“Let’s put up the tree in the library!”
Nash and I didn’t know it then, but it was the last evening we would spend in my parents’ house. The next day the roads were cleared and the airport was open. After booking an afternoon flight back to Austin, Nash and I spent the morning with my brother and sister, as well as with Justin and Jill. It was the perfect ending to the most amazing week of my life.
Millie had begged me to stay for Christmas, but I knew the sooner Nash and I got back to Austin, the sooner our lives would begin.
February—Two months later
THE SOUND OF laughter filtered through the door as I walked up to it. Unlocking the door, I stepped into the kitchen to see Kaelynn and Morgan sitting at the island.
“You two sound like you’re having fun.”
When Kaelynn lifted her eyes to meet mine, my heart fluttered in my chest. She smiled the most beautiful smile and rushed over to me. She did it every single day, and it made me feel like the most loved man in the world. I could be gone for an hour or twelve; she greeted me the same way every time. Since Morgan’s practice was growing, Kaelynn was doing more volunteer work with another company in Austin that helped widows of veterans. She was passionate about the work, and I loved to see her doing something she loved.
“Hey! How was your day, babe?” she asked, kissing me on the lips and then giving me a hug.
“Long. How about yours?” I asked, kissing her on the forehead before she slipped away and went back to the stool.
“Amazing! Morgan and I have been searching for a playpen for the new baby.”
I pulled open the refrigerator and sighed. “We talked about this, Kaelynn. This place is too small.”
“Don’t be a party pooper.” Morgan chuckled.
Leaning against the counter, I stared at the two women. Both of whom were giving me puppy eyes.
“This place is too small for a puppy, and especially for a playpen for a puppy.”
Kaelynn jutted her lower lip and pouted. She looked so damn cute; I couldn’t help but smile. The moment she saw the boxer puppy two weeks ago on the hike and bike trail, she had been begging me for a puppy. It was something I could actually get on board with, if we lived in a house.
After coming home from Utah, I waited until after the holidays and the first of the year before moving in. Kaelynn had gone to the doctor within days of us returning to make sure she hadn’t gotten pregnant. I had to admit, when the test came back negative, I was disappointed. Kaelynn seemed to be, as well, but we decided it was for the best. We needed to be with each other before we added a baby into the mix. I put my house on the market, and we had started talking about moving farther out and building a house. Things were moving fast, but neither one of us wanted to waste a moment.
“Don’t give me that look,” I stated, then looked at my sister, trying to give me her best sad face. “No.”
Kaelynn sighed. “Okay, well, what if we looked at getting a bigger place? Maybe even a condo with a yard. They have some.”
Taking a sip of beer, I nodded. “Maybe.”
“Ugh, you are such a jerk!” Morgan said, closing her laptop. “We even found a puppy who would have been perfect.”
I groaned. “You’re looking at puppies, Kaelynn?”
She bit into her lip and gave me a little shrug. God, I loved her. She had no idea the surprise I had for her. Two months of living in her little condo had proven to be the push I needed to make this happen.
The knock on the door snapped me out of my thoughts. “That’s Blake.”
Opening the door, Blake walked in, dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase. Morgan whistled at him while Kaelynn fanned herself.
“Like what you see?” he asked, walking over and giving Morgan a kiss on the cheek and then doing the same with Kaelynn.
“You look hot in a suit. Why aren’t guys my age dressing in suits? Ugh, it’s so unfair.”
Blake and I both laughed. “Morgan, you’re two years younger than us, not ten. It’s not like the generation gap is big.”
“Still,” she stated, packing up her laptop and grabbing her coat. “I don’t know when the last time a guy made my girl parts all hot and bothered until just now.”
Blake stopped looking at his phone and stared at Morgan. “I make your girly parts hot and bothered, do I?”
I shot him a dirty look as Morgan blew him a kiss and said, “Sad, isn’t it? Later, y’all.”