“Are you sure?”
No.
“Yeah.” I rest my forehead against the cool glass and watch the forest off the side of the road pass in a blur of green and brown, then close my eyes when it becomes too much.
“Cybil.” I blink my eyes open and find Maisie turned around toward me, and I sit up as Bernard pulls in to park in front of Tanner’s house. “You fell asleep, sweetheart.”
“Not sleeping much last night must have caught up with me.” I yawn as I grab my cell phone. “I was supposed to call Tanner to let him know when we were thirty minutes out so that he could come meet us. We’ll probably have to wait a few minutes for him to get here.”
“That’s fine.” She unhooks her belt and hops out, stretching her arms over her head while I put my cell to my ear.
“Hey, sunshine, are you close?” Tanner greets, sounding happy, and I smile.
“Actually, we’re already here. I fell asleep. I’m sorry.”
“No big deal. There’s a key in a rock in the garden next to the front step. You can use that to get in, and I’ll be there in about twenty minutes, tops.”
“All right.” I unhook my belt and open my door.
“Fuck, I can’t wait to kiss you.”
“Me too.” My heart flutters.
“I’m getting in my truck. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“See you in a few,” I say. Then I whisper, “Love you.”
“I love you too.” He hangs up, and I hop down out of my seat and walk to where Maisie, Bernard, and Jade are standing.
“Tanner said there’s a rock near the steps with a key in it,” I tell them, and Maisie turns to look at me. I notice her eyes are glistening. “What happened? Are you okay?”
“This looks almost exactly like your mom’s house.” She walks toward me and wraps me in a tight hug, whispering, “It’s like serendipity, being here and knowing this is going to be where you’ll live and start a family of your own.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, not wanting to cry. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never been this emotional. Clearing my throat, I smile. “I said the same thing when I saw it the first time. I mean, not the part about starting a family here, but that this place is just like Mom’s house.”
She laughs and lets me go. “There’s plenty of time for talk of babies later on.”
“Did Tanner say exactly what the rock with the key in it looks like?” Bernard asks, cutting into the moment, and I look to where he’s standing and can’t help but laugh, because there are dozens of rocks near the bottom step in the garden, on both sides of the stairs.
“He didn’t, but if we don’t find it, he’ll be here in just a few minutes.” I go to help him look while Jade and Maisie walk around the house to take in the view.
“Victory!” Bernard exclaims, coming up with the key after a couple of minutes, and I take it from him, unlock the front door, and head inside, with everyone following me.
“There’s a bathroom here.” I touch the door in the hall where the half bath is, then go toward the kitchen and smile when I see a large bouquet of flowers on the counter with a “Welcome Home” balloon floating in the air above it.
“I’m really trying not to get jealous, but seriously, you have the best luck,” Jade says, leaning in to smell one of the red roses. “Not only did you land a hot guy, but you landed a hot guy with a job and a fucking awesome house.”
“Language,” Maisie says with a sigh, then mutters, “not that I don’t agree with you. This place is beautiful.” She opens the back door and steps out onto the deck, with Bernard at her back.
“I can see why you said you love his house,” Jade says, wandering around the living room.
“There’s a lot to love,” I agree, but really I would move into a one-room shack, as long as I had Tanner with me.
“Sunshine.” Hearing Tanner’s voice, I spin around and rush to the front door, launching myself into his arms. As he lifts me off the ground, I wrap my legs around his hips. “Fuck, I missed you.” He cups the back of my neck with one hand and pulls my mouth down to his so he can thrust his tongue between my lips. I don’t hesitate to open for him, and I swear my soul sighs as his familiar taste, scent, and touch sink into my senses.
When he slows the kiss and pulls back, I grasp his face and whisper against his lips, “I missed you too.”
“Tanner’s home!” I hear Jade yell to Maisie and Bernard, and Tanner’s hand at the back of my neck squeezes. “I think I’m going to need to call the fire department to get the Jaws of Life to separate the two of them.”