Rowan spins around.
“Oops. Did I say that too loud?” He grins. Rowan whips him with the towel.
I turn to Bri who pulls me in for a friendly embrace as well. That FaceTime call last week didn’t do her justice. She’s breathtaking. Big brown eyes, same shade as her long hair. Tall but not lanky. Tan complexion. And a smile made for a toothpaste commercial.
“It’s great to meet all of you in person. Please make yourself at home.”
A firm hand wraps around my elbow. “Dubs,” Rowan barks, slamming the spoon in his friend’s chest. “Fajitas.”
The next second, I’m tugged down the hall toward my bedroom as Dubs shouts, “Door stays open, kids!”
Rowan leads me inside and closes the door behind us, leans against it. He removes his ball cap to pull at his hair. Gradually, a laugh begins to weasel its way up from his chest. “This already feels like too much.”
The humor dissolves into a fading chuckle. I lower his mouth to mine. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Another kiss. “I really like that you’re kissing me again.”
“For the record, I’ve nevernotwanted to kiss you.”
His arms link around my waist. “Well, you can do it as often as you want.”
Our lips find each other once more, slow and tender. My tongue stretches out to taste his, and he groans at the contact, bringing a hand to my face, adjusting my head to go deeper.
He pushes off the door without breaking the kiss until I’m backed into the mattress.
SCREECH!
We rip apart simultaneously, plugging our ears. The smoke alarm rings through the house at ear-splitting volume. A chaotic slew of accusations and shouts come from the kitchen.
Rowan yanks the door open and sprints down the hall at the same time Dubs hollers, “False alarm! Nobody panic!”
A minute later, the deafening chirp goes silent, and I fall onto the bed, cackling like a maniac.
My soldier appears in the doorway again, forearms braced on the frame. “I’m glad you think this is so funny.” His voice is annoyed, but his face is pure contentment.
The image hits me in pieces, a puzzle slowly taking shape. Him, here. His family squabbling in my kitchen. The smell of a home cooked meal.
Rowan thinks them showing up unannounced is a burden. But to me it just feels like love. Constant and tangible. The kind that fills a home to the rafters. I’d guess it’s the hope-filled kind of love Rowan’s grandmother was referring toall those years ago.
I know I can’t keep it here forever, but I promise myself in this moment, to savor as much as I can until there’s nothing left.
“Hannah, you wanna borrow it?”Bri holds out the bottle of nail polish she just used to paint Tess’ toes.
“No, thanks. I’m actually getting my nails done with my mom on Friday before the gala.”
Tess’ face lights up. “Ooh, a gala? What for?”
Rowan’s eyes flick to me from his perch at the table where he’s teaching Dubs to play chess.
“It’s an annual fundraiser for Boulder Children’s Hospital,” I say.
“Where she’s the keynote speaker,” Rowan chimes in proudly.
His mom gasps. “The keynote? That’s amazing!”
I wave off the compliment. “No, it’s seriously not a big deal.”
Rowan’s not done. “She’s lying. Hannah plans the whole event every year too.”