“I suppose the same is true for me, in hindsight. If I’d stayed in St. Louis, I might never have followed my dream to write a book. Or found Hope Harbor. Or discovered that law enforcement offered the perfect opportunity for me to deliver justice in real life the way I do in fiction.” He exhaled. “It’s been a long and winding road, though.”

“Yet it led us here.” She wove her fingers through his. Squeezed. “Back to each other.”

He returned the squeeze. “Do you have any idea how hard it’s been to keep from touching you these past few weeks?”

“Do you have any idea how much I wanted you to touch me these past few weeks?” Her response came out shaky. Breathless.

“Touching isn’t all I wanted to do.” He let his gaze drop to her lips.

“Touching isn’t all I wanted you to do either.”

The breeze picked up, ruffling her hair.

Too tempting to ignore.

He lifted his hand. Ran his fingers through the strands. The color was different than it had been eleven years ago, but it was as soft and silky as it had been during that bright St. Louis summer.

Her eyelids drifted closed, and she gave a quiet sigh. One that captured exactly how he felt.

Content.

As if his whole life had been a journey, and the destination was at last in sight.

A wave of yearning swept over him, too strong to ignore—so he did what he’d been wanting to do for weeks.

He leaned over and captured her mouth with his.

The kiss started out tender and sedate. A let’s-get-reacquainted, welcome home, exploratory melding of lips.

But as Christi responded with a hunger that confirmed she was as ready for this moment as he was, it morphed into a Fourth-of-July fireworks finale, Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, and the Hallelujah Chorus all rolled into one.

By the time they separated, Jack’s heart was pounding as hard as if he’d run a hundred-meter dash.

Arms looped around her neck, he rested his forehead against hers, their choppy breath mingling in puffs of warmth. “Maybe we need—” His voice rasped, and he cleared his throat. “Maybe we need a chaperone.”

“We’ll have one going forward. Don’t forget about Hannah.”

Hannah.

Right.

That was a subject they should discuss, if he could get his brain to cooperate.

He backed off far enough to see her face. “How do you feel about the idea of a ready-made family?”

Her lips curved up. “What’s not to like? A wonderful guy plus a charming daughter equals a terrific package deal.”

“But her presence does change the dynamics. And it may put a crimp in romance.”

“Life’s taught me to improvise and go with the flow. I expect those skills will come in handy with romance too. The bigger question is how you think Hannah will feel about this.”