Page 35 of When You Got a Good Thing (Misfit Inn 1)

“I’m sure, under better circumstances, she’d frame it as being upset that I’m not meeting my potential or some similar crap. But in a nutshell, due to my aimlessness and total lack of ambition, she’s worried I’ll just end up another burden on the family.”

“How can she think you’d be a burden? You’ve worked. You’ve always worked. How else does she think you’ve lived all over the world?”

“Ah, but it was all temporary, short-term, low-skill and therefore low-wage kind of labor. None of which applies here. In her eyes, I have no degree, no education, no long-term job experience, and thus, very little to recommend myself to prospective employers.”

“Your mother just died and you’ve changed your whole life to come back here. Does she seriously expect you to have it all figured out already?”

Another shoulder twitch. “It’s Maggie. She would. Or she’d try. She is trying to sort out the state of Mom’s finances with Mom’s attorney.” She took the carrots and potatoes from him, chopping with a chef-like efficiency before drizzling everything in olive oil and tossing with the remaining herb mixture. “But she doesn’t understand that she doesn’t need to sort me out, too. And I don’t think any of them really believe that I’m here to stay.”

“Have they seen you with Ari?” he demanded. “Are they blind? She’s attached to you, and I saw you the other morning. You aren’t going to walk away from her. That much was obvious in five minutes.”

Kennedy slid the skillet into the oven and set the timer on the microwave. “She reminds me so much of me. If she sees even a glimmer that she’s going to be turned over to someone else without her own wants being taken into account, she’ll bolt. So, no, I’m not going to walk away from her.”

“Do you think she’s a flight risk?” Xander had worked his fair share of runaway cases and knew that too often they didn’t turn out well.

“I would’ve been under these circumstances.”

“Have you talked to your sisters about all this?”

“I was trying the night of the fight. But they assume that since I haven’t known Ari before now, that I don’t understand her and I don’t have anything of value to offer on the discussion.”

Xander kept hearing echoes of the same things—value, worth, merit—all things she’d struggled with since they were kids because she didn’t fit the traditional mold for anything. And it infuriated him that her sisters would add to that rather than build her up.

“What about Pru?” he asked. “What has she had to say about you being back?”

Something flickered over Kennedy’s face. “We had a good talk the other day. While she maybe doesn’t know what I bring to the table in terms of the future, she’s happy to have me home. And I admit, it’s nice to have at least one person on my side.”

Xander stepped into her, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “I hope you know she isn’t the only one.”

Kennedy angled her face into his touch, but she didn’t move her gaze from his. “Why?”

Because I still love you. The certainty of it sank into his bones, and with it, a realization that she could absolutely slay him. Again. But it was her. For him, it had always been her, so he was willing to take the risk.

Xander framed her face between his palms. “Because of this.”

He kissed her, not with an intent to seduce or to spread the heat that always seemed to bubble in his blood around her, but to pour out the deep well of sweetness she inspired. No one else had ever made him want to give tenderness. But she did—his beautiful, broken gypsy.

By the time he eased back, she was shaking. Her pupils were huge and her hands were curved around his forearms. Xander didn’t feel entirely steady himself.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her expression stricken. “I’m sorry I walked away from you. And I don’t know if it matters to you or not, but I thought of you every day. I missed you every day.”

“It matters.” He wrapped his arms around her. “But I’m not worried about the yesterdays anymore. Let’s just focus on the now.”

Chapter Nine

“HAVE A GOOD DAY at school, sweetie.” Maggie hugged Ari.

The girl submitted to the embrace for a few moments before edging away with an awkward shuffle of feet. “Have a good trip back.” Ari focused on the toes of her hot pink Chuck Taylors.

“I’ll be back as soon as I’m able to rearrange some things at work,” Maggie promised.

Another small head bob from Ari.

“Got your lunch, kiddo?” Kennedy asked. She got actual eye contact, and that felt like a victory.

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Mrs. Balzli is waiting in the driveway,” Pru said gently.

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