Page 34 of When Love Comes Home

"I've told you how I feel," I say, needing her to be completely honest with me. "Do you think there's a chance that what we have could become more with time?"

She looks away, as if searching for the answer in the distance. When her gaze returns to mine, it’s earnest, open—beautiful.

"I don't need more time," she says. "I spent years looking for reasons to hate you. I was consumed by thoughts of you and how you had wronged me. My family kept telling me I was the one who was wrong, but I didn't listen." She chuckles softly as if recalling a memory. "Dad always had what we called ‘Adam updates’—yeah, at least once a month. Even if I didn't want to hear it, our conversations would inevitably circle back to you. The truth is, as hard as I fought to know nothing about you, Dad made sure I knew everything. And as much as I hated it, I never had a valid reason to dislike you. The more time passed, and the more Dad shared, the more I had to admit that you were pretty amazing. It infuriated me."

I chuckle, thinking of all the "Katherine updates" I sat through.

"What?" she asks, shooting me a smile.

"Your dad shared plenty about his pride and joy, too," I say.

"I heard," she says, laughing. "According to Laila and Loren, you know all about my dating life."

"Let's see," I begin. "Besides what you've told me, I know you went out with Adam Trent from Trent Hardware in Albany—and that you couldn't see a future with him because he shared a name with your archenemy."

"I feel horrible," she says, shaking her head. "I can't believe how stubborn I was. But believe it or not, there's a bright side to all of this."

"Oh yeah?" I tease. "Do tell. I'm all ears."

"Well," she says, a small smile playing on her lips. "Think about it—if I had let everyone convince me I was wrong, I would have grown up seeing you as part of my family. You'd be like a brother to me. That's not what I want."

"Tell me what you want," I say.

She squeezes my hand and leans into me before whispering, "I want you."

I smile, but I don't interrupt her. I want to hear every word—to let her express every thought and feeling.

"It's clear to me now that my feelings about you were misplaced," she continues. "I’m the only one to blame, and I'm sorry for how I treated you. But I’m glad I never saw you as a brother. In the last few weeks, all the anger, resentment, and envy I carried for so long have dissolved, and my feelings have transformed into something else."

She takes a breath, her voice softer now. "I love you, Adam. I wish I could tell you the exact moment it happened, but something deep inside tells me I’ve spent the last six years waiting for the day you’d come home—because my heart knew something my mind refused to accept. I love you, and I think I’ve loved you for much longer than I ever imagined."

I lift my hand and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger as they graze her skin, my eyes drinking her in. This new energy between us is pure—clean, untouched by fear, anger, or resentment. Her eyes shimmer with emotion, and when she smiles, it's sweet and unguarded. She leans into my palm, closing her eyes as if savoring every second of our touch.

"I have to move out, Katie," I say, hoping she'll understand. "I don't need to live with you to know that what I feel for you is strong, solid and forever. I don't want to put any of it in jeopardy by rushing it."

"Okay," she whispers, putting her head back on my shoulder. I wrap my arm around her and pull her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, knowing that tomorrow, I'll have to speak to Jon.

Chapter 16

Katherine

Hesmellsdivineandlooks even better as he moves around the kitchen, pulling out a mixing bowl, eggs, milk, and flour. No one would ever guess, just by looking at him, that underneath all that muscle and strength is a sweet, kind, and loving soul. Or maybe I was the only one who couldn’t see it.

"What's on the menu this morning, master chef?" I ask as he sets everything down on the counter.

"Master chef?" he chuckles. "My skills are more at the level of a line cook."

"The best-looking line cook I've ever seen," I say, arching an eyebrow to let him know I mean business.

He steps closer, his hazel eyes deepening as he plants a hand on either side of me, caging me against the counter.

“Katie?” The question in his tone and the way he says my name send warmth cascading through me from head to toe.

"Yes?" I breathe, my heartbeat quickening.

"Can I kiss you?"

"I thought you'd never ask," I murmur, closing my eyes, anticipation curling in my chest. The first thing I feel is his hand at the crook of my neck. The gesture is so intimate, so deliberate, it sends a ripple of excitement right through me.

---