Page 83 of No Place Like Home
He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Fine.”
I stepped back and climbed out of the Jeep. His face was filled with irritation and anger.
I didn’t blame him. I caused this—all of this. “I’m sorry. I know I should have told you about . . . Hell, I should have told you decades ago. I was alone and scared, and . . .” Shit. I looked down at my feet.
“And what, Summer?” he asked, his voice flat. Emotionless.
My eyes traveled up his body—the body that, until recently, I never let myself see as anything but “good-looking”. But now I finally focused on the details: the tightness of his thighs, the contours of the muscles through his shirt, his loving heart. My eyes methis—those large brown pools that I’d looked into so many times over the years.
I reached for his hands—the hands that held me and consoled me throughout my lifetime, and recently touched me and sent me places I had never been before. A warmth oozed from my heart and a realization struck me like a bolt of lightning to the chest. The words I thought just now in the house were true.
I didn’t want to live my life without Rowan. Not anymore. He knew my secret and he didn’t care. He still wanted me.
A small part of me had not been surprised at all when he’d told me that—It was Rowan.
A single tear fell down my cheek and he brushed it gently away. I reached up, grabbed his hand, and held it against my cheek. “I’m sorry I screwed things up.” I opened my mouth and closed it, unable to form all the words I wanted to say. My stomach rolled and my pulse picked up. “I want you to stay with me.”
He tucked my hair behind my ear, pulled his gaze away from me, and breathed out one word. “Why?”
Why. Such a simple word, but a difficult question. I gave him the only answer I could. “Because you make me a better person. Because I need you, and I like who I am when we’re together.”
I took a deep breath. “But, most of all, because I love you.”
His gaze caught mine and the corners of his mouth ticked up. “What did you say?”
My smile matched his and I breathed out a laugh. “I love you, Rowan. I probably always have but have been too stupid and insecure to realize it.”
“Summer, you are anything but stupid. Insecure, ornery, stubborn,pig-headed—”
I punched him in the gut, and he doubled over with a laugh. “Okay, maybe I went too far with pig-headed.” He stood and rubbed his stomach. “You’ve still got a mean jab.”
“I had a good teacher.”
He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to him.
I wrapped mine around his neck.
“Yeah, you did,” he said as his lips met mine. Our tongues danced and a moan escaped me. Kissing him made all my body parts wake up and come alive.
Chapter 37
Summer
Saturday afternoon found us at Kaye’s. We were celebrating the homecoming of the newlyweds, which was supposed to have been held at Tonya’s house, but since she’d just gotten out of the hospital and needed to take it easy, Kaye had everyone at her place.
Rowan and I showed up a little later than we should have. Making up took work, and we were making sure we were beingverythorough.
“Well, it’s about time you made it,” Kora said as Rowan and I entered the yard holding hands.
They both looked suntanned, refreshed, and happy.
“Looks like everything worked out,” Kai added as he pulled me in for a hug.
“Maybe,” I said with a laugh.
“Definitely,” Rowan added.
Kora pulled me away from Rowan and Kai. “I’m stealing her for a bit. We have to catch up. Seems like a lot can happen in a week.”
