Page 92 of Keep On Loving You
“But you stayed? I thought you’d be down as soon as you could.”
“Me too.” She shrugged. “Turns out I kind of like it up here.” The wind chose that moment to pick up, and the tent rocked in the gust. “I mean, I mostly like it up here. By the time I noticed the storm coming in, I thought it was probably safer to stay here than try to hike out. But you?—”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m just glad you’re safe.”
“You need to get out of these wet clothes before we both freeze to death.”
Andy nodded and handed her his pack before he started to peel his coat off. “There should be a change of clothes in there, and pull out the communication device. We need to send Kane a message and let him know we’re safe.”
Kat did as requested while Andy tugged his wet clothes off and put them out of the tent. She listened while he explained about the emergency communication device and together, they decided a rescue wasn’t necessary. Andy sent a message to Kane through the satellite device to let him know that they’d be able to ride out the rest of the storm in the tent. Together.
“You’re freezing.” Kat brushed Andy’s chest as she handed him his extra shirt. She pressed her warm hands on his cool skin. “Maybe you should get in the sleeping bag and warm up?”
He pulled the shirt over his head and reached for her. “Maybe you can help warm me up?”
Happily, she snuggled into his embrace. So much had happened in such a short time, she wasn’t even sure she’d ever feel his arms around her again.
The sleeping bag wasn’t big enough for both of them, so together they shifted until they were lying down with the bag unzipped and covering both of them. They didn’t speak for a while but simply held each other as the storm raged on outside.
Finally, Andy blew out a breath and in a shaky voice, he said, “I was so worried, Kat.” His hand came up andstroked her hair. “I don’t think I could handle it if anything happened to you. I?—”
“I’m so sorry, Andy.” She couldn’t stop the tears from streaking down her cheeks.
“You don’t need to be sorry.”
“I do.” She laughed a little. “I mean, I’m sorry you were worried, but that’s not what I meant.”
She pulled back a little so she could look him in the eye. “I’m sorry I ever tried to hide you. Or us. Or what we are…I mean, what wewere.It was wrong. And I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
Her words felt so thin and inadequate to how she actually felt and what she really wanted to say.
“I’m not going to say I wasn’t hurt, Kitty Kat. I was. But it wasn’t just on you. And anyway, it doesn’t matter.”
“But it?—”
“Kat.” Andy sat up and pulled her up so she was facing him. “I love you.” His words resonated deep in her chest. “And I don’t mean like a sister, in case that wasn’t clear.”
She laughed.
“I should have told you a long time ago how I felt. But just like you, I was scared.”
She nodded, unable to speak.
“It was always so much more thanfor right nowor asituationshipor whatever other stupid labels we tried to put on it to keep from facing what it really was. I’ve loved you for so long, I can hardly remember a time when it wasn’t you. It’s always been you, Kitty Kat.” He cupped her cheek and rubbed a thumb in slow circles on her skin. “And I think Iknow how you feel, too. But I need you to know that I won’t hide anymore. I want the whole world to know how I feel about you and how much I love you. If your brothers have a problem with that…” He exhaled slowly. “Well, they’re just going to have to?—”
“Deal with it,” she finished for him as a smile she could no longer contain took over her face. “Because I love you, too, Andy. It’s always been you.”
He kissed her then. And even with the wind shaking the tent around them and the rain lashing the thin nylon, it was the best kiss she’d ever had.
“I thought I lost you, Andy. When I…I…” She dropped her head to his chest and sucked in a breath, filling her senses with his scent. “I can’t lose you, too. I just can’t.”
He tipped her head up gently. “You won’t lose me.”
“My dad…I…” All at once, it was too much, and the emotions of the last few days poured out. “He’s gone, Andy. He’s really gone now.”
His only response was to tighten his grip on her and rub her back while she cried.
After a few minutes, her sobs subsided, and Kat lifted her head. “You must think I’m crazy.”
