Part 40 (1/2)
She threw herself into his arms. ”It's absolutely perfect. Thank you so much.” She took advantage of his close proximity to plant a pa.s.sionate kiss on him, which he returned with equal fervor.
The construction workers stopped what they were doing to offer catcalls and whistles.
Reid was smiling when he pulled back from her. ”I love the way you say thank you, darlin'.” He kissed her forehead and then her nose. ”Come see the inside.”
Kate took his hand and followed him into the cozy living room/kitchen/dining area that boasted a huge stone fireplace. A bedroom suite was located off the kitchen.
”That'll be perfect for my Harrington grandparents,” Kate said. ”They have trouble with stairs these days.”
”I remember you telling me that.”
Her fiancee paid attention when she talked to him, which was just another reason to love him beyond all measure.
They went up the stairs to find four more bedrooms and two bathrooms. In her mind, Kate began a.s.signing rooms to her dad and Andi, Jamie and Frannie, Jamie's parents...
”Check this out,” he said, leading her up another set of stairs to a loft. ”I thought the kids might like to sleep up here.”
”Yes,” Kate said as a grin stretched across her face. ”Yes.” He'd given her exactly what she needed without having to be told exactly what she needed. She hugged him and sighed when he returned the embrace. ”How did I live without you for so long?”
”I have no idea how either of us managed without the other. Luckily, those days are over now.”
”Thank G.o.d.” A thought occurred to her. ”We have to order furniture and appliances!”
”Jill took care of that weeks ago.”
”Of course she did,” Kate said laughing.
”It's all due to be delivered on Friday.”
”I can't believe you went to all this trouble.”
”I figured you might want to make Christmas in Nashville an every-other-year tradition.”
”I'd love to do that.”
”We needed more beds,” he said with a shrug, as if it had been no big deal to make this miracle happen in six short weeks.
”I love you so much.”
”I know you do, darlin'. I love you just as much. Maybe even more.”
She followed him down the stairs to the first floor. ”No way. That's not possible.”
”You don't know that.”
They continued the ”argument” all the way home. Kate shed her coat and turned to him. ”Do you have to go right back to work?”
”I have a lot to do today to be ready for the deliveries on Friday. Why?”
She let her cold hands wander inside his coat and under his sweater. ”I was just wondering.”
He gasped when cold met warm. ”Katherine...”
She'd always loved the stern way he said her full name. ”Yes?”
”Don't act all innocent like you don't know what you're doing to me.”
”What am I doing? I only asked if you have to go right back to work.”
”You know exactly what you're doing, you little witch.” With his hands on her bottom, he brought her in tight against him to demonstrate the effect her cold hands on his back had had on him.
”I hate to let that go to waste, but you do have to work, so...”
”Not so fast.”
Venturing a glance up at him, she found fire in his eyes as he looked at her with thinly veiled intent. Oh. My. ”I'd hate to keep you from your work.”
He laughed as he bent his head to kiss her. ”I suppose you're going to say this was my fault, right?”
”You did come back for your phone,” she said, the picture of innocence.
”That I did.” When he let out a growl, turned her around and marched her toward the stairs, Kate dissolved into laughter, thankful once again that she'd had the courage to go after what she wanted most. One thing she knew for certain, she'd never let him go again.
The invasion began on the twenty-second of December with Maggie's arrival on a commercial flight from LaGuardia into Nashville International. Kate rode along with Jill to pick up their younger sister.
”Thanks for everything you did to make this weekend happen,” Kate said.
”I enjoyed it, and it'll be great to have everyone here. The Bunkhouse is amazing, Kate. I can't believe Reid pulled that off so quickly.”
”Neither can I.”
”He's good at what he does, that's for sure.”
”Yes, he is.”
”I really like him. I want you to know that. I'm glad I've had the chance to get to know him better in the last few weeks.”
”I'm glad, too. It means a lot to me that you like him.”
”I like you two together. I'll admit that I wondered what you'd possibly see in a guy Dad's age, but after spending time with you two, I get it now.”
”I appreciate that more than you could ever know.” Kate glanced over at her sister, who was focused on the road. The forecasters had warned of black ice and snow showers over the next twenty-four hours. They'd also mentioned the possibility of a white Christmas, but Kate refused to get her hopes up. ”What about you? What's up with Ashton?”
”We're having fun, hanging out, you know.”
”Nothing serious?”
”I didn't say that.”