Page 260 of Waiting Game

It doesn’t escape my attention that she’s not as glad to have met my father.

Considering he’s been a fucking creep every time they’ve interacted over dinner these past few days, I can’t blame her.

“Nah. You make—” Her favorite son’s organs squelchy. “—me happy. How could she hate you?”

“Easily,” she drawls.

I stroke my fingers over my number on her back. “Impossible. You’re too sweet to hate.”

“Only in your eyes.”

“To be fair, mine are the ones that matter the most.”

“Your ego, I swear,” she grumbles.

“Pigeon Creek made that plenty big too.” When she snickers, I whisper in her ear, “If we were alone, I’d fuck you out here.”

She swallows. Audibly.

I smirk. Silently.

“I wouldn’t say no.”

“Good to know,” I joke. “You got me thinking the other day. In the future, I want to build something—” I turn us so that she can see where I’m pointing. “—on the west of the acreage. You’ll get the same vista but the sun sets over there and I know how much you love that. Plus, I’m gonna get a hot tub…”

“I like the way your mind works.”

“We’re on the same wavelength.”

“I didn’t think you’d want to live here again, I mean, from what you said about the town,” she finishes weakly.

Sliding my arms around her waist, I scan the panoramic view ahead of me. Thousands of acres of Korhonen territory that have belonged to us for generations…

“Maybe seeing you fight for Chuck’s inspired me.” I graze my lips over her temple before I settle my chin on the crown of herhead. “And watching how much you appreciated Pigeon Creek definitely got the cogs whirring. You were right—I do need to dissociate a dislike for my father with a dislike for my land.”

She rests her hands on top of mine. “There’s no place like home.”

“Home doesn’t always have to be a place though.”

Mia stiffens a little before she sags into me. “No. It doesn’t.”

A smile curves my lips—damn straight, we’re on the same page.

“For example, if you came out here with me, then I wouldn’t even miss the city.”

“No, I wouldn’t miss it either.” She turns in my arms. “I do want to rebuild Chuck’s though, Cole.”

“Of course. Once the insurance coughs up the dough.” That insurance was the only thing Chuck did right—it’ll cover the rebuild and more. “I… Maybe it’s a nice place to raise kids, you know?”

Her eyes widen. “Yeah, I can see that.”

“I think we need to make it a real hockey hangout.”

“Huh? Pigeon Creek?”

“No. Chuck’s,” I correct with a snort. “I can bring friends down and we can put the bar on the map.”

Her cheeks flush which, considering the temperature, is a miracle. “You don’t have to do that.”

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