At the house, I grab the food and follow her up the steps to the front door. She kicks off her shoes and goes straight to the kitchen island, where we eat in silence. This is the first thing we’ve had other than some snacks on the plane, so we both devour our food. Standing, I don’t bother with the trash, leaving it on the counter. I offer her my hand, and to my surprise, she takes it. “Let’s go sleep.”
She follows me, exhaustion setting in as I guide her upstairs to my room. I quickly strip out of my clothes, offering her my T-shirt to sleep in. I watch as she disappears into the bathroom to change. Sliding under the covers, I wait for her. My arms itch to hold her. I just need to be able to show her this is what I want. I know she wants it too. I know she does. I see it in the way that she looks at me. The way her breathing accelerates whenever I’m close. She wants this, but she’s afraid to want it. I just need her to give me time to prove to her that we can go the distance. I need her to know that the two of us are going to be forever.
When she slides under the covers, I pull her into my arms, and she comes willingly. Her body shakes with silent tears, and it breaks me in two. I know our night together is putting pressure on her when she’s already stressed and worried about her grandfather.
I hold her tight, kissing the top of her head. “I’m right here,” I tell her. “I’ve got you, and I’m not going anywhere.” Eventually, her tears subside, and her breathing evens out. Once I know she’s resting peacefully, I allow myself to drift off to sleep.
Chapter 18
McKenna
My eyes open at the sound of the shower shutting off. I don’t bother to get out of bed. Instead, I just lie here staring up at the ceiling as I try to process what’s happened in the last twenty-four hours. Gramps had a heart attack, and I slept with my best friend’s brother, who just also happens to be one of my best friends.
“Hey, you feeling better?” Rip’s deep voice pulls my attention.
He’s standing just in the doorway of the bathroom. There’s a white towel tucked around his narrow waist, water dripping down the planes and valleys of his abs, and another towel in his hand as he dries his hair. He’s all tanned and toned, and my every fantasy. “Yeah. Food and sleep do wonders for a person.”
He chuckles softly. “I talked to Agnes. He’s doing well. I told her we were coming back. She’s going to leave when we get there and go home and get some rest.”
My heart swells in my chest, so much so, it makes it hard to swallow. He’s such a good man. “Thank you,” I croak.
He gives me a nod as his cell phone rings. I watch his every move as he makes his way across the room and to the opposite side of the bed to pull it off the charger. “Hey, Lara,” he greets his sister.
“Yeah, he’s going to be okay.” He gives me a small smile. “She is too. She just woke up from a nap. We’re going to head back to the hospital in a little while.” He’s quiet as he listens, and then his smile broadens. “Of course I’m taking care of her. She’s my girl.”
“What?!” I hear Laramie scream.
He listens, the smile still pulling at his lips. “No, little sister, it wasn’t just a really good dream. We’re together.” His voice is lower, husky even as he says those two words. His big brown eyes bore into mine, and I fight the urge to stick my head under the covers and hide. I can’t though. His gaze is like a magnet, and I can’t look away.
We’re together.
“Okay. We’ll see you all tomorrow.” He ends the call and walks toward the bed. He bends his head and presses his lips to mine. “I’m going to go make us something to eat. After you shower, we’ll head back to the hospital.”
“Rip?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“We have to talk about this.”
He links his left hand with mine. “I know we do, but right now, all you need to worry about is your grandfather. I’m not going anywhere.” He kisses the back of my hand.
“We can’t just ignore this.”
“Go shower, so we can go see your gramps.” He kisses me quickly, just a peck, and disappears into his closet. He comes out wearing a pair of cargo shorts and a Callahan Farm T-shirt. He smiles at me softly, points to the bathroom, and disappears.
I lie here in his bed, listening as his footsteps carry him down the stairs. I feel as though I’m in a different universe. He can’t seriously think that us being together because of one night is a good idea. My parents were together for months and when I came along, it all came crashing down. We can’t rush into this. Ugh. Tossing off the covers, I see my suitcase at the end of the bed and dig out some clothes.