Page 25 of Belonging: KT & Lolo (Good Hope: The Next Generation #2)
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
On Saturday morning, Lolo woke early, her pulse already quickening with the knowledge that KT would be home today.
She hadn’t slept well, tossing and turning beneath the quilt, replaying his texts in her mind. He’d messaged her both nights. Little check-ins. Thoughtful notes about his day, questions about hers. Each one signed off with how much he missed her. How much he couldn’t wait to see her.
She imagined he and Braxton would grab breakfast before heading back, and maybe—probably—he wouldn’t be alone when he arrived. That would be okay, she reminded herself. The important thing was he’d be back . And soon, they’d have time, just the two of them.
She tugged on her running shoes, her nerves begging for motion, and headed out onto the quiet lane. The early light bathed the trees in gold, and the rhythm of her feet against the gravel helped steady the flurry in her chest.
These two days apart had been good. For both of them.
KT had spent time with his brother, reconnected with old friends. She’d leaned into the friendships she had here—wine with Zoe and Brynn, cleaning out the fountain and reminiscing about Katherine with Eliza. Even that had been soothing in its own way.
Most satisfying of all, she’d made serious progress on the Stillwell redesign. The updated concepts weren’t just strong—they were smart and clean and better in every way. If Malcolm could look past the fact that KT wasn’t involved, she believed he’d see their value.
By the time she turned back toward the cabins, sweat dampened her brow, and her shirt clung to her chest.
As she rounded the last bend on Paintbrush Lane, her breath caught.
KT’s car was parked in front of her cabin.
Then, there he was.
He stepped down off her porch, sunlight glinting in his hair. Just the sight of him hit her like a jolt to the heart.
She picked up her pace until she was sprinting, feet pounding, chest rising and falling, not just with exertion, but with anticipation.
When she reached him, she stopped just short of crashing into him, breathless and grinning.
“You’re back early.” She glanced around. “Where’s your brother?”
“Dropped him off at Grandma’s,” he said, a smile playing at his lips.
She arched a brow, playful. “Are you saying I have you all to myself?”
He took a step closer. “Do you want me?”
Her gaze held his, the truth spilling out like sunlight. “Oh yes,” she breathed. “I want .”
KT’s hand reached up, twisting a damp curl around his finger. His eyes burned into hers. “I want you.”
Her laugh came out unsteady, wrapped in heat. “I’ve been running. Let me take a quick shower and?—”
“No need,” he murmured, his voice rough and reverent as he buried his face in her hair .
She curled into him, arms winding around his neck, fingers threading through his hair. His mouth found hers, and this time, there was no hesitation. No pause.
They kissed like they’d been holding their breath for days.
This was what they’d both been waiting for—quietly, urgently—all along.
And now, there was no turning back.
In the quiet after, with sunlight streaming through the slats of the blinds and their limbs tangled in a comfortable sprawl, KT traced slow, lazy circles along Lolo’s shoulder. He’d never known a moment could feel so full—of stillness, of heat, of something that tasted a lot like forever.
He wasn’t a man prone to sentiment. But lying beside her, her breath steady against his chest, he felt a shift inside him. Like something had settled into place. Something he hadn’t even known was missing.
“I could stay here like this forever,” Lolo murmured, her voice warm and drowsy against his skin.
His lips curved as he looked down at her. “Round three wore you out, huh?”
She tilted her head, gave him a look. “Says the man who made a very convincing case for round four.”
KT chuckled, brushing a kiss over her temple. “Not my fault you’re irresistible.”
A comfortable silence stretched. Then he exhaled, the truth slipping out before he could stop it. “I don’t want this to end.”
Lolo went still for a beat, then lifted her head. Her gaze found his, soft and unguarded. “Then don’t let it.”
Something in his chest caught, something he didn’t have a name for but felt a whole lot like hope .
She shifted, resting her chin on his chest. “Now, what’s this I hear about breakfast?”
“I thought maybe Muddy Boots.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We could toast to…excellent decision-making.”
“Because you got me into bed?”
“Because you made me fall in love with you and didn’t even try,” he said, voice low.
Her expression faltered for the briefest moment, then she leaned in and kissed him. Sweet and slow. A kiss that tasted like a promise.
“Well,” she whispered, “if we’re going out, I definitely need a shower.”
He grinned. “We could save time and water. Just saying.”
“Efficient and environmentally conscious,” she said, already sliding out of bed. “You keep getting more attractive.”
When she held out her hand, he took it without hesitation.
It hadn’t just been physical. It had never just been that. Whatever this was, they were already in it—all the way.
“Coming here was a fabulous idea.” Lolo glanced down at her plate of perfectly scrambled eggs, golden hashbrowns and thick-cut toast glistening with melted butter. “This looks incredible. I might cry a little when I take the first bite.”
KT chuckled as he sank his fork into his omelet, stuffed full of veggies and cheese. “They’ve never let me down. It’s practically a sacred Good Hope tradition—weekend breakfast at Muddy Boots.”
Their booth by the window offered the perfect vantage point—a view of Main Street waking up and the cozy churn of café regulars filtering in, shoes thumping against tile and greetings called across booths. The air smelled of coffee, bacon and maple syrup—comfort wrapped in nostalgia .
Lolo studied KT as he reached for the ketchup. He looked devastatingly good in that soft, faded red tee and worn jeans, his dark hair slightly tousled from the wind. Her gaze caught on his hands—strong, capable, artistic.
Magic hands, her body reminded her with a warm, traitorous shiver.
The memory of where those hands had been just a couple of hours ago had her pulse skipping. His fingers tracing her skin, drawing pleasure like he was composing a melody only she could hear…
KT’s eyes flicked to hers, and she knew, knew, he felt the charge, too.
“Something on your mind?” he asked, casual, toast halfway to his mouth.
She blinked. “Just that…I don’t think we gave ourselves nearly enough time this morning.”
He paused, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. “We could’ve skipped breakfast.”
“We still could,” she said, trying not to smirk. “There’s time.”
“You trying to seduce me with toast crumbs on your cheek?”
“Is it working?”
KT leaned in slightly, voice low. “Yes.”
She laughed, then pressed a napkin to her mouth, trying to will her heart to stop somersaulting. Two women in fleece vests chatted in the next booth. A toddler dropped a toy at the nearby table. This was not the time to suggest he take her back to bed and forget the world.
Instead, she picked up her fork and gestured toward him. “How’s the painting coming?”
His expression softened, the way it always did when he talked about his art. “It’s coming alive. The emotion is there now. Before, I was painting around it. Now I’m painting from it.”
Her chest pulled tight. “That’s how I feel when I sketch something that finally makes sense. It’s like…you stop thinking and just start breathing through the pencil.”
KT reached across the table and brushed his thumb lightly over her wrist. “Exactly.”
The world narrowed again to just him, the feel of his skin against hers, the promise in his eyes.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” she said quietly.
“Like what?”
“Settled. Sure of something. Happy.”
He didn’t answer right away. “That’s what you do to me, Lolo.”
She swallowed, hard. Her heart beat louder than the clatter of dishes behind the counter.
After a moment, he leaned back, smile back in place. “So…how much longer are you staying in Good Hope?”
The question landed like a soft knock on a closed door.
“I’m not sure,” she said slowly, setting her fork down. “I didn’t take a vacation last year. And I have a lot I still want to accomplish here.”
KT held her gaze, more serious now. “I wasn’t trying to push. Just wondering how long I have to enjoy your company.”
Her heart softened. “Forever, if I have anything to say about it.”
His answering smile was slow, real and reverent. “Then we’ll definitely need to order more toast.”
The late morning sun spilled across Good Hope’s Main Street as KT and Lolo stepped out of Muddy Boots, hand in hand. The sidewalk shimmered with a late summer promise, and the light breeze carried the faint scent of blooming phlox and warm pastries .
“Want to walk off those potatoes?” KT asked, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Only if there’s a reward at the end.” Lolo arched a brow. “Ice cream? A foot massage? Endless compliments?”
He chuckled. “How about a stroll to the beach and all three?”
“Sold.”
They walked past familiar storefronts—Blooms Bake Shop with its tower of doughnuts stacked like an edible sculpture, a pet boutique window packed with dog toys—but it was the Rent a Moped sign hanging in the window of Good Hope Outfitters that made them both break into matching grins.
“Think the pink ones are still available?” Lolo asked, bumping her shoulder lightly against his.
KT groaned. “Don’t even joke.”
When they reached the wooden stairs that led down to the beach, she tugged him forward. “C’mon. First beach visit means we have to at least dip our toes in—official Good Hope tradition.”
The sand was warm beneath their feet as they left their shoes at the bottom of the steps and ambled toward the water. Gentle waves lapped the shore, leaving behind ribbons of foam that fizzled like champagne.