“Figure what out?”

“That I wasn’t trusting myself.” She slid her hands down his neck and let them settle over his chest. She stepped closer still and pressed a soft kiss against his sternum. “It’s crazy, and maybe it’s because I was raised on a farm a stone’s throw from a river, but all my life, I’ve been super aware of… Ugh. I don’t know how to explain it.” She pressed her forehead into his chest for a few seconds before meeting his gaze again. “The ebb and flow of life, I guess. Sometimes there’s never enough, and sometimes there’s too much, and sometimes it’s just right. At times, I catch myself thinking things will never be perfect, but the truth is, I’m starting to think most of what comes our way is exactly what’s supposed to.”

She pulled in a deep breath, and the same smile returned that had been on her face when he opened the door.

“What I’m trying to say is I realized tonight I’m ready to trust myself. I don’t know how I’m going to get there, but I do know what I’m supposed to be doing, and I know where I’m supposed to be. And just as importantly, I know who I’m supposed to be with.”

He ran a hand down the length of her hair, lightness filling him like a balloon. “I’m hoping I know the answer to that last part. Actually, I’m hoping I am the answer.”

She rose up and brushed her lips over his. “You’re the best answer I could have in that regard. I love you, Gabe. I’ve known it for a while, maybe even since that first day I met you. And the more I get to know you, the more it grows.”

Her lips met his in a kiss that sent a rush of energy over his spine and through his limbs. As it progressed, she slipped her hands into his hair. The need in her fingertips and the gentle pressure of her body against his heated his blood from warm to hot.

“I love you too,” he answered when she pulled away to meet his gaze.

“I know you do. And if Morgan wasn’t waiting in the car, I’d be very tempted to head into your room to show you all the ways I mean that.”

He kissed her again, and his boxers began to gape open for a different reason than the disarray of sleep. “I wondered where he was. We can bring him up, if you want. But full disclosure, Samson’s hogging the bed, and he’s out like a light. If you’re serious, we could always settle for the couch.”

Her smile grew wide, her teeth shining in the lamplight. “How’s your stock of peanut butter looking?”