Raising my hand, I brushed my fingers over the left side of my chest. Usually when these memories, these thoughts hit, they’d be accompanied by a crippling pain behind my ribs. One that’d made me feel weak and vulnerable.
Not today.
My heart was so fucking full, there wasn’t even an inch of space for the pain of the past.
“Blueberries or bananas?” Millie’s question pulled me away from my thoughts. She looked at me over her shoulder, gaze big and expectant.
I shrugged. “Both?”
“Ew.” She scrunched up her nose. “Blueberries and bananas don’t go together. That’s gross.”
“Of course they do.” Narrowing my eyes, I tilted my head to the side. “Have you tried it yet?”
“I’m with Millie on this one.” Kate shook her head and shuddered. “Just…no.”
“So that’s how it is, huh? My girls teaming up against me before I’ve even had coffee?” I splayed a hand over my chest. “That’s brutal.”
Millie’s laugh filled the room. Kate wasn’t laughing. Those hazel eyes, filled with a mixture of confusion and hope, bored into mine.
Maybe I was moving a few paces too fast for her brain to keep up. It was okay though. I wasn’t going anywhere, and I had all the time in the world to wait for her.
“I have an idea.” I positioned myself between them, one arm slipping around Kate’s middle and tugging her close. “Let’s do one half of the batter with blueberries and the other with bananas.”
“Yes.” Millie punched the air then set off to find another mixing bowl.
With her out of earshot, I turned to Kate. “I should’ve asked earlier, but is this okay?” Using my freehand, I tucked a few of her curls behind her ear and smiled when they bounced back. “I can’t imagine being in the same room and not touching you,” I confessed. “But if you don’t want me to do it in front of Millie, I’ll stop.”
She pulled her lip between her teeth, gaze bouncing between my eyes and mouth before finally resting on my eyes. Too many seconds ticked by as I waited and waited for those pretty lips to part.
And when they did, her whispered words were music to my ears. “Don’t stop.”
“Thank fuck,” I breathed out.
“You said a bad word again.” Millie appeared next to me.
I winced. “Sorry, princess. Looks like we’re getting you that jar after all.”
“Jar?” Kate arched a brow. “What jar?”
Because I couldn’t resist, I kissed the corner of her mouth. Millie giggled. Kate’s cheeks turned a pretty pink.
“I’ll tell you after breakfast.”
Kate snuck a peek at the phone on the counter. “Did you see the time? You have an appointment with Mrs. Chesnee in an hour.”
Of course she’d know my schedule by heart.
“Lewis can handle it.”
“Really?” Her brows shot up. “Do you want Lewis handling high-profile clients with the partnership hanging over your head?”
I stepped closer. “What if I don’t care about that anymore?”
She shook her head, and her throat bobbed with the swallow she worked down. “I thought it was important to you?”
“I found something more important.” I moved right into her space. Like before, I tucked a few strands behind her ear. “Way more important.”
When she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper. “You did?”
