Page 37 of When Love Comes Home

When I walk into the house, Katie’s in the kitchen, stirring something in a pot.

"It smells amazing in here," I say, pulling a stool up to the center island.

"Wait, wait, wait," she says, holding up a spoon. "Don't get too comfortable, sous-chef,you're going to help me with this. I need you to chop onions, carrots, and celery."

"Yes, ma’am," I reply, smiling as I head to the refrigerator. "What kind of soup are we making?"

"Chicken noodle," she says with a grin. "I’m serving it with the baguette we picked up at the farmers' market. It’s been waiting in the freezer for some comfort food, so soup it is!"

I wash my hands and move to stand beside her as she sprinkles herbs and spices into the pot. I start chopping vegetables, waiting for the right moment to tell her I talked to Jon about us.

"How long does this need to simmer?" I ask, dropping the chopped veggies into the pot.

"About twenty minutes," she replies, covering the pot with a lid.

I reach for her hand. "Can we sit for a bit and talk?"

She glances at me, then follows me to the sofa.

"What is it?" she asks, settling beside me.

"I had lunch with your dad today," I say, watching her closely for a reaction.

"You did?" she replies. "You didn’t mention it this morning."

"I know," I admit. "I actually called him before I left Cortland to invite him."

"Oh?" she says, her tone calm, without a hint of disapproval. "Was there something specific you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah," I say, gently tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I wanted to let him know that I'm madly in love with his oldest daughter and that I have every intention of pursuing a relationship with her."

"Really?" she asks, smiling. "How exactly did you frame it?"

"I asked him what he thought and then basically begged him to give me his blessing," I admit.

Her smile turns into a chuckle, then a soft giggle. She leans back on the couch, laughter spilling out of her.

"You're afraid of him," she says between bouts of giggles.

"It's a healthy fear," I counter. "You're his baby. I'm just the foster kid he took under his wing. What if he had said no—that I wasn't good enough for you? What then?"

"Would you have broken up with me if he said no?" she asks, her green eyes intense and searching.

"Thankfully, he said yes, and we never have to find out," I reply, exhaling a sigh of relief.

"He said yes because he knows you make me happy," she says, her gaze softening.

"No woman has ever said that to me before," I confess.

"That's because you never looked at anyone the way you look at me," she says, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks.

I lean in and kiss her gently on the cheek before whispering, "You make me happy too."

***

I got the keys to the condo two days ago, and today Katie and I are shopping for furniture.

"I don't need much," I say as we walk around the furniture store, deciding on a living room set.

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