so far are in my room. Luke and I bought a house in La Jolla, so most of my stuff is already there. My room here is almost empty. Would you like to come with me to the new house to drop off some of the packages?"

"Yes," I say. "Let's do it!"

La Jolla is about ten minutes away. Emma's new home is a two-story craftsman-style house in a quiet cul-de-sac in a pristine neighborhood close to the ocean.

After we unload the car, she gives me a full tour.

"Thank you for showing me your new home," I say. "It's beautiful."

On our way back to the house, Emma is quiet. She appears deep in thought.

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