Page 119 of Forever Enough
I opened the door to my apartment to find Bradly standing in the kitchen. He had two bowls out and the ice cream scoop.
“I thought I’d fix us some ice cream before we headed to Missoula to pick up Avery.”
Kicking off my sneakers, I stood rooted in my spot as I stared at him. How was he real? This man who loved me so deeply and showed me what true support was. I almost pinched myself to make sure I hadn’t been dreaming the last month.
Bradly made his way over to me. He bent his head and captured my gaze in his. “Are you okay?”
Tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them away. “I am now.”
Wrapping my arms around him, I buried my face in his shirt and breathed in his scent. It instantly calmed me. I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, but the sound of Mr. Whiskers’ meowing pulled me away from the safety of Bradly’s embrace.
“Did you buy caramel?” I asked, glancing past him into my small kitchen.
He rolled his eyes. “Please, this isn’t my first rodeo.”
I placed my hand in his and let him walk me over to the sofa. He sat and pulled me down on top of him. The feel of his warm hand moving up under my shirt caused my entire body to shiver.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Resting my head against his shoulder, I took a moment to just feel his strong body. I knew I could take care of myself, and had for some time. But knowing that I had this man in my corner, and that he would fight for me, made me feel like I could finally relax and simply breathe.
“I don’t. I did end up making an appointment to speak with a therapist, though.”
His fingers moved softly over my skin. “I’m glad you did. When do you see them?”
“Next week.”
“Is there anything I can do?”
“Make me that bowl of ice cream you were trying to surprise me with.”
The rumble of laughter in his chest caused me to smile. “I know you asked for caramel. But I also have hot fudge. Which do you prefer?”
I drew back and looked at him as if he’d asked the stupidest question ever. “Both!”
With a wink, he replied, “Done.”
Sliding off his lap, I lay down, Mr. Whiskers now on my stomach, and watched him move about my kitchen. When he smiled and the dimples appeared, my tilted world righted itself on the spot.
Bradly walked over and I sat up, making Mr. Whiskers meow in protest and sashay away. Handing me the ice cream, he sat next to me. We ate our dessert in perfect silence. When I licked the last of the caramel out of my bowl, I set it on the coffee table and turned to face him. I’d told him plenty of times I loved him. But I needed him to know that my love for him was everlasting. That he, unknowingly to either of us at the time, had saved me in a way I never thought possible.
He smiled and placed his hand on the side of my face. The trail of fire he left as his thumb swept over my cheek caused me to place my hand on my stomach to still the butterflies. And before I could tell him what I wanted to say, he spoke the words as if taking them right from my mouth.
“Loving you is as easy as breathing, Kenz.”
A single tear slipped free, his thumb catching it and sweeping it away like it was never there. Little did he know it was a tear of happiness, not sadness.
“And I promise you that I will love you forever. I’m not even sure forever is long enough.”
Cupping his face within my hands, I leaned for my forehead against his. “Forever is all I ask for. And you, Bradly Michael Littlewood, are the keeper of my heart, always.”
He drew back and kissed me so sweetly on the lips I nearly wept. When he deepened the kiss, I wanted to let myself get lost to it. Instead, I drew back and fought to catch my breath as I placed my hand on his chest. I could feel his heart beating as hard as mine.
“We have to leave to go pick up your sister, and I’m afraid if you keep kissing me like that, she’s going to be waiting on us a while.”
He shrugged. “With as much luggage as she probably has, she’ll be waiting forever as it is.”
Sweeping me up into his arms, he tossed me over his shoulder and headed to the bedroom, where he made love to me. Despite that, we somehow, by some miracle, made it to Missoula in time to pick up Avery.