With lightning speed, he scooped her up and flipped her onto her back, his mouth setting fire to her throat while his hands splayed her small waist before moving up to her rib cage. He shifted his weight, the friction of his jeans against her shorts nearly her undoing. It hit her like a tidal wave – she’d reached the point of no return. Either she stopped him here or they crossed a threshold in this poppy field.
She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him gently away. He took her cue and stopped his tender assault. When he would have pulled back, she held him tighter, snuggling against him. It took a few moments for both of them to regain their breath. While they waited, he stroked her hair and she clutched his shirt as if she might fall otherwise.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the moment.”
“Hey, don’t ever apologize for telling me what you want,” he murmured against her brow.
As much as Karise tried not to compare Aidan to William, she couldn’t help marveling at the difference. William would have seethed quiet irritation, making her feel smaller and smaller inside. She didn’t feel small now in Aidan’s arms. She felt cherished. Why on earth had she settled for small? Why hadn’t she waited for cherished?
Karise knew that, at some point, she’d have to sort out what this new development meant, how far she was willing to take this thing. He was more than a rebound, but she wasn’t sure she was ready for a relationship. It might not have a label yet, but it was clear the boundaries had shifted, placing them in that magical moment where it was okay to reach out to take the other’s hand or brush aside a stray lock of hair. Now that they could touch each other, both were hesitant to break contact.
They held hands the entire walk back, stopping every so often to steal a leisurely kiss before strolling a little bit further. When they reached the main house, a shiny sedan was parked next to Aidan’s truck. When Zoe burst out of the house, eager to see her daddy, Karise tried to pull her hand away. She didn’t know anything about raising children, but she knew it could be tricky to know what to communicate and when.
Aidan was having none of it, though. He tightened his fingers around hers, pulling Karise in closer. Without missing a beat, he scooped Zoe up in his free arm, happily accepting the kiss she planted on his cheek. She wrapped her skinny arms around his neck and beamed at them both.
“Did you show her the flowers?” Zoe accurately guessed where they’d been.
“They were beautiful,” Karise answered. “You’re lucky to live here. It’s like something from a fairy tale.”
“It is a fairy tale,” Zoe informed her. “Daddy tells me a little more each night. Did you see the pixies?”
“You have pixies too?” Karise stopped short and placed a hand on her hip. “Now I am jealous.”
“I haven’t seen them either,” Zoe mourned. “But Daddy told me they live in the hollow tree at the edge of the flowers.”
“Pixies do like hollow trees,” Karise commented. “I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for them now that I know they’re there.”
Zoe nodded, as if to agree that was the wisest course of action.
“Come on.” Aidan nodded toward the house. “I want you to meet Elsie and Mark.”
As many new people as she’d met since arriving in California, one would think Karise would be immune to it at this point. She had no such luck, though. With each friend of his she met, she was nervous – especially after Jack Cooper’s instant dislike of her. She was in no hurry for a repeat performance of that disaster.
Elsie was waiting on the front porch for them, greeting the trio with all of the effusive warmth Karise would expect from the head of the visitors’ bureau. The woman’s auburn hair spilled in soft curls across her shoulders. Her alabaster skin was enviable in its perfection, but it was her smile and easy laughter that drew Karise in. Within minutes, Karise felt she’d known Elsie her entire life.
As talkative as Elsie was, her husband Mark was equally quiet. It was obvious he took everything in, sorting and analyzing the information as it came but without comment. She found that when he did speak, though, all ears instinctively tuned into his gentle voice, as if everyone knew what he had to say was worth listening to. The pair was the very picture of yin and yang.
After visiting for a few moments, Mark declared it was time to go. He still had cattle to tend to before dinner. As they walked the couple to their car, Elsie turned to Karise. “I have to ask, did you ever have family in the area?”
Karise nodded. “I hadn’t thought about it until you said something, but I think Dane McAlister might have been from this area. I’ll ask my brother.”
“Well that would be ironic, because the McAlisters and the Williamses used to be inseparable. Wouldn’t it be funny if it was the same McAlisters?” Elsie put a hand on Karise’s arm as she chuckled.
Karise had no idea what Elsie was talking about but didn’t have the heart to say anything, so she smiled in response. When they were alone, she turned to ask Aidan what he thought she meant, but he beat her to it.
“You have no clue what she meant, do you?”
“Nope.”
“The Williamses were Kate’s family.” He cast a meaningful glance at Zoe. “I’ll fill you in on the rest later.”
“So maybe my name is why Jack doesn’t like me?”
“Uncle Jack doesn’t like you?” Zoe looked horrified.
“He likes Karise just fine,” Aidan assured his daughter.
Karise mentally cautioned herself to filter better when little ears were present. She followed Aidan and Zoe inside, her mind still mulling over the new possibility as she sank onto the couch. Clyde lumbered up to her, his head completely covering her lap when he rested it there. She sank her fingers into the thick fur around his neck and placed a kiss on top of his head. She’d never kissed a dog before, but he was too sweet not to. She might not be in a relationship with Aidan yet, but she was pretty sure she was in love with his dog.
CHAPTER EIGHT
KATE INVITED AIDAN, Zoe, and Karise over for dinner, saying that Jonathan’s medicine had helped the earache enough for company to be welcome. She also said it was because their dinner the night before had been cut short, but Karise suspected it had more to do with reconnaissance than anything. Kate must be dying for information, knowing Karise had spent so much time with Aidan over the past 24 hours.
Instead of dinner on the veranda, Kate told them it would be a jeans and pizza-in–the-living-room kind of night. Karise was grateful for the change; the past few days had left her both exhilarated and exhausted. Comfort food was a good thing.
She had a few hours to kill before dinner and the house project was in a lull, so Karise used the time to call Devon. She’d resigned herself to leaving a voicemail just as he picked up the phone. The tone of his hello was enough to tell her all was not well in his world. She set aside her plans to ask about McAlister’s history in Napa and instead listened to the latest update on their adoption attempts. Another lead had gotten Jane’s hopes up only to have them dashed yet again. It seemed abysmally unfair. If ever two people should have children, it was Devon and Jane. He sounded comforted when she told him as much. It was odd to Karise, realizing the great and mighty Devon McAlister could be unsure of something. She ended the call by wishing them luck as they prepared for a trip to Guyana – the next stop on their adoption journey.
The cottage seemed especially quiet after Karise hung up the phone. Karise got out her sketchpad and began doodling random ideas for Aidan’s house, allowing each stroke of the pencil to calm the chaos within.
Her heart broke for Devon and Jane. At the same time, she felt guilty about all the years she’d shut them out. They were good people; she’d just never given them a chance. In an odd way, she had Aidan to thank for her newfound relationship with them. If he hadn’t set her world on its head, she might never have accepted Devon’s outstretched hand of friendship.
Karise had to wonder why Devon kept trying all those years. Alex had understandab
ly given up after the first “thanks but no thanks” from Karise. Not Devon, though. He’d been dogged in his attempts to connect. Whatever his reasons for persisting with Karise, he’d shown a tenacity that made her confident he’d overcome the hurdles facing their adoption. He wouldn’t give up until they had the family he and Jane were longing for. Karise admired that about him.
Thoughts of her brother’s strength led to Aidan’s strength, and how similar he was to her own father. Yes, Pablo would approve heartily of Aidan. If for only a moment, she admitted to herself that she wished the two could meet.
The afternoon slipped by, Karise’s mind wandering down one lazy trail after another. As if acting of its own accord, a sketch unfolded on what had started as a blank piece of paper. By the time she was finished, she’d surprised herself with what she’d created. Now intentional, Karise rounded out an edge here, added a window there, and even put in a little garden off the porch. When she was finished, she studied the drawing, unsure if she’d drawn what Aidan was looking for or her own dream house.
With a frustrated sigh, she closed the book and went to dress for the evening. It was still a little early by the time she was ready, but she was tired of her own company, so she decided to amble that direction.
Even with the slow pace, Karise was the first to arrive. Kate greeted her with an enthusiastic hug, wasting no time before demanding, “Spill it. I want to know everything.”
Karise couldn’t help laughing at her friend’s enthusiasm, but she did concede, “It’s possible you were right. There is something there between me and Aidan.”
“Of course there is. Now tell me what happened. I know he brought you home late and picked you up early.”
“Were you watching out the window?”
“Maybe.” Kate was momentarily sheepish.
“You’re terrible.” Karise wasn’t really angry; a part of her appreciated having a friend who cared this much about her life.
“It’s been almost five years since Aidan’s wife left him, and he hasn’t looked at one woman in that time, not even an appreciative second glance. Meeting you has flipped that boy completely on his head. I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s like he was waiting that whole time for you.”
Karise was taken aback by Kate’s choice of words. Maybe it was coincidence, but they rang very close to the theme of late.
“Come on. Help me get the pizzas in the oven and we’ll talk while it’s just us girls. Gavin is giving Jonathan his bath, and Joan and Mason are at a party.”
Karise hadn’t cooked in a very long while. Her life with William had been mostly takeout. College days had consisted of ramen noodles and delivered pizza. Still, she was game to give it a try so she rolled up her sleeves and awaited instruction.
Kate put her to work spreading sauce with another demand to start talking. Karise complied with a small smile. Once she started, the words just tumbled out. It was shockingly easy to admit to Kate that it was getting difficult to remember what was holding Karise back. The more she learned about Aidan, the harder he was to resist.
“So stop resisting,” was Kate’s advice. Her tone implied, “Duh.”
“But two months ago, I was engaged to another man. Doesn’t that make me fickle?”
“Have we really only known each other two months?” Kate mused. “It feels like longer than that.”
“Has it even been two months?” Karise began to wonder what the date was. She’d lost track. “And you didn’t answer my question.”
“That in and of itself doesn’t make you fickle. If you drop Aidan for some other guy in a couple of months, then yes, we’ll put fickle on the table.”
“What’s the date?” It was really starting to bother Karise that she couldn’t remember.
Kate checked her phone. “April 26.”
Karise felt like she’d had the wind knocked out of her.
“What?” Kate stopped what she was doing and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Today’s my wedding day. It would have been, anyway.”
“Oh.”
“I attacked Aidan on the day I was supposed to marry William. I’m a horrible person.”
Kate put a hand on Karise’s, looking her in the eye. “You seriously need to stop looking at yourself in the worst possible light. You kissed a man you really like – who adores you – on the day that would have been your wedding to one who treated you like a possession, not a person. It might not be typical, but it doesn’t make you horrible. When I was in college, a boy named Peter asked me to marry him. Even though I was pregnant, I couldn’t bring myself to say yes. I wanted to be sure that, if we got married, it was for the right reasons. He left me after I lost the baby. Every time I think about him, I’m thankful I didn’t jump to the altar.”
“I’m so sorry.” Karise would have never guessed Kate’s story in a million years. She and Gavin seemed so perfect, as if they’d been made for each other. She couldn’t imagine either ever being with anyone else.
Kate waved off her friend’s concern. “Thank you, but it’s okay. It hurt then, but that was a million years ago. My point is that most of us make wrong turns in life. I was so afraid to let Gavin in because of my wrong turns that I almost missed him. Don’t make the same mistake. Don’t be so busy looking the wrong way down the road that you miss the right turn coming up.”
Karise nodded, letting Kate’s words sink in.
“And you can stop spreading sauce on that pizza anytime now.” Kate nodded to the pie Karise had now slathered. “It’s pretty well covered.”
“Oh crap. Sorry.”
Kate giggled, moving in to save their dinner. “Why don’t you just pour us a glass of wine and I’ll finish the pizza?”
“I guess I should have mentioned that I don’t cook much.”
“You were just distracted. It’s nothing we can’t fix.”
“Good. Thanks. Which wine do you want?”
“There’s actually an old-vine zinfandel down in the cellar that goes pretty well with pizza. Could you see if you can find it?”
“Sure,” Karise agreed, albeit warily. She wouldn’t put it past Kate to be using this errand as an excuse to get Karise out of the room so she could call Aidan. Of course, she could also be getting Karise out of the room before she destroyed their dinner. Even so, she did as asked and emerged victorious a few minutes later.
Gavin and Jonathan had joined them in the kitchen, along with their boisterous dog. Ty sat at Gavin’s feet, practically vibrating with anticipation as Jonathan played with his snack. She greeted both people warmly and settled in at the table, a safe distance from any cooking going on. The rumble of Aidan’s truck signaled his arrival, and Karise couldn’t help sitting up a little straighter and glancing toward the door. Ty gave the table one last longing look before running to go bark out the front window.
“Speaking as a guy who’s been in Aidan’s shoes, it wouldn’t seem too eager to go see if he needs help carrying anything in. He’d probably appreciate a little encouragement right about now.” Gavin didn’t even look up from handing his son Cheerios.
Karise opened her mouth to chastise Gavin, but she actually appreciated the insight, so she went with, “Thanks” instead. When she reached the door, it wasn’t Aidan or even Zoe who greeted her first but Clyde. He gave her a doggie kiss on her hand with his massive tongue, his tail wagging with such powerful swings it created a breeze.
“Well hello there.” She knelt down to hug him, receiving a kiss on her cheek for her trouble.
“The silly beast was pining for you after you left,” Aidan offered by way of explanation. “He’s usually pretty aloof with strangers, but I think he’s in love.”
Seeing Aidan again, especially now that she realized what day it was, gave Karise a sudden burst of shyness. “Love does make you do crazy things, doesn’t it?” she murmured.
Ty had joined her outside, and the two dogs set about the business of smelling each other in hello. Karise wasn’t paying attention t
o them, though; she was caught in Aidan’s pull.
“Hi, Karise!” Zoe zipped in between the couple. “We brought Clyde. Daddy says he’s another victim of your siren song.”
“My siren song?” Karise raised her eyes to meet Aidan’s.
He laughed uncomfortably. “You’re rather hard to resist. I can’t say I blame poor Clyde.”
“I wasn’t supposed to tell her that – was I, Daddy?” Zoe’s giggle said she wasn’t exactly contrite over the error.
“Hey, Zoe, why don’t you take Clyde and Ty inside for me?” Aidan didn’t answer the question.
“Are you going to kiss?”
“Zoe!”
Karise bit back her amusement.
Aidan waited until they were alone to speak. “Kate told me what today would have been.”
“I knew that’s why she sent me all the way to the cellar for wine.”
“I, uh, I just wanted to let you know,” he paused, rubbing the back of his neck as he put together his next words. “Well, I guess what I want to say is that, for what it’s worth, I’m pretty damn thankful we met before April 26.”
Warmth spread through Karise at his words. She thought about it and realized he was right. “Me, too.”
He studied her for a minute then nodded. “Good.” A heartbeat later, he stepped forward, cupping her head in his hands as he kissed her. Her arms instinctively wrapped around him, pulling him closer. Need shot through her. In that moment, getting closer to him was more important to her than getting air. When he ended the kiss, she wanted to scream in frustration.
He probably sensed as much, because his next words were an explanation. “If I don’t stop now, we’re going to do more than kiss in Kate and Gavin’s driveway and I’m not sure they’d be thrilled with us for that one.”
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