A Thing Called Love (Pride Oregon Book 8)

by Jill Sanders

  He chuckled. “Something tells me my mother is going to be thrilled. I actually think she was rooting for us before we even kissed.”

  Kara’s smile doubled. “Yeah, I’d agree to that as well. I think the day she showed up on the beach to talk to me, she was already plotting out how to get us together.”

  He chuckled and lifted her hand to his lips. “I’m so glad it worked.”

  “Me too,” she said before pulling out her phone and calling her parents back.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  There was nothing more nerve-racking than watching your parents casually interact with the man who had spent all of last night completely pleasing you in bed. Especially when Conner couldn’t stop touching her and sending her heart rate spiking.

  Oh, she knew that her parents surmised that they were together. Of that there was no doubt less than five minutes after they’d met them at the construction trailer.

  The doubt most likely fled their minds when Jacob blurted out that he was thankful Conner was at least taking a real date to the family dinner that night since he was stuck taking Rose.

  Rose immediately slugged Jacob on the shoulder and scowled at him.

  Rose then ushered her parents into her office, where they spent the next hour or so going over each floor plan and options.

  Who knew there was so much that went into picking out a new home? Not only were there subtle changes in each floor plan, but then there were color options for the exterior of the home, including brick choices and window and door choices. Then there was the inside. Her mother seemed to be enjoying picking out flooring, cabinets, door handles, sink shapes, and the hardest choice yet, toilet bowl handles.

  An hour and a half after her folks had stepped into the trailer, they walked out of it with Jacob to go stroll through the lots and finally decide which one they preferred. Kara was still rooting for her favorite lot at the base of the hill for them.

  She was a little shocked when Conner asked her to stay behind to give her opinion on his own home choices.

  Kara could tell that Rose was trying to act as casual as she could, but she noticed a spark in the woman’s eyes that clearly showed she was wondering about their relationship.

  Was this a subtle hint from Conner that he wanted things between them to move beyond living together? She hadn’t even officially moved in yet.

  Okay, facts first, she thought as Rose went over the many options with Conner.

  Kara had technically known Conner most of her life. She had faint memories of playing with him and all of the other Jordan kids whenever they visited Pride during her childhood.

  Had he ever stuck out in her mind? Maybe.

  There had been one summer where she’d had a crush on him back in fifth grade. Though she was questioning whether it had been him or his brother Jacob at this point. In all honesty, she’d been crushing on all the Jordan boys, so she didn’t blame herself for not remembering if it was Conner or Jacob that summer.

  Next fact—her feelings for Conner were deep, even at this early point in the relationship. He wasn’t like the other guys she’d dated over the years. She doubted he would cheat on her or decide one day that he no longer wanted to be with her. Well, at least she hoped.

  They hadn’t really discussed their relationship deeply yet, but he had told her how much he desired her. Just as much as she desired him, even now, as he frowned down at the many floor choices.

  “What do you think?” Conner turned to her.

  She walked over and looked down at the six different hardwood flooring choices. She knew which one she liked but wasn’t sure it would go with all the other choices Conner had made so far.

  “I like this one,” she replied quickly. “But I’m not sure it goes with the cabinets you picked out.”

  He nodded. “Yeah, that’s my favorite as well. I was thinking the same thing.” He walked over to look at the cabinets again and held up the sample of flooring to the cabinet choices. “What do you think about these instead?” he asked, holding the chunk of wood up against soft gray cabinets.

  “Those look good together.”

  Conner turned to her and smiled. “What are your thoughts about carpet colors?”

  By the time her parents and Jacob walked back in the trailer, they had picked out every option for Conner’s place.

  “How did you come up with all these choices?” Conner asked Rose. “If memory serves me, you couldn’t pick which bikini you were going to wear to the Fourth of July party when you were sixteen.”

  Jacob laughed and earned a glaring look from Rose.

  “Blake,” she answered quickly. “She’s the one who narrowed down all these choices for us. She’s pretty amazing. She’s even agreed to decorate the model home when it’s done,” Rose added.

  “She helped us out with decorating the barn for Sunset Wedding,” Kara added. “She really is amazing.”

  “We haven’t met Blake yet,” her mother chimed in. We’re looking forward to meeting her at the dinner tonight.”

  Kara’s eyebrows shot up. “You… you’re going to the dinner?”

  Her mother chuckled. “It’s one of the reasons we came down tonight. I had a really nice chat with Megan, who invited us along.”

  Kara had believed it was a Jordan family dinner only. There was no way she was going to keep the fact that she was planning on moving in with Conner a secret after tonight.

  She figured that over lunch, she might as well rip that bandage off quickly.

  Shortly after noon, the five of them, including her sister, walked into the Golden Oar and sat out on the back deck. The sun had come out and melted the snow and heated everything up nicely.

  “I don’t think I will ever get tired of this view,” her mother said, leaning into her father’s shoulder.

  “With some of the snow still on the ground, it reminds me of our first time here,” her father added with a slight grin.

  Robin groaned slightly and rolled her eyes. Kara nudged her on the shoulder, and they settled back to hear the story they’d both heard a million times. Still, she loved to listen as her parents retold how they’d been snowed in one Christmas and had found themselves stuck in Pride, all for Conner’s benefit.

  There was more laughter and wine than any other lunch she’d had with her parents before.

  “It’s strange how one tiny decision can change the course of your life,” her father said, holding her mother’s hand. “If I hadn’t been roped into driving you home that Christmas”—he lifted her mother’s hand to his lips, much like Conner had done to hers that morning over breakfast—“then we would’ve never explored our feelings for one another.”

  She looked over to Conner and realized the same was pretty much true for them. If he hadn’t been out for a swim and she hadn’t been almost drowning—it was past time to admit this to herself in her own head—then they wouldn’t be here now.

  “I’m moving in with Conner,” she blurted out.

  Instead of shock or concern flashing across her parents’ faces, they both smiled at them as if they had already known this news.

  “That’s wonderful dear,” her mother said easily.

  Kara narrowed her eyes. “Something tells me you already knew?”

  Her mother chuckled and glanced over at her father. “Another reason we were invited for dinner. Megan and I have been long-distance best friends for years.” She shrugged. “She hinted at the news over the phone call.”

  Conner smiled over at her. “I should have warned you; my family can’t really keep secrets.”

  When they were done enjoying their lunch, and just before clouds cooled things off outside, her parents claimed they were going to head to the B and B and get some rest before getting ready to go to Riley and Carter’s for dinner.

  “We’ve met both Carter and Corey on several occasions. They are such wonderful men and are so perfect for the girls,” her mother said easily as they all walked out to the parking lot.

  “Yeah, they
fit in the Jordan clan perfectly,” Conner added.

  “And your cousin Suzie just married Robert and Amelia’s son, Aiden?” her father asked.

  “Yes.” She smiled. “We held the wedding at the barn.” She motioned between Robin and herself.

  “We sure are proud of you girls,” her mother added with a sigh. “Now, I’m in need of a nap. But maybe a walk on the beach first so all that wonderful food settles.” She rubbed her flat stomach.

  Kara watched her father take her mother’s hand in his. Even now, twenty-five years later, anyone with eyes could see the love between her parents. It warmed the heart, and sometimes, according to Kara and Robin, who’d had to watch all the PDA between their parents their entire lives, could be a little too much.

  Still, her entire life she’d dreamed of finding a man as dedicated to her as her father was to her mother.

  After watching her parents and sister drive away, Conner turned to her.

  “A walk on the beach sounds good. What do you say to a short walk, then stopping by your place to grab a few things before getting ready for dinner?”

  “That sounds like a good idea.” She took his hand, then followed him down a set of stairs to the side of the restaurant that led down towards the beach.

  “So,” he said after she reached down and removed her tennis shoes, leaving them at the base of the stairs with his. He’d rolled up his jeans slightly and she was thankful she’d pulled on a pair of capris earlier that morning after hearing the weather report. “I think that went well with your folks.”

  She smiled over at him. “Yeah, I should’ve known that they’d love you.”

  “Everyone loves me,” he said with a silly grin.

  She nudged his shoulder with her own as he took her hand and started walking down the wet sand.

  “I hear we’re supposed to get rain later tonight.” He glanced off over the water and she followed his gaze. Sure enough, the skies were already dark in the distance.

  “Snow, sunshine, rain.” She shook her head. “Oregon weather.”

  He chuckled. “Still, when the sun comes out”—he lifted his face to the sun and sighed—“it makes it all worth it.”

  She did the same and sighed at the warmth on her face. “Yeah,” she agreed. “It does. I still love rainy mornings though.”

  “You know, when I was younger and had to walk to the bus stop, while everyone else rushed to the stop or hid under umbrellas, I was the kid splashing in all the puddles and trying to catch raindrops on my tongue,” Conner said with a smile.

  “I used to go out in the yard with my umbrella during a rainstorm and hide under it like it was a large tent.” She chuckled.

  He stopped and pulled her into his arms, and she felt her heart skip.

  “I’m thankful,” he said, looking down into her eyes.

  “For?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

  “That I rescued you,” he said with a slight smirk.

  “Oh?” She cocked her head to the side. “I thought we both agreed that I didn’t need rescuing.”

  He chuckled. “Think what you want, just as long as the outcome was the same. I pulled you from the water, and I’m not going to give you back anytime soon.” He kissed her with a kiss that had her toes curling and her heart jumping out of her chest.

  They continued to walk down the beach until his phone chimed, and he had to answer a call from his mother, who wanted to know if her parents had arrived safely.

  Then they stopped by the cottage, and she packed a suitcase of her clothes and other items she would need for the next week.

  She briefly talked to her sister about the coming week’s schedule and assured Robin that she’d be back over there tomorrow morning for her meeting with the young couple to finish the arrangements for their wedding that following weekend.

  She knew she could easily balance living with Conner and work. After all, the apartment was less than two blocks away from the venue.

  Besides, just knowing that she would be spending each night wrapped in his arms was worth the extra steps she’d get each day. At this point in their relationship, she’d gladly walk miles for the pleasures he gave her.

  She’d never lived with a man before and taking the big jump this time just felt right. After all, even if she hadn’t admitted it to him yet, she’d never felt this much for a man before.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Being surrounded by your family always felt good. Even when they were all razzing you about the events of the last week. Being part of the group that rescued the downed crew, convincing Kara to move in with him, and purchasing a home all ranked top of the list in the family conversation.

  That was until everyone sat down for dinner and Riley and Lilly both stood up and held up their water glasses.

  His family was crowded around large dining table in the massive dining room since the rain had started shortly before they’d arrived. Normally, they’d all be out in the backyard gathered around the grill and playing tag football in the yard.

  “We wanted to thank everyone,” Lilly said, getting everyone’s attention, “for coming out on such short notice.”

  “We especially wanted to thank all the extra guests who were able to make it tonight.” Riley motioned to Kara’s parents and to Rose, who was sitting as far away from Jacob as possible. “It’s always great to have extended family share in special announcements.”

  A hush fell over the entire group. Conner swore that if someone would have coughed, it would have broken the magic of the moment.

  Riley glanced over at Lilly, who nodded at her cousin. Then they both turned to their husbands, who quickly stood up as matching grins filled the brother’s faces.

  “We’re pregnant,” Corey and Carter said at the same moment.

  Several things happened at once. Every woman in the place sighed at the same time while every man in the place grinned from ear to ear.

  For the next few moments, congratulations were passed around like hors d’oeuvres. Carter and Corey either had their hands shaken or were hugged and cried all over, depending on who was handing them out.

  Conner walked over to his little sister and wrapped his arms around her, then kissed the top of her head. “Congratulations, squirt,” he said, using her nickname. She pinched him in response. Chuckling, he shook Carter’s hand. “So, I’m a little confused,” he said loudly enough to get the attention of several other family members. “If Corey and Carter are the ones who are pregnant, why are you and Lilly the ones getting fatter?” He put a hand over his sister’s flat belly.

  The comment earned him an elbow in the gut from his sister and chuckles from the rest of his family.

  Thankfully, this news caused all conversations about him and Kara to stop. They focused on when the babies would be arriving, sometime next spring. Lilly’s due date was a full week before Riley’s was, yet they dreamed of having their kids born on the same day. They hadn’t determined the sex of either of their babies yet, as it was still too early. But they planned on having one big gender reveal party as soon as they knew.

  For the rest of the evening, his mind turned to his own future and kids. In his mind, he continued to see images of children who looked an awful lot like a mix between himself and Kara.

  He knew he’d moved fast in asking her to move in with him, but thankfully, she hadn’t shied away from the challenge of being with him. It wasn’t as if he was a difficult person to live with. Okay, so he was hardly ever around during the week and tended to forget about planning meals. But that’s why it was such a great thing that he was living above a grocery store. He could stop off and get anything he wanted for dinner moments before stepping inside his home.

  He knew that when they moved up to the home in Hidden Cove, things could change. He’d have to get good at planning meals and maybe even get one of those large freezers he could fill up for inside the garage.

  Either way, having Kara’s input meant a lot to him. After all, at this point
, he imagined them living in the new home together.

  Now all he had to do was convince Kara.

  By the time they left his sister’s place, he had pretty much talked himself into giving their relationship a couple months before asking Kara to permanently move in with him. By Christmas time, at least as he figured it, she’d be ready. Which meant he had the next few months to butter her up and show her just how great he was for her.

  “What do you say to having lunch with me tomorrow?” he asked as they climbed the stairs. He held the umbrella above her head so she wouldn’t get wet.

  Even though they’d had the earlier conversation of enjoying the rain, he doubted she wanted to mess up her hair and outfit in the downpour that they were currently having.

  “I’d say”—she turned to him just outside their door and wrapped her arms around his shoulders—“that it’s a date.” She kissed him.

  “God,” he sighed as her lips brushed against his. “I can’t believe how wonderful you feel.”

  She smiled. “I’ll feel even more wonderful once we get inside and you get these clothes off me,” she practically purred against his lips.

  He fumbled quickly to unlock the door as she chuckled beside him.

  Once inside, it was all speed as clothes landed in piles on the floor trailing back to the bedroom.

  When his shoulders hit the mattress, he smiled up at Kara, who had pushed him back and was now climbing on top of him as her hands moved to his chest.

  “So, I was thinking,” she said in a low sultry tone, “that I owe you.”

  “For?” he asked, crossing his arms behind his head as his eyes ran over the matching bra and panties she still wore.

  “Smoothing things over...” she began as she reached for the clasp of her bra. Her words fell on deaf ears and his mouth went completely dry when she removed the last of the barriers, freeing herself to his gaze.

  “Earth to Conner?” she asked, waving her hands in front of his face.