Page 73 of Over and Above

And so, with a whole circle of onlookers, I nodded, tone solemn. “Yeah, yeah, I do. I love you.”

“Good.” Eric’s cheeks were bright pink, but his smile was wide and easy. “Me too. Let’s go home before we scandalize the townsfolk.”

Home.I’d never felt the word more deeply than in that instant. Home was Mount Hope, Eric, and the house, all three.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Eric

By the time Magnus and I made it home, the house was quiet. Maren had texted that she, Diesel, and the baby had all gone to sleep early in their basement room. John and Wren had also left for their respective sleepovers, leaving Magnus, me, and all our loot from the fair.

“This bear truly is ridiculous.” Magnus stared down at the grinning stuffed bear he’d tucked into the crook of his arm.

“Which is why he’s going in the center of the table.” Finished making room in the fridge for the cake Wren had won, I plucked the bear from Magnus’s arms and set him on the breakfast nook table. “He’s the cheesiest valentine I’ve ever received.”

“You sound proud.” Magnus shook his head at my ridiculousness, but I kept right on smiling. I’d had other valentines, of course, but at the moment, I couldn’t remember one I’d liked more than my bear or the duck that I set next to it.

“I am.” There was something sweetly spontaneous as well about Magnus winning me the presents, being willing to risk failure in front of a crowd simply to win a prize for me. Further, with him, I could show exactly how much I liked the gesture. “I like that I can be silly around you, cheesy gifts, bad comedies, terrible jokes. All that.”

“Hey, I like your taste in movies.” He drew me to him, but before we could get too distracted, I wriggled free to pull a folded paper from my pocket.

“And I have a sort of cheesy valentine for you.” I handed him the paper.

“Your April duty calendar?” Tilting his head, he studied it more closely.

“Well, my first thought was to surprise you with a trip, but I figured you’d want to have a say in the where. However, I reserved eight consecutive days off in April. My first actual vacation days not tied to a family event in years.”

“Go you.” Magnus sounded decidedly bemused by my gesture.

“It’s after ski season and before summer tourism, so maybe you can get away from The Heist? The baby should hopefully be sleeping better by then too, but even if not, Rowan has agreed to come help that week.” I hadn’t wanted to leave Maren and Diesel without assistance, and luckily, Rowan was only too happy to come play uncle.

“I think I can arrange some time off.” Smiling, Magnus pulled me in for a fast kiss. “And ideas as to where you want to go? Do you have a passport?”

“Working on that.” I’d dropped off an application when I requested the days off, abs quivering at the thought of planning a getaway with Magnus, actually leaving the region for the first time in my life with the guy I loved. “And you can pick the beach. I’ve got years worth of untouched credit card miles for the airfare.”

“Any beach?” Magnus waggled his eyebrows at me. “This is going to be fun. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” I met his grin and then let my gaze turn more serious. “I meant it earlier. I love you.”

I’d been caught up in the moment, and in retrospect,me toowasn’t my most romantic reply, so I tried to make these words more meaningful.

“I love you too.” Magnus gave me a lingering kiss, but the dogs interrupted us, brushing between us on their way to their nearby beds. Unimpressed with us, they flopped down.

I chuckled. “They look settled in for the night.”

“They do, but we can go back to the carriage house if you’d rather?” Magnus pursed his lips, giving me an easy out if I wasn’t ready to share my bed here.

“You’ve seen my shower enough. About time you spend the night.” I said the words lightly, but I’d given some thought to him sleeping over in the weeks since we’d gone public. Two years ago, when Sean had moved in, I’d been unable to picture ever inhabiting that room again, let alone contemplate sharing it.

Yet, as it turned out, it was simply a room, another space in the house my family had made a home. The bedroom had held great sadness but also great joy in welcoming Destiny. It had seen three friends launched into new chapters in their lives. And now it was my turn. I was ready to bring the man I loved home.

“Lead the way then before we start making out in the kitchen here.” Magnus winked, but not before I glimpsed the feelings brimming in him as well.

“Not in front of the bear!” I joked to diffuse some of those emotions. This was a special night, not a time for heaviness.

“Goof.” Magnus chased me the rest of the way to the bedroom, not stopping till we were both inside. “Lock the door.”

“On it.” I flipped the lock, checked it, and then laced my arms around his neck, going in for the sort of kiss we couldn’t get away with at the carnival. No kissing booth here. I smiled against his mouth, sighing happily as he deepened the kiss, the sort of aggression I’d come to love from him.

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