“What about ’em?”
“How should they be split?” She pulled away, letting Elliott twirl her beneath his extended arm.
“Fifty-fifty? We can figure it out later. I hate vacuuming though, if you’re interested...?”
“I’ll take it. I’ll even do it daily if you’ll keep cooking for me.”
“Forever,” he agreed.
“Forever,” she said through a soft smile, the single word applying to somuch more than housework.
Spinning her past the dining table, Elliott danced Fern into the kitchen and around the island. Her sun-kissed freckles and soft mouth beckoned him closer, and he dipped his head to hers, nailing his hip on the oven handle in passing.
“Oof, fuck,” he groaned.
“Are you all right?” she asked, halting their waltz to squat down.
Before he could stop her, her warm fingers snaked beneath the hem of his T-shirt. She lifted it, pulled down the band of his shorts, and kissed him where he was wounded.
“That’s better.” She patted him gently and stood, one hand against the bare skin of his hip, the other settling over his heart.
Filtered sunlight lit the pink in her hair like a neon lava waterfall. A wave rippled over her shoulder, its end tangled in the button of her overalls. Gently, he freed her strands, and when he stepped away, she was staring at him with fathomless eyes, a smirk playing on her lips.
“Fern”—this was the right moment, he was certain—“I love you.”
Her smile grew to a grin, and she grasped his wrist. “I was just going to say the same thing.”
“You were not.”
“Yes, I definitely was. I love you, Elliott.”
For some reason, he hadn’t considered her saying it back.
His chest had already been full with emotion, but the feeling was nothing—nothing—like after hearing those words in return. The world dropped away, and his eyes pricked. “Fuck.”
She scowled at his chest. “Yeah, that’s not—”
“Sorry, I love you so much.” The dam broke, and he couldn’t stop smiling as tears ran down his cheeks.
“Oh! Oh.” Fern lifted her hands, small and secure, to cup his face, rubbing her thumbs over his beard. “Don’t be sad. It’s good! I think. It’s okay to love each other, right? Or is it way, way too early?”
“I don’t care.”
“Me either. Can we have sex now?”
He burst out laughing. “I want to make some joke about you gettingyour wish since it’s Saturday. But, I need to make sure… you’re positive you want to do this today?”
“I want to do it right now. I was worried about it because of Ren. I’m still sad for her, but feel better about our mating in relation to her heartbreak. We talked after— Oh my god, I forgot to tell you, my mom and I made up.”
He frowned, digging through his memories. “I think you forgot to tell me you were fighting?”
“Oh, well, we were, and you helped me feel better about it all anyway.”
“I did?” Perplexed, he let her pop up on her toes to kiss him, and his hands drifted to her ass, squeezing her through fabric.
“I’ll explain later.” Her fingers found the button on his linen shorts, and she popped it loose. “What animal do you think I’ll become?”
Palms roaming over her curves, he replied, “Hmm, I’m not sure. Definitely something adorable, lovable, and perfect for me.”
