Page 153 of The Route to You

His throat thickened, and for the first time since Granny’s funeral, his eyes misted.

He didn’t hesitate. He stood, crossed the space, and grabbed the box. Ripping the tape off, he dug for the letter he’d stashed there when he’d packed the box last January, before leaving for Vail.

The envelope trembled between his fingertips.

Granny left strict instructions. Scatter her ashes on one of his adventures. Somewhere beautiful. Don’t open the letter until then.

But he’d failed at the first two instructions.

Might as well make it three for three.

He slid his finger under the seal and ripped the envelope open.

39

SLOAN

The house was dark as Sloan pulled up in the driveway—not even the porch light on.

She frowned, rubbing the back of her neck as she stared up at the windows. If Kyle had installed the curtain rods and blinds, she couldn’t see them from here.

Just . . . no lights on.

Which was strange, because Kyle’s truck was here.

Worry skipped through her mind, and she shoved it away. She’d answered his text after the plane had landed but hadn’t gotten anything since. And her call went straight to voicemail.

Maybe she should have called him before leaving San Francisco. She’d wanted to surprise him, and anyway, she didn’t need to be picked up because she’d left her car in long-term parking. But now she was worried.

She got out of the car, leaving her suitcase in the trunk.

The dogs heard her before she even opened the storm door, their barks sounding at the door. She was welcomed by a waggle of tails and hopping dogs, and even though she could barely see, she greeted them with hugs.

Standing, she flipped on the light above the foyer and then closed the door. “Kyle?”

Silence.

She went up the stairs. “Kyle?”

The door to her bedroom opened, then Kyle came out into the hall.

He stared at her, as though she were a ghost, and her gut dropped hard. His eyes were red and swollen, his face distressed as though he’d been crying. “You’re back,” he said, voice rough and deep.

“Of course I’m back,” she said, taking a faltering step toward him. “This is our home.”

The word slipped out before she realized what she’d said, but Kyle clocked it right away.

“Our?”

“I mean—” Her heart jumped. Just say, oops, I made a mistake.

Then something more stubborn won out. “Yes. Our . Yours and mine, Kyle. And the dogs, too.” She took yet another step. “I’m home. Where else was I going to go?”

Kyle answered by coming down the hallway, closing the gap between them with an urgency she hadn’t expected. He caught her in his arms, swift and strong, his mouth descending on hers with unrestrained passion as his hands tangled into her hair at the nape of her neck and back of her head.

Her heart slammed against her ribs, her breath stolen away as she sagged against him, slightly off balance and body sparking to life. His tongue traced the seam of her mouth, sending lightning straight down her spine, and her mouth parted for his, meeting him kiss for kiss, breath for breath, tongues colliding with need and want, heat and desire.

Dizzy, she wrapped her arms around his neck to steady herself and pressed the length of her body hard against him.