“She’s wonderful. Growing bigger every day. Would you like to come in and see her?”
Travis’s smile widened. “I’d love to.”
“Excuse the mess,” she said for the second time that day when Travis followed her into the living room. “I’m moving in with my aunt and uncle today, so everything is packed and ready to go and all my stuff and Hope’s stuff is piled up everywhere.”
She led him to where Hope was still asleep in the bassinet. His face lit up when he saw her.
“She’s got so big! And she looks so cute lying there all cosy.”
“I’d offer to let you hold her, but I don’t want to risk waking her up when we’ve got a busy day ahead of us with the big move.”
“Of course. No, don’t wake her up.”
For a long beat, Travis continued looking at Hope, smiling as he watched her sleep. It was impossible for Courtney to miss the tenderness in his expression as he looked at her tiny daughter,and seeing the soft look in his eyes made her heart do traitorous things to her.
“So,” Courtney said to fill the quiet moment. “What brings you to Hamblehurst?”
Travis turned from the baby and gave her an easy shrug. “I was visiting my sister and I thought…” He trailed off all of a sudden and his shoulders sagged. “Ihadto see you, Courtney. Visiting my sister was just an excuse. I’ve missed you.”
She hadn’t expected this turn in the conversation, and although she searched frantically for a response, none came.
“Ever since I returned to London, I’ve wished I was back here,” he continued. “I tried to stay focused on my manuscript editing and any number of other things to keep me busy. But none of it made any difference because I couldn’t stop thinking about you.”
Courtney knew her mouth was gaping, but was helpless to do anything about it.
“And I know I’m probably miles out of line here. IknowI am,” Travis said. “But I had to come here and tell you this because I need to know…” He blew out a breath. “I need to know if you might feel the same way about me as I feel about you.”
She wanted desperately to say something, but still, no words came. What Travis had said left her utterly stunned.
Travis searched her face, seeking a response, before he spoke again. “I keep thinking about that picnic we had at the park. I almost kissed you that day and it was only much later when I thought about it that I wondered if maybe… if maybe you’d almost kissed me, too.”
Courtney felt her cheeks flame with heat, a mixture of embarrassment and longing. She tried to think about how to answer, but it wasn’t her brain that steered her—it was her heart.
“Yes, I almost kissed you,” she said, her voice tiny. “I thought I sent you running for the hills.”
He shook his head and laughed softly. “I thought I sentyourunning for the hills.”
“How on earth could you have wanted to kiss me?” she wondered, genuinely baffled. “I was a mess. A heavily pregnant, penniless, stupid mess.”
He shook his head again. “I fell for you the first time I saw you. I never stopped falling. And when Hope was born and I held her for the first time, I fell all over again.”
Courtney thought she’d melt into a puddle on the floor if he said anything else. Eyes wide, skin burning with fever because of his words, she tried to say something, but he’d once again left her utterly speechless.
Travis’s gaze searched her face for a long beat before he closed the distance between them and slipped his hand into hers. Lifting her hand to his lips, he kissed it, his eyes locked on hers. The moment was filled with such tender romance that Courtney’s knees turned to jelly.
When he stepped closer still and gently tilted her chin up, she thought she’d lose herself in the depths of his hazel eyes.
And when his lips touched hers, every nerve-ending in her body thrummed with joy.
Courtney didn’t know how long they kissed for, only that it wasn’t long enough.
Travis brushed a hand along her cheek and through her hair. Courtney inhaled the scent of him, the clean citrus smell on his neck making her rest her head against his chest with a soft sigh.
“Can I take you to dinner sometime?” Travis asked. “You and Hope?”
“We’d love that. I should warn you, though, she’s likes to dribble and drool.”
“I’ll be in good company in that case.”
