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“I won’t, even though you may be too good to be true. Do you have an extra toothbrush I could use? I’m going to kiss the heck out of you when I get out of the tub.”
“Of course.” I smiled sheepishly. “Everything you’ll need is in the same place you put it when we first moved in—towels, extra toothbrushes, soap. It’s all new, of course, but yeah, I’ll admit your organizational skills can’t be beat.”
She giggled. “This is like coming back home.” She froze. “Um, I didn’t mean that. Is it too soon to mean that?Ugh!I’m sorry, forget what I just said—”
“I want you to mean that, because I mean what I’m about to say. This has always been your home and it always will be. No woman but you has ever been in here.”
“Oh, Cade...”
I looked away. It still made me nervous to be so vulnerable. “So, now that we’ve moved beyond you being mine only in Sweetbriar, you’re going to let me take care of you like I need to do.”
“Okaaaaaay... But what does that even mean?”
“Things changed between us last night and since we’re officially together again everywhere, I’m going to cross all kinds of boundaries. You’re not going back to that townhouse—ever. One, they haven’t found Winthrop yet, and two, that place is terrible. You need a garage to park in and someone to take care of your porch when it gets mossy. You need someone who shovels snow and is willing to start your car and warm it up for you when it’s cold outside.”
“And that someone is you?”
“Damn straight.”
Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at me. “Then I have a few requests too.”
I leaned back against the bathroom door frame and grinned at her. “Give it to me. I want to hear all of it. I’m listening.”
She sat up. “Tell me exactly what you want from me. Stop being sweet and giving and understanding and supportive of my dreams, damn it. Demand that I stay with you. I can write here. I did what I needed to do in New York—that’s over and done. I’d much rather write with your mom at Violet’s, or out on the deck.”
“Move back to Sweetbriar, Charlotte. I’m begging you.”
“Consider it done.” She slapped the mattress for emphasis, and I laughed.
“Your turn. That was pretty much all of my wants.” The smile wouldn’t leave my face; I was about to burst with happiness. “Tell me what you want, Charli.”
She stood and crossed the room to cup my face and smack a fast kiss to my lips. “I want to burn your dinner again and give you blow jobs in the bathtub like young Charlotte used to do. I want us to get married, and it’s gonna be big and fancy this time, with everyone there. There will be no sneaking off to elope, no Vegas, no Elvis, no jeans and T-shirts, and no honeymoon in a cheap motel. I want it to be huge, Cade. I want us to adopt a dog together, or maybe a cat, and I want to live right here in this house and have babies with you someday. But the bottom line is, I just want you, Caden Andrew Barrett. In my life. Every day. Every night. All the time. Please tell me you want that too because I love you, I always have, and I always will. This is forever.”
“I love you too, Charlotte. I want you to stay with me and never leave. I know now that it’s all I ever wanted.”
“You got it, Cade. All of me—my heart, my soul, my body, my screwy brain. But most of all, you have my love.” She winked at me and held a hand up. “We’re not kissing again until I brush my teeth and take that bath. I’m grody. Like, I can taste my breath. I apologize if I grossed you out when I kissed you before.”
I burst out laughing. “No way. Not possible. I even love your not-quite-as-bad-as-you-think-it-is morning breath.” I laid one on her to prove it. “Coffee and breakfast will be waiting when you get out of the tub. I washed your pajamas while you were sleeping, but I couldn’t find your panties. I don’t know where they landed when I threw them last night, and I didn’t want to turn the light on and risk waking you up. You’ll have to go commando until we can pick up some of your things.”
“Don’t worry about it. I won’t need the panties because you’re going to let me do all the naked things I want to you after we have breakfast. I haven’t been on top yet and I’ve been looking forward to a good ride. Then after we blow each other’s minds, we’ll take a long nap. I have our day all planned out in my mind.”
“I don’t know how I ever lived without you.” I cupped her cheek, amazed that I got so lucky to have her back in my life. And also worried because I knew all the jokes and flirting were covering up her fear and exhaustion.
“You’ll never have to live without me, ever again.”
“I love you, Charlotte. So much.”
“I love you too, Cade. We’re forever this time.”
* * *
We had finished breakfast. Our coffee mugs and dishes were on the table, and she was standing in front of me, nestled in my arms, as we looked over the mountains and started to settle into our future together. I had it all back and I was ready for more, but there was no need to rush. We had time—all the time in the world.
“I want you to know something,” I murmured, my voice ruffling her soft hair along with the breeze.
“Tell me,” she whispered.
“When we were young, I loved you the best I knew how. I thought it would be enough, but it wasn’t. I just realized it couldn’t have been enough back then because this finally is. I love all of you now, Charlotte, and I wouldn’t change a thing. I love your ambition, I love your goals, and your drive to be more. I even love that you left me to take what you needed out of life, because now you’re back and you’re amazing.”
