We reach the car and Landon leans on the side, with me standing in front of him. He cups my chin and raises my face to his, his blue eyes roving over every inch as if he’s trying to burn every one of my features into his memory. “God, I’ve missed you!” he murmurs.
I wrap my arms around him. “I’ve missed you too.”
He drops a kiss on my forehead then trails a path of sweet kisses down to my nose. It tickles and I pull back, laughing. He’s laughing too, and there’s an expression on his face that looks like the bliss I’m feeling, and it warms me up inside. “I love you, Rachel Penelope Foster,” he says with a laugh and a small shake of his head. “You won’t believe how happy saying that makes me feel. It’s as if I’ve been lying to myself and I can finally say the truth.”
I grin. “Well, I love that you love me, Landon Alexander Court, and I love you too.”
He chuckles. “Now I’m even happier than I was a moment ago.”
My eyes close as my chest expands with almost uncontainable joy, and Landon pulls me back into the circle of his arms. “I love you,” he whispers again, right before his lips take mine.
It starts soft and sweet, a teasing, caressing pressure on my lips that floods my heart with warmth. I kiss him back, wanting nothing more than to surrender myself to his touch. His hands move across my back, pressing me closer to his hard body while the kiss deepens. His tongue plunges into my mouth, caressing mine and flooding my body with a wild, pulsing heat.
He pulls back after a moment, leaving me panting and breathless. He’s breathing deeply too, grinning as he looks down at me. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he says, his voice dark with sensual promise.
My breath catches. “I can’t wait.”
He waits in the car, making sure I’m almost at the door before he starts to drive away. Inside the house, Dylan is still dozing on the couch in the den, but my mother is packing things up in the kitchen.
“Well, at least you didn’t leave with him,” she remarks. I can’t tell if the expression on her face is disapproval or the opposite. Aunt Jacie gives her a look before smiling at me.
“Well, I was glad to see you looking alive for the first time all weekend.”
“I’ve been looking alive,” I protest halfheartedly. “I’m just tired. Work and everything.”
“Hmm.” She doesn’t sound convinced.
“Can I help?”
My mom shakes her head. “Go find your dad. Tell him we’re leaving.”
My dad and Uncle Taylor are in the study bent over their unending chess game. It’s not really endless, they just start another game as soon as someone wins, so there’s always a game going on.
“Hey dad, Uncle T,” I call from the door.
“Time to go?” My dad looks regretful. As he gets up, he wags a finger at his twin. “Don’t cheat,” he warns Uncle Taylor.
“Never,” Uncle Taylor replies, winking at me. They both cheat, which is why no one else will play with them.
We go back to the den and wake Dylan, then my mother joins us from the kitchen, and we hug our goodbyes before heading to the car, where Dylan goes straight to sleep again.
It’s a short drive, and my mother keeps up the conversation, talking about everything from the music to the caterer, to family friends with little kids who had grown up fast.
At home, Dylan goes to bed. My dad too, but my mom follows me up to my old room, wondering aloud about the arrangements for Laurie’s wedding, how little time we have to prepare, if we’ll have to import the flowers from home or procure them in Bridgetown… I listen to her chatter, waiting for her to say what’s really on her mind.
Once we’re in the bedroom, she goes to sit on the edge of the bed. “So, Laurie’s moving out,” she starts. “You’ll find another roommate won’t you? So you won’t be alone? I’ve heard that singles thrive better when they have roommates.”
“Ha ha,” I smile. “I haven’t decided. Maybe I’ll enjoy living alone.”
“Okay.” She shrugs. “It’s so nice to have you here.” There’s nostalgia in her eyes. “You haven’t been home much these past few weeks.”
“I miss you too mom, all the time.” I laugh. “Feel free to invite me to any ‘art’ things you have in the city.”
“So you can run away with Landon Court like you did the last time.”
I don’t reply, so she continues. “Sweetie, I don’t want to be worried about you, especially since you seem so happy, but are you sure he’s the right person for you?”
I join her on the bed. We’d talked when I was insecure about Landon’s feelings for me, s