Page 28 of Belonging: KT & Lolo (Good Hope: The Next Generation #2)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

KT whistled softly as he started the coffee, the rich aroma filling the kitchen. He reached for a mug, his hands moving on autopilot.

Braxton had popped over unexpectedly this morning, catching him as he’d returned home for a change of clothes.

He’d quickly texted Lolo that his return to her cabin would be delayed, then sat at the table to enjoy the doughnuts his brother had brought along while telling him about the log home he was considering purchasing.

“I remember the place from Dakota’s wedding. It’s nice.” Braxton studied him. “Would you want to live in Good Hope full time? Seems more suited to a family than a single guy.”

The words struck deep. Last night’s conversation with Lolo flickered in his mind.

“Unless,” Braxton added slowly, “you’re looking to go that direction.”

KT arched a brow.

“You and Lolo seem…close.” Braxton’s gaze was steady, but KT caught the edge of concern there. “Have you talked about the future? ”

KT exhaled. Had they? Even last night, their words had been broad, full of emotion, but lacking logistics. They wanted to be together. They couldn’t imagine a life apart.

But what happened when she had to go back to Lexington? When he returned to New York?

“I want to be with her, Braxton.” His voice was steady, firm.

Surprise flickered in his brother’s dark eyes. “I knew you two had gotten close, but I didn’t realize it was that serious.”

KT nodded. “It is. The next step is figuring out where we go from here.”

“Would she move for you? Would you move for her?”

KT leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “Being in the city, at least part of the year, is good for my career. I’m not sure how easy it will be for her to work from another location.”

Braxton shrugged. “Lots of architects work remotely. Look at David Chapin. He’s been working from home for years.”

“There are all kinds of architects. I don’t know if it’s different for her or not.” KT swallowed against the sudden knot in his throat. A flash of uncertainty flickered, but he shoved it down. These weren’t roadblocks. They were details.

Details could be worked out.

Because when you loved someone, truly loved them, you made it work.

That’s exactly what he and Lolo would do.

Over the next few days, KT’s feelings for Lolo only deepened. They didn’t talk about her looming return to Lexington or what might come next. But the unspoken weight of it hung between them like a storm cloud neither wanted to name.

Last night, they’d cooked dinner at her place, moving around each other with practiced ease. They’d laughed, eaten, talked. They’d made love, again and again, until sleep finally claimed them.

He’d stirred once in the early morning light, felt her brush a kiss to his cheek and murmur something about going into town for pastries. Or maybe he’d dreamed it.

When he finally woke, the bed was empty and the cabin quiet.

Still warm from sleep, KT tugged on yesterday’s jeans and padded barefoot into the kitchen. The scent of freshly brewed coffee greeted him, along with the spread of sketches across the table.

He smiled. Lolo’s drawings for the Stillwell project were sprawled across the surface, some with smudges of graphite on the corners where her fingers had held the page. He picked one up, studying the fluid lines, the confident structure.

She’d been so focused last night, her pencil dancing while she talked about materials and form. KT hadn’t offered much, just watched, quietly admiring. She lit up when she worked. Her belief in this project was real.

Stillwell would be a fool not to see that.

He turned toward the counter, refilled his coffee. The mug was halfway to his lips when the door creaked open behind him.

He smiled as he turned. “That didn’t take long. What did you get us?—”

A man stood in the doorway. Midthirties. About KT’s height. Clean-shaven, hair slicked back, blazer pressed sharp at the edges.

He had a smirk on his face that KT wanted to knock clean off.

“Who the hell are you?” KT asked, setting down the mug with a soft thud.

The stranger didn’t flinch. “Jared Tipton,” he said, voice smooth.

“Well, Jared Tipton. What do you think you’re doing walking in like this? This is a private residence?— ”

“Actually, it’s a rental. For family, I think. Lorraine’s family. And as I’m Lorraine’s fiancé, I guess my family, too.”

KT stared, and Jared looked around the room, assessing everything as if he owned it. His words echoed in KT’s ears. “She’s not engaged.”

Jared smiled like he was indulging a child.

“Did you not know? Well, I know all about you. KT Slattery. World-famous artist everyone is trying to get a piece of. Including Malcom Stillwell. Our firm would do anything to keep our biggest client happy.” Jared took a step toward KT and lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret.

“Some people at work weren’t sure Lorraine was the right woman for this job.

I wasn’t one of them. I knew if anyone could charm you, it’d be our Lolo. ”

KT’s blood turned to ice.

Jared pushed past KT and dropped his blazer over the back of a chair. “You’ve clearly been…helpful.” His gaze swept KT’s unshaven face, bare feet, tousled hair. “She has a gift, doesn’t she? Persuading people. Always has.”

He wandered over to the table, picked up one of the sketches and nodded as if inspecting a wine list. “These are good. Much better than anything she could have done on her own.”

KT’s fists curled at his sides.

The door opened again.

“I got the last two kouign amanns…” Lolo’s voice trailed off. She froze in midstep, white paper bag crinkling in her hand. Her eyes widened.

“Jared?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”

“Darling,” he said, all faux affection, “is that any way to greet your fiancé?”

She ignored him. “KT,” she said quickly, crossing toward him, panic tightening her voice. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

But KT couldn’t hear her. Could barely breathe.

Jared’s words rang in his head like a drumbeat.

The right woman for this job.

If anyone could charm you.

Much better than anything she could have done on her own.

Had it all been a lie?

Was Braxton right?

Lolo reached for him, but KT stepped back, grabbing his shoes from where they lay by the door.

He couldn’t do this. Not here. Not with Jared’s smug smile in the background and Lolo scrambling to undo the wreckage.

“I need air,” KT muttered.

Then he was out the door and down the steps, his jaw clenched so tight it throbbed. He didn’t stop to put on his shoes. Didn’t look back.

In moments, he was in the Jeep, gravel spitting under the tires as he pulled away from the cabin and the woman he was no longer sure he knew at all.

Lolo whirled on Jared, her voice low and lethal. “You have no right to be here. How did you even find me?”

He smirked, unbothered. “Sloane. I leaned on her a little. Poor thing’s terrified of losing her job, so she gave me whatever I asked for. Including your address here.”

Her stomach turned.

The request for a mailing address. The Stillwell packet that was supposedly on its way. All a setup.

“You lied. You used her.” Her voice shook. “Why?”

Jared shrugged, casual, as if this was just another office inconvenience.

“You ghosted me, Lorraine. We were on a break , not broken up. I figured you’d come crawling back once you had your little breakdown and needed rescuing.

But you came here instead. And what do I find?

Not you staying with your brother, like you told Sloane.

No, a quick search told me the address you gave her is owned by your sister-in-law’s family and rented only to artists.

That got me thinking—what artist has Lorraine been chasing for months?

” Jared laughed, a self-satisfied chuckle.

“KT Slattery might guard his privacy, but his publicist will spill anything if you flirt with her enough, including info about his hiatus in Good Hope.”

Jared pulled himself up to his full height and leveled his gaze at Lolo. “Obviously, I put two and two together and realized your plan.”

Lolo’s blood ran hot. “I have no plan. I didn’t come here looking for KT.”

“Oh, come on,” he said, stepping closer. “You expect me to believe you just happened to shack up next to Slattery without a motive? You seduced the one guy we couldn’t land, and you landed him.” His smile turned cruel. “I gotta say I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“I didn’t seduce anyone. And I’m not here for the job.”

“Then why haven’t you told your daddy we’re over?” Jared’s voice dropped to a taunting whisper. “You’ve told him everything else. Unless, of course, you’re using me, my reputation and standing, to get ahead.”

“ Your reputation?” Her hands clenched. “I didn’t tell my father because I was trying to keep our relationship on the down-low. Like you asked. Like Sloane begged me to. If anything, I was protecting your—and her—reputation.”

His scoff was a gut punch. “Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

“You’re disgusting.”

“Careful with those accusations. After all,” he gestured around the cabin, “I’m not the one playing house with an artist like it’s real. You should’ve seen the look on Slattery’s face when I told him we’re engaged. He bought it instantly.”

Lolo’s throat closed. “You told him what ?”

Jared gave a lazy shrug. “Oh, relax. Slattery’s a man of the world. I’m sure he’s got a whole roster of models and groupies in the city. He was probably just pissed that he wasn’t the one leaving first.”

“Get out.”

“Lolo—”

“I said —” Her voice broke, then steadied into a hiss. “Get. Out.”

He took a step toward her. “Don’t do this. You got caught, that’s all. Consider us even now, okay? Finish things here, come back with the deal. We’ll tell your parents the good news together.”