Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89465 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 447(@200wpm)___ 358(@250wpm)___ 298(@300wpm)
“Are you going to make me face them alone?” Chase asks, holding his hand out for me to take.
“I should,” I tell him, placing my hand in his. “I’m still not convinced you didn’t have a hand in this.”
“Honestly, I wish I’d thought of it.”
He gives me that smile that says a million different things. Although it’s similar to the one I’ve seen directed at others more times than I can count, I can now see the part of it that’s for me and me alone.
“I love you,” I whisper, feeling it in every single cell in my body.
“Baby,” he whispers, his hand going to my face.
“Daddy!” Cole screams from the front porch, but his lips are on mine before I can turn my head in that direction.
“Ew!” Cale says, and our touching lips turn up in grins.
Tears threaten at the idea of having everything I’ve ever wanted right here in a place I never thought I could find happiness.
“I love you, too,” he whispers.
“Madison!” they both scream when we pull our faces from each other.
“Are you our new Mommy?” Cale asks, and the hope in his little blue eyes is palpable.
“I’m—” I snap my mouth closed because I don’t know what to say.
It seems insanely fast, but I’d also be lying if I said I hadn’t considered what a future with the three Woodson guys would look like.
“She’s whatever you want her to be,” Chase says. “A friend or—”
“A momma!” both boys cheer, wide smiles on their cherub faces.
There’s no sense in trying to fight the tears any longer.
Both boys’ moods change just as fast as their elation arrived.
“She doesn’t want that,” Cole says, taking Cale’s hand as if he needs to comfort his brother.
“I think those are happy tears,” Chase says, and I dash them off my face and quickly smile.
“They are,” I assure him.
“Girls are weird,” Cale mutters.
“What’s good about tears?” Cole asks. “I only cry when I get hurt.”
“You cried last night when Papaw dropped something in the living room,” Cale reminds him.
Cole scowls. “I thought it was a hurricane.”
“What have you been watching? We’re too far inland to worry about hurricanes,” Chase assures him.
“Oh look, the happy couple,” Mr. Woodson says as he walks up.
“Papaw made us watch the news,” Cole tattles.
“Said we need to know what’s going on in the world,” Cale adds.
“I think we can wait until we’re a little older for that,” Chase says, the warning in his tone for his father.
“So are you or aren’t you?” Cole asks.
“What’s that?” I ask, needing to hear them actually say it together.
“Will you be our momma?” Cale asks, a hint of exasperation in his little voice.
“I’d love to,” I tell them.
They cheer like we’ve just said we’re heading to Disney, and it just sits right with my soul.
“I’m turning your room into a dance studio,” Mom says as she approaches, her forearm swiping at the sweat on her forehead. She looks at Chase. “No takebacks permitted.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” Chase says, his arm around my back.
The boys, happy with the news they’ve gotten, start running back toward the house.
I roll my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing when a Husky runs out the open front door. He starts making an ungodly noise, half of a bark but also half of some sort of braying sound.
“Corbin said you were adopting him when he dropped him off earlier. Said not to worry about the fee,” Mr. Woodson says.
“Come here, Nanuk!” Cole says as he squats and pats his lap.
“Nanuk?” Chase asks. “And they came up with that all on their own?”
Mr. Woodson shrugs, his smile wide as he watches the boys.
Chase eventually breaks away from my side, telling me and Mom to go into the A/C so the guys can finish unloading the furniture.
I don’t hesitate to take him up on his offer, and the boys, along with Nanuk, think the offer of cold water and a snack is the best idea ever.
“I love seeing you happy,” Mom says after I’ve gotten the boys settled at the breakfast nook.
“I love being happy.”
“Are we thinking a fall wedding or will you be waiting until spring?”
“Mom!” I snap, but I can’t manage to drop the smile from my face.
“Fall,” Chase says, his smile wide as he walks toward me and presses a sweat-salty kiss to my lips before pulling open the fridge door and grabbing several bottles of water for him and our dads. “The sooner the better, as far as I’m concerned.”
“We have a lot to discuss,” I tell my mother, rolling my eyes at Chase.
“We do. Like I was thinking the old carriage house would be perfect for your office. It’s far enough away that nosy clients can’t peek through our windows, but close enough in case you want to show them how you’ve decor—I mean designed—our home.”