End Zone: Texas Titans 2 (17 page)

“I needed time… to think.”

“And?” If she didn’t give him a hint as to
what she was thinking soon, he would lose it.

“It helped. I sorted a lot of things out.”

Instead of telling him what she’d decided,
she set about emptying the pots into the bowls she’d laid out. Vegetables.
Mashed potatoes. Gravy. If he didn’t miss his guest, there was a roast in the
oven. She’d gone to a lot of trouble preparing one of his favorite meals. But
why?

“Would you mind giving me a hand with
these?” she asked, taking two of the bowls and leaving two for him. “The meat
is almost ready. Then we can eat.”

How the hell does she expect me to eat with
a knot the size of a golf ball lodged in my throat?
Instead of admitting his weakness, he said, “Sure,” and picked up
the dishes before following her into the dining room. “This looks nice.” He
admired the antique china she must have found in the buffet. The table was
covered in a cream linen tablecloth, and the centerpiece was fresh flowers and
candles. He’d have to be blind not to see she was setting the scene for a
romantic dinner, but he wasn’t ready to get his hopes up until he heard the
words from her lips.

“Thanks.” She lit the candles with a
matchbook and stood back to admire her handiwork. “I didn’t expect to find all
this stuff here. Your house is pretty well stocked for a bachelor pad.”

“I believe in making a house feel like a
home.” When he couldn’t stand it another second, he reached for her hand. “But
I gotta tell you, I’ve never felt more at home than I do right now. Because
you’re here.” He wanted to tell her how sure he was that she belonged there
with him, sharing his table every night, watching TV in front of the fire on
crisp days, and waking up in each other’s arms every morning.

Looking around the dimly lit room, she
said, “I love this house, Matt. From the second I walked through that door, I
felt like I belonged here.”

He held his breath, waiting for her to say
all the things he’d been thinking.

Instead, she said, “Oh, I almost forgot the
meat. Sit. I’ll be right back.”

Matt closed his eyes and curled his fingers
around the back of the hand-carved wood chair. He needed to hear her say she
could get past what she’d learned about the breakup of his marriage before he
could allow himself to believe they could have a future together. He’d spent
every day and night since she left thinking about what his life would be like
with her… and without her. He didn’t think he could face the latter.

When he knew he couldn’t sit still, as
she’d suggested, he made his way into the kitchen. “Shall I get the wine?”

“That would be nice.” She smiled at him
over her shoulder. “I brought a bottle. It’s over on the desk.”

Matt exhaled slowly, praying she couldn’t
sense how nervous he was. “So you never said, where’d you go?”

“To visit my mother and stepfather.”

“That’s nice.” He would have given anything
to make the trip with her. He would just have to trust that the next time she
made the trip, he would be by her side. “You had a good visit?”

“Better than I expected,” she said as she
carefully sliced the tender meat.

“I meant to give you your own key.” He
didn’t know why he’d blurted that out.

“I hope you don’t mind that your mother
suggested I borrow hers.”

“Why?” His hand paused on the corkscrew.
“What did you say to her?”

“Just that we needed to talk.”

Talk.
That
could mean anything, but surely she wouldn’t have gone to all that trouble just
to tell him it was over. “Speaking of talking, I spoke to my brother while you
were away.” He couldn’t say why he needed to tell her that. Maybe he wanted her
to see that he was willing to give forgiveness a try.

“How did that go?” She set aside the knife
and turned her attention to him.

“It seems he’s been in love with Robin for
a while now.”

“How do you feel about that?” she asked,
narrowing her eyes as though she was trying to read his thoughts. “Does it
bother you?”

“Why should it? She’s a part of my past.
What she does and with whom is her own business.”

“Still, he’s your brother.”

Matt finished uncorking the wine and poured
a small amount into each of the two glasses she’d set on the counter. “Yeah, he
is. That’s why I need to try to let go of the past, so we can move on.” He
shrugged. “We were close once. I don’t know if it’s possible for us to rebuild
a relationship, but I think I’d like to try.” He wondered how she would feel
about that. If Paul and Robin were a couple, it would make family dinners
awkward, to say the least. “Are you okay with that?”

“He’s your brother. It’s your decision.”

Her nonchalance made his heart plummet. If
she was planning to be a part of his life, she would definitely have an opinion
about something so significant.

Kristen carried the platter into the dining
room, giving him no choice but to follow her. “You’re not the only one who
reached out to an estranged family member.” She seemed mesmerized by the
flicker of the candle as she took the seat he held for her. “I did too.”

“I didn’t realize you and your mother were
estranged.” He sat next to her. “I thought you said you talk all the time.”

“We do. I called my father earlier today.”

Given everything she’d told him about her
parents’ divorce, he understood how significant that was. “Wow.” He covered her
hand, squeezing it gently. “How’d that go?”

“He was so happy to hear my voice he
actually cried,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “I’d never heard
him cry before, not even when my brother died.”

“Did you have a chance to talk?” More than
anything, he wanted to know if she thought she might be able to forgive her
father. “You know, about the past?”

“A little bit.” She sniffled and set a
napkin in her lap. “But more than anything, we talked about the present. He
asked about my life; I asked about his. It was nice. We agreed to get together
soon. He doesn’t live too far from here.”

“That’s great, sweetheart.” He knew how
important it was for her to reestablish a relationship with the father she
clearly loved and missed.

“I think so.” Looking at him, her eyes
traveling over his face, she said quietly, “I’m sorry I left without giving you
a chance to explain.”

“I’d like to explain now, if you’ll let
me?”

“It doesn’t matter now.”

He closed his eyes and tried to rein in his
frustration. She couldn’t tell him it was too late for them, not when they’d
barely explored where they could go. “I love you.” He forced himself to look
her in the eye. “Can’t you see that?”

“Yes.”

Her simple response stunned him. “But that
doesn’t matter?”

“It’s the only thing that matters.” She
smiled. “That, and how I feel about you.”

The tightness in his chest eased, and for
the first time in more than a week, he felt as though he could breathe again.
“How do you feel about me?”

Without breaking eye contact, she reached
for his hand. She got up and and settled in his lap, wrapping her arms around
his neck. “I’m crazy about you.”

He buried his face in her hair, inhaling
her scent. “Not good enough. I need more.”

She giggled as he nibbled her neck while
his hand roamed over her hips. “I’m in love with you.”

“Better.” He unfastened the first and
second button of her blouse so he could drop moist kisses on the exposed skin.
“Go on.”

“I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”

He groaned when she shifted so she could
straddle him. “More.”

“I can’t imagine my life without you.”

Holding her face, he looked into her eyes,
hoping she saw that he shared her feelings. “You won’t have to. Not if I have
anything to say about it. I want this. I want you.” Only time would allow her
to trust that their relationship was forever. He would give her as much time as
she needed as long as she remained right there, in his home, his arms, his life.
“More than I ever thought I could want anything.”

Skimming the stubble on his jaw with her
palm, she said, “I don’t care what happened with Robin. I know how you feel
about me. I trust you. That’s the only thing that matters.”

The question he most wanted to ask was
right there on the tip of his tongue, reverberating through his head. Without
the perfect ring, he feared she may think he was acting on impulse. When the
time came, he wanted the proposal to be everything she’d dreamed of because the
girl who spent her life making other people’s dreams come true deserved her own
happily ever after. Matt intended to see that she got it.

“Let’s go upstairs so I can show you how
much I’ve missed you, beautiful.”

Casting a glance over her shoulder at the
food on the table, Kristen asked, “What about dinner?”

“We’ve got all night, baby.” He grinned.
“And every night from now on.”

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Lee Elliott is working hard to
re-build his relationship with his brother, Drake, and prove to him that he’s a
changed man after a series of bad choices created a serious rift in their
relationship. When Drake agrees to give him a chance, Lee vows he won’t do
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Indie Eaton has been working for Drake long
enough to know his brother is a train-wreck, and when Drake tells her Lee is
coming to work for him, she has no problem obeying his command to steer clear.
Given her history with men, the last thing she needs is to date another loser.

But when Lee reports for duty looking and
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