Kasey’s family home is beautiful, and his mom and dad have been so welcoming to Blake and I that tears keep hovering on my lashes. My brother is overwhelmed with the care that has been shown to him, and I think he’s struggling to accept that Kasey’s family has accepted us with such wide, open arms. They’re a loving family and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

We’ve only been here for a few hours and I already know that I’ll be sad to leave the warmth of this home, even though I’ll be with Kasey in New York.

I’m a country girl at heart, but I’ll go wherever Kasey is because he’s my home now. Blake is going to be staying here to hopefully get him on his feet. He isn’t aware of that right now, but Kasey and I are hoping he falls in love with the place. It will certainly be a lot off my mind knowing that he’s being looked after by our new family.

At least he has a beautiful view from the porch so that he can get some fresh country air. The porch swing is comfortable as I enjoy the silence while I watch Kasey in the distance talking to his dad.

“Kasey at the barn?” Lucia asks, coming to join me with a tray laden with cups and freshly baked muffins, the steam still rising from them.

“He is.” I smile and take the muffin offered. “He was itching to head over there, but for now I’m more than happy to sit here. I don’t think I ever want to move.”

She laughs. “It’s my favorite place. From here you can watch everything that’s going on. The paddock over there”—she points to the right—“has a filly and her foal. You’ll have to ask Kasey to take you over to meet them. Queen and her Princess are friendly and love the attention.”

I smile at the names of the horses and sigh at the taste of the apple and cinnamon muffin as it melts in my mouth. “This is delicious. Blake’s going to be sorry he went for a nap. This is his favorite.”

“There’s plenty on the cooling rack. I’ll hide some for him.” Lucia winks, and laughs. “If the others get wind that I’ve made these, they’ll be gone within minutes.”

I chuckle and become serious. “Thank you for everything you’ve done and are doing for my brother and me. I can’t tell you how much it means to me knowing that he’s going to be well taken care of.”

“You’re welcome.” Lucia takes my hand. “You really don’t need to thank us though. Kasey has made it clear that you’re both his family now, which makes you ours. So looking at it like that, all we’re doing is looking after family.” She smiles and pats my knee. “Now, at dinner, please don’t worry when the others start teasing Kasey about you sleeping in his room with him, okay? Just don’t let on that you’ve been warned.”

“Do I want to know?” I ask nervously.

“They tease each other, sometimes worse than others, but that’s all it will be.” She’s thoughtful for a moment. “Unless Kasey has gotten to them first, in which case, they might behave.”

“Who lives here?”

“It’s just Emiliano and I now, but the others come and go, and Dante and Emelia are staying here until after the baby is born. Mateo, Erin, and their daughter, Francesca, will be here. Aiden and Sarah are coming to dinner, along with Diego and Rae. I’m not sure if Andie is going to be joining us as she was undecided about coming home this weekend. Of course you’ve met Diego, Rae, and Andie, right?”

Smiling, I answer, “Yes, I have. Andie was with Kasey when we bumped into each other in New York.” I sigh. “I’d missed him so much. We’d only spent a night together talking, but the connection was there from the first moment I laid eyes on him. I was stupid for running without leaving him a way of getting in touch with me.”

“Don’t think about that now. You’re together and that’s all that matters.”

“He’s everything to me,” I admit, unable to take my eyes from the man in question as he strides toward us before he stomps up the steps. He doesn’t stop, and gently cupping the back of my head, he holds me in place and covers my mouth with his.

I have a feeling he just planned on giving me a hello kiss, but the minute I push my tongue into his mouth, he angles his head and devours me.

Hearing a throat clearing has us pausing and then Kasey smiles against my mouth. With one last kiss to my lips he reluctantly pulls away, sitting beside me on the swing.

“Mom,” he acknowledges with a blush high on his cheekbones.

I’m not sure if the blush is from embarrassment or arousal, but I’m betting on the latter.

Lucia smiles with amusement in her gaze. “I’ll leave you two alone and start on dinner.”

When she’s inside, I settle into Kasey’s embrace, and admit, “I like your mom.”

“Good.” He kisses the top of my head. “Because she likes you too.”

“This is where you’re the happiest, isn’t it?”

“I love the wide open space. The fresh air. My family. Until I met you I thought this would always be home, but now, my home is always going to be wherever you are.”

“You say the sweetest stuff to me.” I turn my face up to his and he cradles my cheek in a large hand.

“You bring that stuff out in me.” He softly caresses along my cheek with his thumb. “I’m glad you’re here with me, and meeting my family. It means everything to me, just like you do.”

I kiss his palm, then nuzzle into his neck, enjoying his familiar scent. “I love it here. I love that I can sit outside without having to go and find a park or persuade Blake to borrow his friend’s car so he could drive me out into the country.”

“You don’t like New York, or Cleveland?”

“Cleveland has been home for a while now. Our apartment was a ten minute walk from a park. It was safe and I spent a lot of time there. Just for the peace and quiet. New York is a park of skyscrapers, and as long as I’m there with you then I’ll manage.”

His arms tighten around me. “I’ve been there a long time, and I still can’t say I love it. It’s just a place that I work is how I look at it. I’ve always spent my free time here rather than there. It wasn’t all that bad when Diego was there as well, but now he’s moved and it’s just me. Or it was.”

I place open, wet kisses along his neck and hear him growl. “Wait until later,” he begs. “Felicity.”

“I was trying to distract you from talking about New York.”

He smiles, cups my face and drops his forehead to mine. “I’m locked into a contract for now, but we don’t need to stay at that apartment. As long as I can get to the rink within an hour, then we can move to somewhere a bit quieter. You’d like that, right?”

“I would, but I don’t want you rearranging your life for me. I’ll be okay as long as I’m with you. The where doesn’t really matter.”

“It matters to me that you’re happy.” He kisses me. “So we’ll talk about it more in depth once we’re back in the city, okay?”

“Hmm,” I mumble, starting to feel tired. “I think we need a nap.”

“I wish.” He nods toward the drive up to the house. “We’re about to have company. I don’t recognize the car though.”

“Before I came out here your mom mentioned that the physical therapist was going to stop by to say hello.” I shrug.

We watch as she comes to a stop and climbs out of the silver SUV. “She looks young,” I whisper to Kasey. “Blake isn’t going to be impressed.”

My brother usually goes for blonds, but something tells me that when he gets a look at Violet Flowers with her silky auburn hair, he’ll have his head turned. It’s light and shiny as it floats around her shoulders, and her sun-kissed skin shimmers under the sun.

“Why won’t Blake like her?” Kasey asks, bringing my attention to him.

I smile. “Oh, he’ll like her.” Grinning, I jump up from Kasey’s lap and hold my hand out.

“You must be Violet Flowers.”

“I am, and you must be Felicity Kelly.” Violet smiles and turns to Kasey. We head inside after the introductions.

To my delight, my brother is sitting in the kitchen with a coffee, and I grin so wide when he catches sight of Violet.

I lean in to Kasey and whisper, “This is going to be fun.” He glances at me with amusement in his gaze. “Watch Blake.”

Padding over to Blake, I wrap my arms around him from behind and kiss his cheek. “She’s your physical therapist,” I whisper, and delight in watching his eyes widen, and then narrow. “Behave yourself,” I remind him.

“Violet, come and meet my brother.” I squeeze Blake’s arm. “This is Violet Flowers. Violet this is my brother, Blake Kelly.”

They size each other up and Violet is the first to react by offering her hand to Blake. My brother, the idiot, just stares at her until I nudge him.

He clears his throat and mumbles to the woman. I happen to glance at Kasey as he turns away to hide his laughter.

I’m so glad that I’m going to be around as his therapy starts, because I have a feeling it’s going to be entertaining.

Violet looks around my age, but I know she can’t be because of her qualifications. Blake isn’t only going to be exhausted with the therapy but frustrated as hell with the woman. He’s always gone for the bimbos and ice bunnies, but something tells me the sweet and innocent looking woman is going to be something else entirely.