Page 158 of The Route to You

He kissed the crook of her neck. “We may have to reassess their sleeping arrangement, because I plan to do a whole lot more murder tonight. After spaghetti, of course.”

She laughed lightly, then meshed her fingers against his, letting herself rest in his arms. “I missed you, Kyle,” she confessed, feeling happier than she’d been in— God, I don’t even remember when I've been this happy.

“I missed you, too,” he answered softly. “I never stopped missing you.”

Tears stung her eyes, and she let out a slow breath that released any remaining tension from her body. “I don’t think I did either, but I’m glad I found my way back to you.”

Because if she knew one thing, it was that she would never let anything get between them again. Ever.

40

KYLE

Liddy had practically given Kyle a checklist to follow for setting ground rules to keep his heart safe . . . and he hadn’t listened to a thing she’d told him.

So, as he set up the propane on the brand-new grill on the back deck, he glanced over the rail toward the lawn, where Liddy was chasing his two nieces who were following the dogs in the grass he’d combed over for dog poop before his family had arrived for dinner. Mom, Dad, and Elle were there too, Dad throwing tennis balls for Charlie, while Sadie lavished in Tara’s belly rubs.

This, at least, was one thing he could do to keep Liddy happy. She’d been annoyed with him for missing Mom’s birthday too, and more vocal about it when Kyle had stopped by the day before at Mom and Dad’s to apologize and invite them over for dinner today. The giant bouquet he’d taken Mom had helped mollify Liddy, but then he’d told his family that he and Sloan were officially forgoing separate living spaces and making their relationship official—to which she’d been oddly quiet.

“You’re looking well,” Quinn said, the back door sliding as he came out. “Settling into the house all right then?”

Kyle nodded. “Yeah, definitely. Especially now that I’ve moved all my stuff from storage here, thanks to you and Callum.” His brothers-in-law, Dad, Jeremy, and Brandon, had proved invaluable the day before. “What about you? How’s life with another newborn?”

Quinn shook his head. “Exhausting.”

“Can’t be all that bad or you wouldn’t keep having them,” Callum said with a grin as he came outside.

Quinn rubbed his eyelids. “Laugh all you want. Someday, if we’re ever well out of the diaper stage and you and Liddy are just entering it, I’ll make sure to call and tell you to quit whining.”

“Don’t hold your breath. Liddy and I are pretty content being the fun favorite aunt and uncle for now.”

“Yeah, but you’ve got too much competition for that role. Speaking of which, how did Aiden and Isla do getting back? Aiden still seems like he has a hard time stepping away.” Kyle squatted as he twisted the valve to open the gas.

“It’ll always be more challenging for him as the head of the company,” Quinn said with a grimace. “I think they had to make a pit stop in New York for something, but they’re back safely in London now. But it was good seeing them.”

“Are you boring my brother with your brother’s travel stories?” Elle asked Quinn teasingly, coming up the deck stairs slowly. A smile spread across her face. “By the way, your daughters are now begging for a puppy.” She came up beside Quinn, and he rested his hand around her shoulders comfortably.

“I don’t think I’m ready to add yet another living creature to the house yet,” Quinn said with a pointed look at Jude, who was comfortably asleep in the baby carrier on Elle’s chest.

“Uncle Kyle won’t let them be disappointed like that, will he?” Elle fluttered her eyelashes at Kyle.

Kyle wiped his hands on his shorts, grinning. “Uncle Kyle knows that there are some gifts you don’t give anyone—and anything that’s breathing is one of them.” As Elle pouted for dramatic effect, Kyle leaned toward Quinn, “But I can also tell you that there wasn’t a single day I remember from my childhood quite so clearly as the day Mom and Dad brought home Murgs.”

“Aww, Murgs.” Elle’s pout turned into a real frown. “I still miss him. He was the best dog on the planet.”

“He was a menace,” Quinn said with a shake of his head.

“I let you two settle your differences.” Kyle slipped inside the house, heading for the kitchen.

He found Sloan at the counter, slicing some tomatoes. “You hiding out in here?” he asked, setting his hands on her shoulders as he kissed the side of her neck.

She smiled, her body curving into his instinctively. “You know, for someone who likes home-cooked meals as much as you do, you don’t seem to realize there’s no magical cooking fairy putting it all together.”

“Hmm, debatable.” He nipped her ear.

“We can’t make out in the kitchen when your parents are over,” she hissed.

“Why not? We used to make out in their kitchen while they were in the living room.”