“Hey.”
He appeared in front of me. Sliding his palms up my arms, he curled those long fingers over my shoulders. I didn’t understand why, but that small move calmed the craziness inside me.
My feet stopped. My gaze found his. “I’m scared,” I admitted in a quiet whisper.
He didn’t tell me everything was going to be all right, didn’t try to convince me I had nothing to be afraid of. He simply banded his arms around me and pulled me into his chest.
I went without hesitation, shamelessly taking the comfort he offered. Even though I knew I shouldn’t.
“All do… Oh.”
Unlike when Millie had interrupted us earlier, Tristan and I didn’t jump apart when Mrs. Humphreys strolled in. The disappointment at the intrusion was still the same though.
Ignoring the unwelcome feeling, I slipped out of Tristan’s embrace. He didn’t let me go very far. That arm of his snaked around my waist, tethering me to his side.
“I can see you’re worried, Kate,” Mrs. Humphreys said, coming over to us. “You really shouldn’t be.” With a wink, she patted the side of my arm then turned her attention to the towering giant next to me. “Lovely to see you again. You’ve made quite the impression on our little Millie.” Another wink. “I can see myself out.”
I didn’t let her walk out alone. Although I probably should have since she wouldn’t stop talking about how great it was that I finally was in a stable relationship. By the time I shut the door behind her, I was ready to collapse into aheap.
“Doing better?”
Like before, Tristan was right behind me. I sucked in a deep fortifying breath then spun to face him.
“You were right,” I said. “We should definitely get married.”
Chapter fifteen
Kate
Saturday mornings were my favorite.
Millie would crawl into bed with me before the sun was out, and we’d sleep until we couldn’t sleep anymore. Once we were up, a dance party was mandatory, followed by her favorite breakfast: pancakes with berries and strawberry milk.
It was a tradition we’d started shortly after she came to live with me. We’d both needed a break from grieving and slowly, over time, spending our mornings like this had eased some of our hurt.
On this particular Saturday though, not even all the dancing in the world could lift my spirits.
I was married.
And I hadn’t seen my husband since we walked out of the courthouse as Mr. and Mrs. Blake five days earlier.
I didn’t mind. I was still reeling from that impromptu visit and almost kiss. Okay, maybe I used the wrong ‘R’-word. Reliving was more accurate. Every waking minute when I wasn’t with Millie, my stupid brain would replay that moment in my kitchen.
Without the interruption.
I’d imagine him sliding those long fingers into my hair before his mouth crashed to mine. In my mind, he kissed me like the world was ending. Rough and urgent, like he couldn’t get enough.
Too many times, I’d imagined him lifting me onto the counter and pushing my legs apart. I could practically see him slowly drag his zipper down before he…
“Kate?”
With a jolt, my attention was forced back to the present. Millie was still dancing but I didn’t miss the crease on her forehead. Goodness, how long had she been calling me? Heat crept into my cheeks.
“What’s up, Bug?”
Jumping in place, she hugged her plushie against her side and raised the roof with her free arm. “Can Tristan come over for breakfast?”
A record scratched inside my brain. “Uh, you want to invite Tristan over? Now?”
