Page 26 of Forbidden Love

The next Saturday, I met with my brothers, and we toured the properties my realtor lined up. One stood out above the rest. It was near their homes. I didn’t want to be far from their growing families. I wanted to be an option if they needed a sitter. I wanted to be involved in their lives.

My realtor put in a fair offer for it, and it was accepted later that day. Closing would be quick because my paperwork was in order. I’d been waiting to make this decision. I just needed confirmation from my brothers that it was the right one.

Later in the afternoon, I drove to a local park to meet Kylie at the softball fields. She was already there, waiting in the pavilion. I parked my truck next to her smaller sedan and walked past the empty playground to reach her.

Kylie’s hands gripped a clipboard, and her hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail that I wanted to tug so I could taste her exposed skin.

“How’d it go this morning?” she asked as I leaned in and kissed her cheek. I lingered for a second, picking up on her surprise and the smell of lavender.

“They accepted my offer. As soon as we close on the property, I’ll break ground.” I smiled. With spring around the corner, it was the perfect time.

Kylie grinned before throwing her arms around my neck. I felt the unforgiving hardness of the clipboard dangling down my back, but it was the softness of her breasts pressed against my chest that had my full attention. She squeezed me tighter, and I barely suppressed the groan at the way she felt. “That’s so amazing. Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I said as she unraveled her arms from my neck.

Her smile was brilliant. “That’s so exciting. I can’t even imagine building a house.”

I chuckled. “It’s literally what I do.”

“It’s probably not exciting for you. But picking out everything from scratch? I’ve always loved looking at blueprints of houses online. I love thinking of the possibilities. Which room would be mine, where would I relax, and how would I come in from the garage? Sorry, I’m rambling.” She glanced away as if she was embarrassed.

“You’re speaking my language right now.”

Her shoulders relaxed as she laughed.

“But seriously, I had no idea you were so into houses.” It was a surprise.

“I look at blueprints and imagine myself living there.”

“You lived in an apartment in Paris, didn’t you?” Did she want to build a home, and if so, where?

“It was so tiny, but it was all mine. My fridge was one of those mini ones, so I’d either eat out or buy my dinner each night fresh so I could cook it right away. I enjoyed that, but there’s something about being back home. Even with the mountains in the distance, the land feels so empty and vast.”

“You feel small in the scheme of things.”

“I always compare myself to the mountains,” she said as she led the way to the edge of the pavilion facing the ball fields.

We fell silent for a minute, enjoying the view.

“It’s so beautiful here.” Her gaze was on the land and the mountains. Mine was on her. The line of her jaw, the curve of her shoulder, the dip in her waist. I was so close to her I could smell the lavender of her body wash, or maybe it was her shampoo. Whatever it was, I wanted to move closer and rest a hand on her back while I breathed her in.

“We should take a look at the fields. See what we’re working with.” She sent me a bright smile before moving toward the first field, where there was a sign advertising fast-pitch travel softball tryouts. “This is where the local travel team practices and hosts games.”

There was a metal fence surrounding the field and a smaller fence behind a metal bench. A yellow tarp was tied to the two fences, providing a little bit of shade.

Kylie sat on the bench.

“It only provides a little bit of shade. Depending on the angle, it won’t block anything.”

“There’s no protection from the elements and no separation from the fans.”

“It’s better than what I had, but we can do better.” Her gaze met mine.

“We sure can.” I grinned at her, and she smiled in response.

I was going to enjoy working with her. She was smart and detail oriented. It had nothing to do with this attraction I had for her.

“I reached out to the travel teams and rec leagues in the area. Most got back to me and expressed interest. A few asked if we’d be helping the baseball teams too.”

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