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“We do need to plan the fundraiser.”
He nodded. “You can take a break from everything else.”
“That would be good.”
He kissed me softly on the lips. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I unlocked my door and headed inside. Lying down on my bed, I did breathing exercises to find my equilibrium and center myself. It didn’t work like it usually did. Instead, I felt more unsettled and almost panicked that my usual relaxation techniques weren’t working.
Sitting on my yoga mat in my usual position, I tried again, finally putting on a guided meditation to help. Afterward, I lay down, easily falling asleep. I woke with a start, and the room was dark.
I needed to get to Colton’s. Showering quickly, I stopped by a local wine store and then drove to the address Colton texted me. He lived on the outskirts of town in an older community with mature trees and basketball nets in every driveway.
It was different from the historic area but still very much Colton.
As I parked in his driveway, he opened the front door and stood on the porch. In jeans and a tee, he looked solid. A force to be reckoned with. Moving toward him, I felt buoyed being near him. Maybe I was right, Colton was one of the things that made me feel better, safer, and more secure.
I didn’t want to rely on it too much, but tonight, I needed it. He held his arms open, and I walked into them.
“Feeling better?” His words tickled my hair.
“Now that I’m here,” I said, looking up at him.
His lips curled into a soft smile. “Hungry?”
“I forgot I didn’t eat lunch.” Visiting the health clubs this morning seemed so long ago. Almost like a different day.
The meditation helped a little, but I longed for a deeper connection.
Colton kept me tucked into his side as we walked through his home. Scout greeted us, his tail wagging. Patting his head, I took in my surroundings. The kitchen was modern with white cabinets and gray swirl countertops; there was also a sunken family room with a large, comfortable-looking sectional facing a flat-screen TV over a large stone fireplace.
He let me go to finish cutting up cherry tomatoes for a salad.
“Your place is beautiful.”
“It was the first thing I purchased when I came back. I didn’t want to live in an apartment.”
“You wanted something for yourself. A place you could call home.”
He glanced up at me, almost as if he were surprised by my observations. “That’s right.”
I slid onto the stool at the large island. “I want the same. Don’t get me wrong, I love my cozy apartment and its proximity to work. And maybe I see a home as the people I surround myself with, not so much the place.”
I was a little surprised by my words. I always knew I wanted a family.
He looked at me with so much warmth in his gaze. “I love that.”
I tapped my fingers on the counter, not mentioning that I wasn’t close to having that. Normally, I surrendered myself, believing there was a right moment for everything. But today, I was off-kilter, more needy and desperate than I usually felt.
Carrying the salad bowl, he said, “The steak and potatoes are on the grill.”
“Can I help with anything?” I asked, sliding off the stool.
“Can you grab the plates and napkins?”
I picked up the pile of plates, silverware, and paper napkins that were in one stack, and I followed his lead outside. It was the deck in the picture. His view was an expansive, sloping yard with trees in the distance. “This is so nice and private.”
“It was what sold me on the property when I visited.”
