The Apple Tree (Sunday Morning, #2) (97)

Her hands covered mine and she closed her eyes. I leaned down to kiss her, stopping a breath from her lips. She opened her eyes, and I smiled.

But before I could kiss her, she said, “I’ll think about it.”

If I wasn’t already frozen from the wind and flurries, her comment did it. Just as my heart began to sink into the bottom of my stomach, her lips twitched, and she rolled them between her teeth.

Was she hiding a grin?

I narrowed my eyes. “Are you—”

“Just kiss me like you do, so I can go home and pout before packing my things for Colorado.”

“Evil,” I whispered before kissing her.

I heard the door close in the distance, and I knew her sisters were watching us. It didn’t matter. I still kissed her hard because I never wanted to hide my feelings for her again.

When I released her, I managed a straight face. “Go pack your bags and be pissed off that you fell in love with a nerd who had to do the math before he discovered that you in his life added up to infinity.”

A triumphant smile hijacked her face. “You’re so square, Mr. Collins.”

“More like a cube, an ice cube.” I turned and took several steps toward my house before glancing over my shoulder. “I love you, lady in red.” I winked and continued to the porch just as Gabby and Sarah descended the stairs and Josh peeked through the partially ajar door.

“Ladies,” I gave them a smile and polite nod as I passed them. “Merry Christmas.”

Josh stepped back as I stomped my boots on the mat and stepped inside.

Behind me, I heard high-pitched squeals, and it made me smile.





“Merry Christmas,” my brother said after Josh answered the phone and talked his ear off for over ten minutes before handing it to me.

“Merry Christmas,” I replied.

“Merry Christmas,” my parents and Anne yelled in the background.

I sat in my recliner and chuckled.

“Are you packed?” he asked.

“Pretty much. We’ll finish up a few things tomorrow and pick Adam up from the airport. Then we’ll head out the following day.”

“Have you made amends with Peter?”

I scratched my chin. “Define amends.”

“Kyle, he’s my best friend. I can’t have my brother and my best friend at odds. It’s going to take him a while to feel friendly toward you again, and that’s understandable. But you need to extend a sincere apology.”

“For falling in love with his daughter or for taking her to Colorado with me? Maybe both?”

Silence filled the line between us.

“I love her, Fred. So does Josh. And her age isn’t enough of a reason not to be with her. So if I can push past all the crap I’ve been carrying around over Melinda abandoning us, then you and Peter and everyone else should be able to show a little support.”

“Kyle, she’s not just eighteen. She’s a recovering alcoholic. What are you going to do when she falls off the wagon and steals a few cans of beer from your fridge while she’s alone with Josh?”

“I’m not going to have beer in my fridge.”

He laughed. “So you’re done drinking?”

“Yes,” I said without hesitation.

“What happens if she gets it someplace else?”

I sighed. “What happens if she gets desperate and drinks half a bottle of mouthwash or a whole bottle of vanilla extract? What happens if I fall out of another tree and break my back? What happens if Josh gets bit by a snake? We can what-if forever. And I won’t have the answers for everything. But it doesn’t mean I won’t figure it out. I love her. And I will do whatever it takes to give her the best chance at maintaining sobriety. And if she falls off the wagon, I will pick her up and be the first to get her the help she needs. As soon as we get to Colorado, I’ll find a place for her to attend meetings. We’ll go to church every Sunday. What more can I possibly say or do?”

“You can let her go.”

I shook my head. “No. I can’t. I tried that, and it didn’t work.”

“Have you talked to Peter?”

“Not recently.”

“Well, you need his permission before you run off with his daughter.”

I rubbed the tension from the back of my neck. “I will ask for his blessing, but we’ll live without it if he doesn’t give it to us.”

“Kyle—”

“Fred, I’m not asking for a dowry. This isn’t an exchange of goods. Eve is an adult. And as sure as her father can refuse to give us his blessing, she can walk out that door without it and live her own life.”

“Just steal the girl!” Anne yelled in the background.

“What is wrong with you,” Fred said to her.

“They’re in love, honey. Let them be,” she said.

He grumbled.

“This is your fault. You told us to move here,” I said.

“That is bullshit.”

“Fred!” Anne scolded.

My brother cleared his throat. “That’s nonsense.”

I chuckled. “You’re right. It’s nobody’s fault. Our love is not a fault at all. It’s beautiful. She’s beautiful and kind. Funny and irresistible. And I plan to spend the rest of my life loving her. So either you can get onboard or get out of the way.”