Page 89 of Until Bax

“Everything okay?” he asks, walking up to join me.

“Yep, all good,” I lie, instantly feeling guilty.

As a family, we don’t lie to each other or keep secrets, but I can understand Nalia wanting to figure things out before telling everyone—especially our parents, who will immediately try to swoop in and take over.

“Ready to get to work?”

“As ready as I can be when I’d rather be at home with Olivia.” I fall into step with him.

“Welcome to my world,” he mutters, and I smile.

* * *

Parkingmy truck in the driveway next to Olivia’s car, I hit the button for the garage door as I watch light flakes of snow hit my windshield. It won't stick except for the occasional winter storm. We rarely get snow, especially this early in the season. But the temperature has been dropping, so I’ll need to sort out the garage sooner rather than later so Olivia can park inside and not have to get into a freezing car in the mornings.

I push the door to my truck open, and as soon as I’m out, Gemma jumps down and follows me down to the end of the driveway. After grabbing the mail, I turn to head toward my house. The soft glow of the porch light hits me in my gut because I know Olivia turned it on for me. I open the door in the garage and the smell of something cooking greets me along with the sound of music. Shrugging off my coat, I hang it on one of the hooks near the back door and head down the hall behind Gemma, who runs ahead of me, ready to see our girl.

As soon as I turn the corner into the kitchen, I find Olivia squatting down in front of Gemma, dressed in leggings and a cut-off shirt with her hair up in a bun and her cell pressed to her ear. Her eyes come to me, and she smiles a smile that lights up her whole face.

Fuck.

I never put much thought into what it might be like to come home after a long day and have someone to share that day with. I didn’t even know it was something I was missing out on until this exact moment.

“Hey, honey.”

“Hey, babe.” I toss the mail to the counter that is covered with shit from her cooking.

“Sorry, Reb, Bax just got home, so I’ll call you tomorrow,” she says into the phone coming out of her squat. “Yeah, okay. Love you too. Later.” She takes her phone from her ear and drops it to the counter. “Hi.” She walks to me, never losing the smile as she presses her hands against my chest and lifts on her tiptoes to touch her mouth to mine. “How was work?”

“Long.” I wrap my hands around her waist, then slide them back to pull her closer as her face gets soft.

“Dinner is just about done; do you want a beer?”

“I’ll get it in a second.” I duck my head and bury my face in her neck so I can just breathe her in for a moment. I missed her all fucking day. I’ve never missed a woman when they’ve been out of sight, but she’s a constant itch in the back of my mind. A reminder that something important is missing.

“You okay?” she asks softly, sliding her fingers through my hair.

“Yeah, all good.” I kiss her neck and then pull back so I can see her face. “How was work, any drama?”

“Nope, and every client who walked through the door commented on how amazing the place looked, which made Eva happy and yesterday worth it.”

“Good.” I give her a squeeze.

“Did you have drama at work?” she asks softly, searching my gaze. “Did you see Liam?”

“He and I are good, babe,” I assure her.

“Did he talk to you?”

“No.” I smile. “But when it comes to work, we’re fine, and he’ll get over things sooner or later.” I give her waist a squeeze and change the subject. “What are you cooking?”

“Just spaghetti and garlic bread.” She falls flat to her feet. “I was going to make lasagna, but it would have taken too long.”

“It smells good.”

“Thanks.” She lets me go and moves to the stove, where there are two large pots. “Will you put the garlic bread in for me? The pasta is just about done.”

“Yeah.” I go to the counter and pick up the tray that has a loaf of French bread cut in half on it that is covered with butter and a thick layer of a couple of kinds of cheese. After I get it in the oven, I go to the fridge and open it up. “You want wine?”

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