Page 61 of Other Side Of Never
We stood side-by-side at the bottom of the bed looking at that wide, inviting expanse.
Kian hitched his hands on his lean hips.“It’s been a long time?”
“Years,” I murmured, blowing out a long, slow breath.
How did we get here?
From the moment I got into the truck until we pulled into Kian’s parents’ long driveway, Isaiah chattered like a magpie.
Even if Kian’s soothing presence hadn’t been enough to push Gary out of my mind, Isaiah’s constant questions and running commentary left no room for anything else.
And while he barely let me get a word in edgewise, the house that emerged at the end of the drive further shocked me into silence.After going with Kian to see the houses he was interested in renovating, I half-expected something along the same lines.
But his parents’ home was enormous.
As soon as Kian shifted the truck into park, Isaiah jumped down, slammed the door, and tore up the path whooping with happiness.
The resulting silence fairly buzzed.I slowly turned to face Kian.“My ears are ringing.”
He laughed.
I smirked and held my finger up to my lips, whispering, “Give me thirty seconds of silence.”
He wagged his brows and jerked his chin toward the house, a small smile curving his mouth.“Incoming.”
Twisting around, I opened my door and jumped down from the truck just as Kian’s mom made it across the front lawn, a tea towel waving in her hand.
“I’m Moira and you must be Bridget,” she exclaimed with a smile, and I immediately saw where Kian got his hazel eyes and the smile lines I loved so much.
I froze.
Loved?
I shook away the thought, extended my hand, and smiled.“It’s lovely to meet you, Moira.”
She waved my hands away.“Oh, go on and give me a hug.”
Once upon a million years ago, my mom did much the same when she met Gary.Tears stung the back of my eyes as I quickly hugged her back.“You remind me of my mom,” I admitted.
She tightened her hold.“You have her still?”
I shook my head.
“Aw, well.I’ll hug you extra tight for her, then.”
I closed my eyes and tried not to cling.I wasn’t positive I succeeded, but Kian tugged me out of her arms and saved me from further embarrassment.
“Stop hogging my Bridget, Mom.”
My Bridget.
She laughed, sounding almost exactly like him, but didn’t comment on his claim.“Come on inside the house.Everybody is waiting to meet you.”
To meet me?
I ran my hand along the knotted redwood trim on my way through the door.Glancing at Kian I mouthed ‘beautiful.’
Giving it a knock, he explained, “My brothers and I worked on this with my dad about a million years ago.”
