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KIM BALDWIN. two or three nights a week at her place
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two or three nights a week at her place. Earl Grey spent the night when Erin did, and now had a litter box, toys, and a hammock bed at each home.
The F rst couple of weeks, they’d spent every night together.
But once school started, they were apart one or two nights a week so that Erin could do her lesson plans and correct schoolwork without interruption. Try as she might, if Gable was present, she said she rarely got anything done.
Tonight was to have been one of those schoolwork nights, so Gable was especially pleased she would not be sleeping alone. Her bed was too big and lonely without Erin, and after their brush with death, she needed the reassurance of her lover’s body beside her.
They took a quick shower together when they got to Erin’s place, then climbed into bed beneath her f uffy down comforter, too exhausted to eat, too weary to do anything but cuddle.
“I bet we’re sore tomorrow,” Erin said drowsily.
“That’s a pretty safe wager, I think.” Gable spooned Erin in their familiar way, her front to Erin’s back. She loved the way Erin’s smaller body F t within the curve of her larger frame, totally enfolded in her arms.
“That was scary today. Thanks for picking me up.”
“We all watch out for each other,” Gable said. “I was afraid too.”
She kissed the back of Erin’s neck and hugged her closer.
“You make me feel safe,” Erin whispered. “From the moment we met, you’ve been my hero, you know.”
“I want to always be there for you, Erin,” she murmured. “Always and forever. You mean everything in the world to me. Everything.”
Gable could feel Erin stiffen slightly. Shit. You and your big mouth.
She had been extremely careful not to say anything that might make Erin feel pressured about their future. But she was tired, and unguarded, and feeling particularly emotional so soon after their harrowing escape.
“What you said.” Erin’s voice was so soft Gable barely heard it, though their heads were nestled beside each other.
“Mmm?”
“Ditto, for me.”
Gable’s heart swelled, and tears came to her eyes. She kissed Erin’s neck again, and her lover relaxed into her arms. They were soon fast asleep.
• 192 •
FORCE OF NATURE
v
Gable lay awake in bed the next night, unable to get comfortable without Erin next to her and powerless to stop the images of the wildF re that had been replaying in her mind all day. She ran her hand through her hair, still unaccustomed to the length. She’d kept it fairly short for many years, but not this short. It was shorn in the back, to even out the section of hair that had been burned in the wildF re.
They had been very lucky—or very blessed—to have escaped both the tornado and the F re on the hillside. And Gable knew there likely would be more close calls for them as volunteers in the F re service. She had accepted that risk for herself when she decided to join the squad.
But the thought of anything happening to Erin scared the living hell out of her. TerriF ed her far worse than any threat to her own life.
Like Erin’s crystal vase, the F re had been a jarring reminder of the fragility of life, the capriciousness of nature. Gable knew all too well how quickly and unexpectedly loved ones could be taken from you. She ached to tell Erin how much she loved her. Needed her. How much she wanted them to share their lives for the rest of their lives. If anything were to happen to either of them, Gable wanted Erin to know exactly how much she meant to her.
Maybe I can tell her. Maybe if I just don’t hit her with too muchat once. Start with I love you and see how it goes. I know she lovesme back, don’t I? She admitted as much last night, didn’t she? Gable sighed. Tell her. And tell her soon. Don’t let something else happen. She hoped she was making the right decision. Now she just had to wait for the right opportunity. Or maybe create one.
Not certain how Erin would react, Gable decided not to make a big deal out of it. Better to keep it low-key. But she wanted it to be special. A moment to look back on. A memorable setting.
The best option, she decided, was right outside her window. The trees were at the peak of autumnal color. A brilliant array of F ery tones, nearly every shade imaginable in the spectrum from deep scarlet to brilliant orange to iridescent yellow, cast against the varied green palette of pines and hemlocks. A blaze of color carpeting the forest f oor, and surrounding her on all sides. The evenings were cool, but not cold yet.
Exactly the right time for a campF re in the big F re bowl she had dug in
• 193 •
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