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“Then you’ll sit down?” Nancy lifts her eyebrows.
“I promise.” She crosses a finger over her heart.
Nancy sniffs, but she pats June’s cheek and ruins the effect. Then she points toward the living room. “Tabby, did you want to watch some of the parade with me?”
“Go ahead,” June tells my daughter. “I’ve got the pie.”
“Okay.” Tabby follows Nancy into the other room, talking about which balloons are on the parade route next.
Alone, I gather June against me. “Hi,” I say.
“Hey, you,” she responds. Lifting on tiptoes, she wraps her arms around my neck and places her lips on mine. “Guess what?”
“What?” I whisper, my mouth playing across hers. I don’t think I’ll ever get enough of the taste of this woman.
“I was thinking, if you’re up to it, that we might spend some quality time together later tonight.” She leans back a few inches and wiggles her brows at me.
“Are you propositioning me, Freckles?” I tease.
“I am.” She nods, kissing me again. “Is it working?”
“Baby, trust me. You’ll never have to try too hard.” I sweep forward and capture her mouth. As our lips meld together, I breathe her in. There’s nowhere in the world I’d rather be than kissing a flour-covered June Harlow in my kitchen. “But are you sure you’re healed enough? I don’t want to do anything that might hurt you.” As much as I want to make love to her again, there's no way I'll risk hurting her or setting back her recovery.
“The glue has dissolved. I feel good. If we take it slow…”
Tabby comes tearing in, and June stiffens in my arms. “Daddy! June! Santa is coming. He’s in the parade!” She leaves as fast as she arrived, and June’s head falls to my chest as she drowns in giggles.
“Hey, June,” I whisper in her ear. She shivers. “Did you hear? Santa’s coming.”
She presses her lips to my cheek and then whispers back, “I hope we are tonight, too.”
I chuckle and squeeze her hand before I pull away.
The day progresses in a flurry of perfect celebration. We eat early, and June and I curl up on the couch to watch football. I’m pretty sure we both doze off while Nancy keeps Tabby company. Later, we snack on leftovers and eat pie. At around six o’clock, Nancy stands and declares, “I’m exhausted. I'm going to head home.” She glances at June and me. “How about I keep Tabby at my place tonight? What do you think, girly?” She asks.
Tabby squeals and heads upstairs to pack a bag before I can even say anything. No doubt she’s already looking forward to a late night and too many sweets.
“Nancy…” I start.
“Why don’t you and June get some rest tonight?” She offers, her eyebrows high. “I’ll bring Tabby back tomorrow. She's on vacation after all.”
I pull June against my side. “Thank you.”
Half an hour later, they’re gone, and I sweep June into my arms. I lower my lips to hers, and she curls her fingers in the hair at the nape of my neck. Jet lag pulls at me, but I push it aside and carry her upstairs to my room.
I’m as gentle as I can be when I set her in the center of the blankets. I refuse to take any chances with her. With infinite care, I remove her clothes. Her incisions are still red, even angry around the edges, and I place the softest kisses next to them before I kiss my way across her skin. It’s been weeks since I’ve held her like this, and I refuse to rush. By the time I strip out of my own clothes, the color is high on her cheeks, and I’m convinced I’ve paid proper attention to every freckle on her gorgeous body. “I love you,” I tell her.
She places her palms on each side of my face. “I love you, too.”
I join our bodies, and we cry out together. Maybe I flew in on a plane this morning, but being here with June is my real homecoming.
When we come back down, I’m careful as I gather her next to me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m perfect.” She sighs. “I missed you.”
I press a kiss on her temple. “Me, too.” After a quick trip to the bathroom, we curl up together again, and I pull the blankets up. Neither of us says anything for a while, but I don’t sleep. Instead, I revel in holding her against me.
“Duke?” Her voice surprises me. She’s so relaxed against me, I almost thought she dozed off.
