Font Size:  

They lived on opposite coasts now, and Blake had a close relationship with his family. Lauren could become one of them.

He glanced at the timer on the stove for the soup and made a snap decision. He flipped off the burner but left the pot on the hot grate. It would finish or it wouldn’t, and he could check on it later.

He canceled the timer and strode after Lauren. She’d gone into her bedroom, but she hadn’t closed the door.

He’d never been inside this room, at least after he’d helped her set up her bed when she’d moved in. Today, he only hesitated for half a step, and then he entered.

Lauren loved things neat and clean, crisp and fresh, and her bedroom was no different. She’d laid down on top of her comforter, her back to him.

“Hey,” he said, sure she’d heard his footsteps. “I’m coming in.”

She said nothing. Not even a sniffle met his ears. She’d discarded her shoes in the kitchen during the soup-making, but Blake kicked his off beside her bed.

“I’m laying down by you,” he said.

She scooted further into the middle of the bed, and Blake climbed into bed with her. He pressed his chest to her back and slid one arm under her head and the other he laid over her arm and side.

He had no idea what to say. “Listen,” he said. “I don’t care if he likes me. I got to meet him, and that’s all I wanted.”

“It’s not all I wanted,” she whispered.

“I know, baby.” He pressed his lips to the back of her neck, the moment between them tender and sweet and memorable.

He decided he didn’t need to say anything else, and he simply held Lauren so she wouldn’t have to be alone. After a few minutes of peaceful silence, she did sniffle and turn into him.

He held her closer to his heart, her face pressed against his chest, and stroked her hair. “Hey, it’s okay,” he murmured. “I’m right here, and we have something so great. Okay?”

She nodded, and Blake just let her cry softly for several more minutes.

Then he said, “I’ll get you some soup and be right back.”

“Thank you,” she whispered, and while Blake didn’t want to leave her alone in the bedroom, and he was really enjoying holding her on her bed, he slipped away and padded down the hall to the kitchen.

He tasted the soup and found the noodles and carrots tender the way he’d suspected they’d be. He found the bowls easily, as he’d helped her unpack and put those away, and he dished up their dinner.

Everything about tonight hadn’t gone right, Blake knew. But so many things had. So many things aligned inside him as he moved about this house, knowing where things were and working together with Lauren.

He paused as he took out the spoons, because he’d just had a thought. This house wasn’t as large as his—only two bedrooms. Lauren loved it so much, and Tommy could still live here with them.

They hadn’t talked too terribly much about getting married, which was why Lauren had shut down Jess’s question. He’d pointed out that they’d only been dating for two months too.

It was almost three, and Blake had been trying to start something with Lauren for much longer than that. Jess simply didn’t know that, because he didn’t know anything about Lauren and her life here.

Her very good, very amazing life here, in this amazing house that she loved so much.

She was a strong, talented, smart woman, and as Blake lifted two spoons from her utensil drawer, he knew he was in love with her.

It didn’t feel like the right time to tell her, those words not something she’d want to absorb after the disastrous phone call she’d been hoping would go better. Or different. Or something.

Still, he smiled to himself, and he put it on his relationship to-do list to start asking her about her ideal wedding, and where they should live once they got married, and how they wanted to build their family life together.

He took the soup down the hall to find Lauren’s bed empty. She came out of her bathroom a second or two later, and he held up one bowl for her. She owned bowl cozies, so she could take it without burning herself, and she did with a soft, grateful smile.

She’d changed out of her gardening clothes and into a pair of soft black pants and an oversized sweatshirt. She tucked her legs under herself as she sat on the settee against the wall that faced the bed, and Blake lowered himself to the remaining seat beside her.

He stirred his soup and lifted a steaming bite to his lips. “This is going to be incredible with the veggie from your garden.”

“It’s too hot,” she warned, but Blake put the soup in his mouth anyway.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like