Page 31 of Belonging: KT & Lolo (Good Hope: The Next Generation #2)

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

“We need to talk,” Lolo said.

“We do,” KT agreed, his voice quiet but firm.

She scanned the square. “How about here? Looks like we’ve got the place to ourselves.”

He tipped his chin toward the statue. “Except for those three.” His voice was wry, but there was a tightness to his shoulders.

Lolo gave a small smile. “Right. Can’t forget them.”

She sat on the edge of the fountain, folding her hands in her lap. KT hesitated before lowering himself beside her. Not too close, not too far. His elbows rested on his knees, eyes fixed on her face.

“I’ve been looking for you since you left,” she said.

“Have you?”

She nodded. “I need to clear the air. First, Jared and I are not together. We haven’t been for a long time. And I didn’t come to Good Hope to try to convince you to accept Stillwell’s offer.”

KT looked at her, his expression unreadable. “You talked it up.”

“I did. Only because I wanted you to have the full picture.” She drew in a breath. “But I let it go the moment you explained why it didn’t fit. I never brought it up again, did I?”

His jaw flexed, but he gave a slight shake of his head.

“When you turned down the offer, it became my responsibility to move forward. Stillwell passed on my first proposal, and that stung. Then there was Jared… His words got into my head. Made me doubt if I belonged at all.”

KT turned toward her more fully now, eyes searching hers. “You do belong. Your work—your vision —it’s clear in every sketch you’ve shown me.”

Her throat tightened. “Being here has helped me remember who I am. I’ve designed something stronger that I’ll show Stillwell. And I’m going to tell my father everything—about Jared, about what happened between him and me.”

KT nodded slowly. But his fingers tightened around the edge of the fountain.

“So…you’re leaving?”

The question hung in the air like a cloud.

Lolo faltered. “I’ll make sure Stillwell stops reaching out to you,” she said, voice thinner now. “If he doesn’t like the new concept, I’ll try again.”

He stared at her for a long moment. “That’s not what I meant. I meant…why are you leaving?”

She blinked, taken off guard. “Well, you’re going back to New York and?—”

“What about us ?”

The words were quiet. Rough around the edges. He looked at her then, fully looked, and something raw flickered in his expression. Not anger. Not hurt.

Longing.

“What about what we’ve been building?” he asked. “Don’t tell me I imagined all of it.”

Her heart stumbled. “You didn’t,” she whispered.

He exhaled hard, then reached over, threading his fingers with hers. His thumb brushed across her knuckles—tentative, tender.

“Then why are you going?” His voice was lower now, the ache behind it impossible to miss.

“I guess I thought this was…temporary,” she admitted. “That it had to be.”

He shook his head slowly. “Not to me. Was it to you?”

She squeezed his hand. “Not even close.”

The wind rustled through the trees. A coin clinked softly in the fountain behind them.

KT let out a breath and shifted closer, pressing his forehead to hers. “I know this hasn’t been long, but I don’t want to lose you, Lolo.”

“I don’t want to lose you either,” she whispered.

“Then we figure it out. Together.”

Her arms slid around his neck as she nodded. “That sounds like a pretty perfect plan.”

When he kissed her, it wasn’t fierce or frantic. It was steady. Certain. And deep in her chest, she swore she heard the faintest sound of applause.

Or maybe it was just her heart catching up to the truth.

Back at her cabin, KT reached for the door, opening it for her like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Inside, the space felt different. Not because anything had changed, but because everything had.

Lolo moved to the kitchen counter. “I could use some coffee. How about you?”

“Whatever you’re having.” KT leaned against the counter, arms crossed, watching her. Not like he was trying to figure her out anymore. Like he finally could just see her .

She set out two mugs. “I bought some of that hazelnut blend you said you like.”

He smiled. “You remembered.”

“Of course.”

They sat at the small table, steaming mugs and the pastries she’d purchased that morning between them.

“I was scared,” she admitted softly.

He looked up.

“When I came home and saw Jared here. When I saw your face.” She wrapped her hands around the mug. “I thought I’d lost you.”

KT reached across the table, covered her hand with his. “I was scared, too.”

She looked at him then—really looked—and what she saw wasn’t just affection or desire.

It was trust. A new beginning being written in real time.

“I don’t know exactly how this is going to work,” she said quietly. “But I want it to.”

“We’ll figure it out,” KT said simply.

Lolo traced the rim of her mug, the silence between them no longer heavy, just thoughtful.

“I fly out a week from tomorrow,” she said finally.

KT nodded slowly. “I figured it was coming soon.”

“I haven’t booked the ticket yet,” she added, glancing at him. “But I will.”

“I’m not asking you to stay,” he said gently. “Not unless it’s what you want. But I’d like to be part of what comes next.”

She smiled faintly. “You really think we can make the distance thing work?”

“I think we’ll have to be intentional.” He leaned forward. “No pretending that being apart won’t be a pain. Or that FaceTime is the same as being in the same room. But I also think…we’re worth the effort. ”

Lolo exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. “I was worried you’d see this as too much hassle.”

KT gave a soft laugh. “You think I’d come back to Good Hope, fall for a woman with graphite on her fingers and sunshine in her hair, and then just give up?”

She gave him a mock glare. “I do not always have graphite on my fingers.”

“You do,” he said, grinning. “It’s part of the charm.”

She reached across the table, brushing her fingertips along his wrist. “Okay. So let’s be intentional.”

KT covered her hand with his. “Weekly calls, daily texts. Alternating weekends. Once I wrap up a few deadlines, I could fly down to Lexington in a month. And if you get time, you’re always welcome back here.”

“We’ll have to plan around client meetings and proposal deadlines. Stillwell’s not exactly known for his patience.”

“Neither is my agent.” He chuckled. “But I’ll make the time.”

Lolo tilted her head. “What about Brooklyn?”

He hesitated, then met her gaze directly. “I don’t know. I’ve been thinking a lot about that cabin in the woods. A real studio space. Close to my grandparents. A different rhythm.”

“Good Hope is slower,” she admitted. “But it makes you come alive.”

“It does that for you, too,” he said softly.

She blinked, the words settling deep. “Well, then,” she whispered, voice thick, “I guess we’ll figure it out.”

KT lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

“Yes, we will.”

The next morning, Lolo rolled out of bed to go for a run, leaving KT sprawled out on the other side of the bed. The warmth of sleep still clung to her as she stretched, trying to shake off the weight pressing on her chest.

As she bent to tighten her laces, a realization settled over her, heavy and unwelcome.

She had only one more week here. Seven days before she packed up and returned to Lexington, slipping back into her usual routine. Two weeks before KT headed back to New York, back to his life, his world.

And then what?

They’d promised to stay in touch, of course. Actually had a plan. But she worried. She’d seen how that played out for several women in the office who had tried, swearing up and down that their love could withstand the miles. It never did.

The thought of never seeing KT again—of this being just a passing moment, a fleeting summer romance—made her chest tighten.

Even if he bought the cabin and moved to Good Hope, it wouldn’t change anything. He would still be here, and she would still be in Kentucky. But at least with family here, seeing him would be…easier. The thought was barely a comfort.

For a moment, she considered waking him, asking if he wanted to go for a run with her. But she hesitated. She needed to get used to mornings without him. She might as well start now.

Taking a breath, she stepped outside, the cool morning air brushing against her skin. She inhaled deeply, the scent of pine mixing with moist earth from a rain shower last night.

She really was going to miss?—

The front door swung open.

“Hey,” KT called, his voice scratchy with sleep. “Is there room on that dusty road for one more?”

Lolo’s heart shot straight to her throat, and she had to clear it before answering.

“Always room for you.”

She tried to keep her voice even, but the way he looked at her— like running with her was exactly where he wanted to be—sent a rush of warmth through her.

“Give me a sec. This will go much better if I have shoes on.”

They set off down the road, feet pounding against the dirt, each step steadying her, grounding her.

He fell into step beside her easily, their strides matching like they always did. It felt so natural, so effortless, as if no time or distance could change this.

“Have you heard from Braxton?” she asked, trying to ignore her elevated pulse.

“He’s attending the farmers’ market with the grandparents,” KT said, shaking his head with a small, amused smile.

Lolo slowed just slightly, frowning. “They didn’t invite you?”

KT’s lips quirked, his voice touched with humor. “They asked.”

She inclined her head. “You didn’t want to go?”

He glanced over at her, his gaze steady. “I already had plans.”

Lolo blinked, surprised. “You had plans?”

“I did.” His smile deepened, soft and sure. “With you.”

The breath caught in her throat.

She turned her face forward, pretending to focus on the road ahead, but her heart was racing for reasons that had nothing to do with running.

“Jason Boone texted last night,” KT said casually, between breaths. “I gave him the green light. Told him I want the house.”

Lolo’s pace faltered, just a fraction. “You made an offer?”

He nodded, his gaze steady on the road. “Feels like the right move.”

Lolo didn’t answer right away. A breeze lifted her curls and carried the scent of pine and distant woodsmoke, grounding her in this moment—this place, this man.

He hadn’t said it was because of her. Hadn’ t made any declarations or promises. But he’d chosen something permanent. Rooted. Here.

For the first time since she’d woken up with a countdown ticking in her chest, the weight pressing on her heart lightened. Maybe this wasn’t just a passing summer. Maybe this was the beginning of something lasting.

She looked over at him, running quietly beside her, and smiled.

“Good,” she said softly. “That place suits you.”

And maybe, just maybe…it could suit her, too.