Amanda nodded. “Kelly has been feeling really lousy since yesterday, so Stella stayed home from a slumber party she was looking forward to because she didn’t want her mom to be home alone.”
“Ah, the poor kid. That’s a lot for her to deal with. Isn’t there anyone else who can help them?”
“They moved to the town where they live now a few months before Kelly was diagnosed. She was transferred with her job, and they didn’t get the chance to meet very many people before she got sick. Kelly’s friends live mostly out of state.”
“The thought of Stella and Kelly dealing with an illness of that magnitude alone is a bit overwhelming.”
“I agree. I was thinking I might go there at some point. They need help, and I can do that for them. Maybe I could work on the catalog remotely for a while.”
Landon’s heart sank at the thought of her being hours away from him, possibly for months or even longer. But he knew it was the right thing to do. “I’m sure you could.”
“Would you visit me on your days off?”
“Of course I would.”
She looked up at him, her expression madly vulnerable. “It’s a lot to ask of you.”
“It’s not a lot. It’s what you do for the people you love. You show up and support them no matter what they’re going through. You’re there for good times and bad times.”
She clung to him. “I feel so very lucky to be loved by you.”
“I feel just as lucky to be loved by you. And I want you to do whatever you have to do for Stella and Kelly and not worry about me.”
“Thank you for understanding.” She drew him into another kiss, and after that, there were no more words, only desperate kisses and soft moans and searing pleasure. They pulled at clothes and fell onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs, her softness welcoming him as he landed on top of her, being mindful of her injured ankle.
“I can’t get enough of you,” he said.
“Same. Being with you this way has become my favorite thing ever.”
“This day seemed to crawl. I was having fun and enjoying my family and the game, but all I could think about was how much longer until I could be alone with you.”
“That’s very sweet.”
He scowled. “It’s not sweet. It’s depraved.”
“I like you that way.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then you won’t care if we skip the preliminaries and race straight to the main event?”
“I won’t care at all.”
He pushed into her, muffling her loud gasp with a kiss. “Shhhh. We’re surrounded on all sides.”
She bit her lip and gave him a wide-eyed look that made him laugh.
“You can do it.”
“Not sure I can.”
Landon took hold of her hands, lifted them over her head and kissed her to keep her quiet as he moved in her. If there was anything that felt better than being with her this way, he hadn’t found it yet, and he was done looking. This was all he needed to be happy. She was all he needed.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“I was made and meant to look for you and wait
for you and become yours forever.”
―Robert Browning
Mia was awake an hour before her alarm was set to go off. She turned on her side to watch her gorgeous husband sleep, which was one of her favorite things to do. For so long, she’d dreamed about him and the life they had now. When she’d been trapped in hell with her ex, thoughts of Wade Abbott had kept her sane.
And when the shit with Brody had hit the fan, she’d run to Wade. It had been a huge risk because she hadn’t seen him in more than a year by then and had no idea whether the feelings she’d had for him had ever been reciprocated.
They’d been platonic friends. Nothing more. But she’d wanted so much more with him, and when she’d asked him to marry her so Brody couldn’t force her to marry him to keep her from testifying against him, Wade hadn’t hesitated.
He’d shown her his heart that first day and every day since then. Back in the days when she’d been locked in a nightmare, it had never occurred to her that the kind of happiness she’d found with Wade even existed. Now she knew better.
They’d been married for months already, but after she found her long-lost father, he’d insisted on throwing them the big wedding that would take place today. Mia would’ve said they didn’t