Page 76 of The Caretaker
Deb nudged her head in the direction of the couch. “Should I save him?”
One of the twins chose that moment to toss an arm out in his sleep, catching Solace in the chin. He didn’t even stir. He was tired. I’d kept him up late last night, using his body to anchor myself after the day we’d had.
“Nah,” I said. “Trust me, he’s enjoying this.”
We turned to leave, and I stopped her halfway down the hall. Leland continued out to the patio to rejoin the others. “Back in high school, I used to give your boyfriends hell,” I said to her.
She scoffed. “That’s putting it mildly. You were a prick. Threatened to reach into their bodies and rip out their guts. Who says shit like that?” she asked incredulously.
“I didn’t threaten Gabe, though.” The fog veiling the particulars of that memory had cleared in the middle of the night, revealing a tall, geeky guy trembling as he asked if he could date my sister. I’d given him my blessing.
Deb looked to her boys again, both the spitting images of their father. “No,” she said. “Gabe you liked from the beginning.”
“That’s it,” I said. “That’s all I’ve got for now.”
“And that’s okay,” she replied with a soft smile.
“Yeah. I’m gonna walk the grounds, get some fresh air. In case anyone’s looking for me.”
“Okay, just don’t get lost,” she said, giggling at my unimpressed expression. “Too bad you recalled your shitty sense of direction.” She patted my cheek before heading for the patio.
“I knew I’d find you here,” Solace said, stepping into the stables an hour later.
I dropped the brush I held and marched toward him with purpose, crushing my lips against his in a jaw-aching kiss.
I’d come to the stables because I needed space, needed some alone time to think. But I never needed space from Solace, and if he’d been awake, I’d have taken him with me. Instead, I’d settled for missing him.
“I missed you too,” he panted once I let him go. We lived in a constant state of longing for each other. If we weren’t kissing, we missed each other’s lips. If we weren’t talking, we missed the sound of the other’s voice. And if we weren’t making love, we missed how life-altering it felt when our bodies came together in that way.
“I’m officially obsessed with you,” I said, kissing his smiling mouth. “Thank you for being here with me.”
“Of course.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Never apart, never again.”
That was our promise, our new pact.
“Jasper told me to tell you that Sophia’s on her way.”
Sophia was Jasper’s best friend. She, her husband and their two boys were a part of the family we’d all apparently created. “Are you ready to have all these new people in your life?”
“With you by my side, I’m ready to take on anything.” He peeked around me to the chestnut mare. “Is this Delores?”
“The one and only.” I walked him over to her, then resumed brushing her thick mane as we spoke. “She remembers me. I wish it was a mutual remembrance.”
“Your heart remembers,” Solace said. “It’s written all over you.”
I nodded. “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
Sadness suddenly eclipsed the joy that had filled Solace’s gaze, but then I blinked and it was gone. What had I said wrong?
“It’s nothing,” he said, holding up a hand. I hadn’t realized I’d stepped closer to him. I
eyed him for a moment, then decided to let it go.
“Cole said we can take her to Haley Cove whenever we’re ready.”
“That’s nice of him.” Solace laid a hand on Delores’s flank. “Think you can ride her?”
“I don’t know. I mean, I want to. I’m assuming it’s like riding a bike. I’m nervous about testing out that assumption.”
