“So we have a plan.”
“Belgium next month, wedding the following month. Sounds good to me,” Eden grinned.
Chapter 16
You done good.
Law’s arm froze in mid-stroke as he cleared the condensation from the bathroom mirror. He waited to see if his brother would say anything else, but Xavier always was a man of few words. Law finished wiping down the mirror and grinned when he smeared the new shaving cream that Jill had given him onto his face.
He took a deep breath as he made the first swipe of the razor along his neck. He and Asher had finally had a long talk about Xavier. It had been a long time coming. Turned out, Law and Maman weren’t the only ones who occasionally suffered from auditory hallucinations. Of course, if anyone was ever going to be tough and stubborn enough to make themselves known from beyond the grave, it would be their big brother.
He heard Xavier laugh.
“Who laughed? Are you on the phone?” Jill asked as she came up behind him.
“You look gorgeous, and you packed the night before. Is it any wonder I’m in love?”
Jill stood up on her tiptoes and looked over his shoulder so she could meet his eyes in the mirror as she watched him shave. “I thought you loved me for my cookies and the sexual favors I provide.”
This time, Law chuckled. “Your cookies come in a sad, sad third, that’s for damn sure.”
“Third?” She kissed his bare shoulder. “Sex is first, cookies are third, so what’s second?”
He wiped his face clean and turned around.
“Uh-uh. You got it wrong. Your kind and beautiful heart is number one. It always has been and it always will be.” He liked the way her eyes went soft and dreamy. He didn’t like the way she then bit her lip.
He pulled it loose and gave her a long, slow kiss. She tempted Law to do a lot more, but if he did, they’d be late getting to the airport. With the way security was these days, that could be a real problem with an international flight, and he still had one more thing planned before leaving.
“What’s got your tail in a knot?” he asked.
“Can’t a girl be worried about meeting her guy’s mom?”
“You’ve already met my mom,” he teased. “Zoom and Skype count. After all, you met Angela’s Rancher Man via Zoom and gave her a thumbs-up.”
Jill rolled her eyes. “So not the same thing. I’ve been on the phone with her probably three times a week for the last two months since the Battle of the Van.”
“Hey. We discussed that.” Law knew his voice was sharp, but he couldn’t help it.
Jill giggled. “Sorry, but what else can I call it? The name is perfect.”
He still had nightmares of that day.
Law went into the bedroom and he shook his head. “You better not have taken any of the suitcases out to the truck.”
“Just out to the living room. I needed the bedroom cleared out so I could make sure I hadn’t missed anything.”
“We’re only going to be in Belgium for ten days and you’re packing four suitcases. How in the hell could you be missing anything?” He went to the closet, got dressed, and grabbed what he needed out of his dresser drawer, then he watched as she sat on the bed and pulled on her socks.
“Hey, two of those suitcases are yours,” Jill protested.
“Yes. And those two are filled with mostly your stuff.”
Jill glanced over her shoulder at him as she tugged on a boot. “You know, a lot of men would be upset, but the weird thing is, you’re not.”
He sat down next to her. “I like that you know that.” He kissed her temple. “I like that you know me.”
She leaned into him and sighed.
“Getting to know you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, Lawson Jacob Thorne.”
“God, Jill, you choke me up when you say things like that. You always seem to have the right words.” He pulled her off the bed and onto his lap.
She looked up at him with wide eyes. “I thought sometimes my smart mouth upset you.”
“Except for the Battle of the Van, you’re good.” His eyes twinkled. She traced his dimple.
“Okay, I’ll cool that for a while. It upsets Lesley, too, and she’s finally getting better.”
“Glad to hear it.”
He didn’t say anything else. Just stared at her.
“Uhm, Law, either we get naked, or we pack the car.”
Now the second dimple showed up. “See, you’re perfect, always willing to get naked.” He stroked back her hair. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“You asked me to go out for coffee and dessert.” She winked.
“Maybe.”
She let her head drift against his chest. “Have I ever told you what I really think?” Jill asked tentatively. She knew she hadn’t, but she now felt secure enough with Law to tell him her fanciful thoughts.
“What, Baby?”
“I think that maybe Lorraine and Xavier wanted us to be happy and arranged for us to meet that night.”
He tipped her chin back and she looked into his deep blue eyes. “I like that idea. I like it a lot.”
She sighed, knowing that somewhere her cousin was happy for her.
Slowly, Lawson lowered her onto the bed. “Oh, the naked option. Lucky me.”
“Jillian Lee, you little hussy, we just got dressed. Naked is not an option. As a matter of fact, you’re not dressed enough for our trip.”
“Huh?”
“Jill. The best thing that has ever happened in my life has been meeting you.
