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There was something about that question that got to her.
So much, she pushed up and dropped her forehead to his.
“They miss you,” she said huskily, and he was sure that wasn’t totally about the cats, so he felt those words everywhere, but most specifically in his chest. “Come in and see them.”
“I want you back at my place after we get home from Chloe’s thing.”
“Okay.”
“Official, Elz. Moved in. That’ll be home. For both of us.”
“Okay, Hale.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you.”
“You said that already.” When he opened his mouth to say more, she put the fingers of her bandaged hand to it. “It was awful. It hurt. I’m not going to pretend it didn’t. But it was the path you had to take to lead you back to me. And I’m glad you took it. I’m glad you opened that box from your dad. I’m glad you’re talking about him, openly and honestly, to me, and for yourself. I’m glad Genny and Tom were there with you. It needed to happen. And as it seems is the way with us, for us to get over an obstacle that rears up in our relationship, we need to have a blowout. And we sure did that.”
He carefully wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her hand away. “Shutting down like that on you wasn’t okay. I lost your trust. I lost your dad’s trust.”
“It’s been four days, Hale, not four years. You haven’t lost anything.”
“Baby—”
The tears returned, this time, so strong, she couldn’t hold them back, and he watched from close as they spilled over.
“Don’t you get it? I’d do it again and again, Hale. I’d do it because, in the end, it meant you got your dad back.”
He grunted at receiving the force of that velvet blow, right before he kissed her.
Four days and a fuckload of emotion and even more love went into that kiss, so he wasn’t surprised when a passerby shouted, “Oof, daddy, take your momma inside. It ain’t triple X Thursday in Williamsburg.”
This meant, when they broke the kiss, they were both laughing.
“Come inside. I need to pack my things,” she invited. “But I left the dress I bought for Chloe’s wedding at your place, so we have to go back there before we leave.”
“We’re staying there tonight. We’re leaving first thing in the morning.”
She didn’t hide how happy that made her.
He didn’t hide how her happiness made him happy.
They got up and held hands as she guided him inside.
Cheddar came running to inspect what was happening at the front door, saw Hale, and didn’t stop. When he made it to Hale, he started clawing his way up Hale’s jeans.
Hale bent, pulled him off and lifted him up to his chest, where Cheddar rubbed his shirt and throat with his ear.
Frosty came out too, saw Hale, trotted right to him, so he stooped to scoop up his other boy as well.
Frosty started purring.
“Daddy’s home,” Elsa murmured, taking them in with a look of supreme contentment on her face.
Oh yeah.
Daddy was home.
CHAPTER28
