Page 95 of After You Returned

“I’m sorry. It sucks you got hurt saving a student.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. Besides, it gave me an excuse to spend time with my favorite physical therapist on the island.” He winks.

“I’m the only physical therapist on the island.”

“You’re still my favorite.”

“Thank you. Most of my clients have secret fantasies about trapping me under the motor of a treadmill.”

“Nah. Those fantasies aren’t secret. They write about them in their reviews.”

“Gee. Thanks. Way to make me feel loved.”

He stalks toward me. I have to lock my limbs in order to hold my ground. He tucks a curl behind my ear. “I can show you how much I love you.”

I nod to the shack. “You used to show me in your shack, but now you’re selling it.”

“It’s not sold yet. We could go for one last hurrah?”

I shove him away and he stumbles in the sand. “One last hurrah?”

He chuckles. “For old times’ sake.”

“Miles Raider, behave!”

“Why start now?”

I shake my head, but I can’t help a smile from forming. Miles has and always will test my patience. He pushes all my buttons. And not just the sexy buttons. The ‘how far can I push her until she breaks’ button gets used an awful lot, too.

“I’m serious, surfer boy. Why are you selling your shack?”

“I don’t have time to give lessons anymore. The distillery is getting busier, and I’ve taken on a more active role as sales manager.”

I wait for him to make a derogatory comment about his job but he doesn’t. He actually appears happy. He’s growing up. Accepting his future won’t include being a surfer on the pro circuit. Maybe this time our relationship will last.

“Stopping with lessons doesn’t mean you need to sell the shack.”

“I don’t need all the storage for the equipment for lessons anymore.”

“But what about the shower for after you’re done surfing? Or the refrigerator the entire Raider clan uses during summer days at the beach?”

“The Raider clan can learn to drag a wagon filled with supplies onto the beach the way the other locals do.”

“But you use the refrigerator, too. Are you going to drag a wagon onto the beach?”

“Once we have kids and need a gazillion supplies.”

My mouth drops open. Is he seriously discussing us having kids? We have never discussed having kids.

Don’t get me wrong. Miles has made it clear he wants children. And I’ve told him I want children as well. But we’ve never talked aboutushaving kids.

“Why do tiny creatures need so many supplies anyway? It makes no sense,” he continues as if he didn’t just rock my world.

“You’re serious?”

“I’ve made myself perfectly clear, Blaze. I love you, and I’m not going anywhere. You want children. I want children. Makes sense, we have children together since we will be together.”

My heart batters against my chest. For a second, I forget how to breathe. Miles is discussing us having children as if it’s a foregone conclusion. Miles. The man who’s been hot and cold to me for years.