Twenty-one

“EVERYONE TUCKED IN for the night?” He walked down the uncarpeted stairs and saw her standing in the great room.

Melanie had slipped in through the back door. He liked that she let herself in without knocking. She had called out for him when he wasn’t on the main floor. The warm glow of the single lit floor lamp softened the edges of her appearance and gave her and the house a cozy feeling.

“Not everyone,” she said with a demure smile.

He cleared his throat. “Would you like a tour of the house or did Justin already show you?”

“Until today, I haven’t seen the inside of the house since before you left. I didn’t talk to your brother much while he was here.”

“That’s what he told me. His part in the remodel is finished. Justin’s back in Georgia with Alana.”

“It was good to meet him, but I prefer you as my neighbor. When you said it’s your house now, does that mean you’re finishing the renovations and reselling?” she asked.

“I’ll complete the remodel, but afterward I plan on living here. Is that a problem, Ms. Jamison? Do you think you can handle having a game warden as your next-door neighbor?"

“Is he only going to be my neighbor or can this warden also be my boyfriend?”

“That’s an excellent question,” he said. Without further comment, Braden guided her into the main level hallway and through a door. “Here’s one of the four bedrooms. There's a Jack-and-Jill bathroom connecting to bedroom number two.” They walked through the room into the bathroom.

“This is a great size for a shared bathroom.”

“All the bathrooms are larger than they used to be. My brother and I wanted modern standards. Home owners like big kitchens, bathrooms, and closets. Moving onto the next bedroom.” Most of the house was unfurnished including the downstairs bedrooms and bathrooms. The main level had new hardwood floors and new tile work, but the upstairs floors weren’t finished yet. Braden hoped to have the floors finished in the next few days.

“I like the window seat,” Melanie said, looking out the oversized window even though the night masked the view of the lake. “A seat cushion and some pillows would make it perfect.”

“There’s a matching window seat upstairs in the master suite,” Braden said.

“The work crews did a lot to the house while you were gone. This addition is wonderful.”

“I like it as well. The addition added eight hundred square feet to the floor plan,” Braden said and led her back into the kitchen that connected to the great room.

“I’m going to be really jealous when this place is done. Every fixture and finish will be brand new. It’s going to be so beautiful.”

“It’s only beautiful when you’re here, Melanie. I couldn’t care less about how nice or refined the house is. I’ve lived in more than one run-down cabin or old shanty. It’s who you share a home with that makes it worth living in.” Braden stepped into her personal space and cupped the sides of her neck, fingers wrapping around the back and into her soft hair. “Can I kiss you?”

She placed her hands on his hips. “If you don’t, I’m going to have to kiss you,” she said and tipped her lips up to meet him halfway.

The sweet taste of graham crackers and chocolate added to what was always uniquely Melanie. Braden hadn’t ever known a permanent home in his life. Every place he lived in the past felt temporary. Even growing up, he had the feeling of impermanence, waiting to be old enough to move away from his parents. His time with the Coast Guard led him from one station to another, and he’d yet to settle down after becoming a game warden. With Melanie in his arms, in the house he bought, he wanted this to be his home. But anywhere she was would be home to him.

The time away from Melanie over the last few weeks served to sweeten their first kiss to the point of exquisite torture. Lingering, taking time to test her response, taste the subtleties of her flavor, and resist the urge to rush things took every ounce of his willpower. She seemed equally ready to take her time.

After the slow, intimate refresher course of why she was the only woman he ever wanted to kiss again, he placed his lips to her forehead then moved back. “I bought out my brother’s share of the house. It’s all mine.”

“Does that mean you’re going to be the boy next door forever?”

“I don’t know.” He stared into her eyes and wondered if she were ready to hear his truth.

Would she turn cold on him again and decide that she needed more time as a single woman before making any commitments? He’d wait as long as it took. The decision had become clear the moment he’d received the call from his potential sergeant in Florida. The thought of leaving her in California cast away any doubt that she was the one. He refused the Special Ops position and began searching for a position with the Department of Fish and Wildlife in or around Granite Lake. Because of his record and his recommendation from Zion, he had an interview scheduled within a week.

“You’re being vague.”

“Maybe I’m trying not to scare you off.”

“I promise I’m not scared anymore. Knowing you’re not moving out of state is the best news you could have given me, but if you’re not willing to be my boyfriend, that changes things.”

“How does that make a difference?” he asked, wanting to know how she felt about him. He needed an answer that didn’t include “can we be friends and see what happens?”

“I need you in my life, Braden. More than as my close friend. I need you to be my friend and my lover. I want to be there for you every day, not just when it’s convenient. And I need you to tell me when I’m being absurd and self-centered because if you love someone, you can say these things and we’ll still love each other. I’m in love with you all over again. And the truth is, I never stopped loving you. I needed time to figure this out and be okay with it. I’m more than okay with myself and how I feel about you, but I won’t live next door to you if you’re not going to love me back. It will kill me.”

“Murder wasn’t my motive for buying the house,” he said.

“Darn you. More vague answers. You’re making me batty.” She frowned and tried to pull away from him.

“Let me finish showing you the house,” he said, and pulled her toward the stairs.

“Braden, I can’t. I need to know what’s going on inside your head. You don’t call or text for nearly two weeks, then you show up here and tell me you’re moving in permanently. I’m a woman. We need answers...with words.”

He urged her forward by tugging her hand. “I finished testifying and sent you the link to the article. Then I had to finalize matters with the FBI and my commanders. After that, I had my shoulder repaired finally. It shouldn’t slip out of joint anymore.”

“You had surgery?” She stumbled two steps closer to the stairs.

“It was more of a procedure. In and out with no complications.”

“Braden! Why didn’t you call me?”

“Just giving you time to yourself like you wanted.”

Her shoulders dropped with defeat. She couldn’t argue the point when she’d been adamant about her personal space and the time she asked for. “Is your shoulder...? Are you still recovering?”

“It’s better than new. The doctor shortened a tendon. I have some minor limitations for another month, but it’s nothing serious. Okay, I’ve answered one of your questions—using real words. Now you get to come upstairs.”

“Is this how we’re going to do this? I spill my guts, then you answer a question, then I spill my guts again, and you answer another question?” she asked, a discerning tilt lifting one eyebrow.

“Friendship should be reciprocal,” he said with a sarcastic smirk on his lips.

“You’re infuriating.” She tromped up the stairs and stopped on the landing. “I’ve only ever slept with you and Dylan. Don’t judge. I was really young when I got married. After our time at the lake, I couldn’t believe I’d given up years of my life with a bad sex partner. There’s no comparison when we are together to my experiences in the past. I cried more than once about all the mistakes I made, but the mediocre sex made me cry the hardest.”

Braden stood on the step below her, placing them almost face to face. A tear dripped from the corner of her eye. He held her waist and kissed the tear away. She started to speak again, but he covered her mouth with his, took the last step, and backed her to the wall, never taking his lips off hers. The hunger in his loins to possess her body nearly consumed him. His tongue pressed her lips apart and he applied gentle suction. His hands glided over her ass and wrapped around her thighs. He hoisted her up and Melanie’s long, slender legs wrapped around his waist. He kissed her until his wanting of her made his member harder than steel.

“I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you, Mel. It’s indescribable when we’re together. When I’m with you, inside you, I can’t always tell where I stop and you begin.”

The dazed look in her eyes made him wonder if she’d heard what he said. He lowered her to her feet but kept her pinned to the wall.

“I answered without you asking, but it’s true.” He continued his house tour by tilting his head toward the end of the upstairs hallway. “There's a full bathroom through that door and bedroom number three is at the end of the hall.”

She didn’t take her gaze off him. “Am I supposed to confess more of my insecurities and embarrassing moments now?”

“I never asked you to in the first place.”

“Are you sure about that?” she asked.

He shrugged. His shoulder didn’t even twinge. Putting off the surgery had been a mistake, but it was a relief to have it done.

“I don’t want any secrets between us ever again. I can’t live that way. My ex cheated on me and I didn’t know for almost a year.”

“I agree one hundred percent. If I’m ever involved in any classified cases in the future, you’ll know what’s going on or I won’t be a part of it,” he said.

“Promise?”

“Yes.”

“I wish you’d tell me whether or not you’ll be my boyfriend. This game isn’t fun.”

He kept his face neutral, if not a little stern, to keep stringing her along for another few seconds. Braden scooped her up and held her across the front of his chest. Melanie’s arms came around his neck.

“Why? Why are you doing this to me?” she asked.

Braden strolled down the hall to his right, turned to the side so they fit through the doorway, and entered the master suite. He placed her on her feet and turned her around to face the bed.

“I didn’t want to bring you into my bedroom until I knew you were ready,” he said.

She stood, silent, staring at the bed and the nightstands. While she was busy taking care of Sienna, he’d hastily made up the bed with the new sheets, pillows, and a bedspread he bought before coming home. The interior finishes were not complete, so they stood on the subfloor and the overhead light fixture had no bulb. He’d remedied the lack of light with a dozen battery operated candles. They didn’t have a nice scent like real candles, but dealing with one house fire was one too many, and he didn’t need to repeat the experience. The artificial flames flickered and the room glowed with diffused amber light. The master suite needed paint on the walls and the trim work wasn’t finished, but he didn’t care about any of that. He hoped Melanie might help him pick the paint colors.

“You... You sneaky little rat.”

He held in a laugh. It wasn’t the response he expected, but truth be told, he didn’t know what she would think or say when she discovered he’d bought the aspen wood bed frame and nightstands that she had inlaid with slate tile accents. Kellie and Zion managed to buy and deliver them for him. It had been a little tricky delivering the furniture next door without Melanie seeing, but he knew her work schedule and they pulled it off without a hitch. He had ordered a mattress set and had it delivered. Justin accepted the delivery, and he and one of the construction crew had brought everything upstairs for him without complaint, other than the obvious warnings about moving the furniture again when the new hardwood floors were installed.

“Why? I mean how and why? I would have sold it to you if you asked.” Melanie spun around to demand answers.

“The bed suits my tastes. I wanted it whenever I eventually had a place of my own again. When I saw the bedroom set in your shop, I didn’t know where I would be living. I also liked that the set is some of your favorite pieces and that our style is similar. But let’s look at this from my end. If we went separate ways, it would be uncomfortable knowing I slept in a bed you spent hours of your time working on. Weirdly stalkerish isn’t the way I want you to think of me. If things worked out the way I wanted, the bed would be ours to share equally because you’re the only one I ever want to sleep in it with.”

“Are you finally answering my question, Braden Keehn? Will you pretty please with a cherry on top be my boyfriend...with sleepovers?”

“Melanie Jamison, the answer is no. I will not be your boyfriend. I should have done this eleven years ago.” Braden reached in his pocket before lowering to one knee. He held her left hand and held out a diamond engagement ring. “I want to be with you and Sienna—and Tweeny—every day for the rest of my life, Melanie. I want to be more than your boyfriend. I want to be your husband. Will you marry me?”

Her hand trembled and her body began to shake. A twinge of panic that he’d made a mistake sent a shockwave through his system. Then she was on her knees in front of him, her hand wrapped around the ring.

“Stalkerish? Did you make that word up?” Her grin was part impish but full of love.

“No.” He wasn’t amused by her non-answer. Her hand squeezed his so hard his fingers were going numb.

“Will we live here or next door?” she asked.

“Whichever you want.”

“What if I say no because I’m not ready?”

“I’ll probably burn the house down and finish the job those gang members started.”

“Do you think they’re ever going to come back?”

“It’s a possibility, Mel. I don’t think so, but there’s no guarantees,” he said. “Are you avoiding my question?”

“Maybe, maybe not. Just wondering if you’ll start spilling your guts the way I did if I continue to stall,” she said, the smile on her face widening.

“You’re not funny,” he said, narrowing his eyes and holding back his amusement. “Will you have me? Yes or no?”

“Yes, I’ll have you. But not on the floor.” She glanced down at the splotched, unfinished subfloor. “Especially since your amazing new bed is right there.”

He slid the ring on her finger. Then Braden was on his feet a second later with Melanie captured in his arms. They stumbled across the floor laughing and fell on the bed.

Together.

In their bed.