Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 106538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106538 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 533(@200wpm)___ 426(@250wpm)___ 355(@300wpm)
“Perfect.” I wink at her while hopping onto the counter next to her and picking a jelly-filled doughnut from the box.
Ozzy steals my coffee and takes a sip, eyeing Lola and me. His lips curl into a grin before he pulls the cup away from his mouth.
“Can I see the backyard?” Lola asks, licking her sticky fingers.
I widen my eyes. “You didn’t show her the tree house?”
“Oh my gosh! You have a tree house?” Lola flies off the counter and runs toward the back door.
“Be careful,” Ozzy warns just before she closes the door behind her. He rolls his eyes, but his satisfied smirk reemerges when his attention returns to me.
“What’s that smirk about?” I ask.
He wedges himself between my dangling legs. “I could get used to this.”
“What can I do to help make this happen?” I set the rest of my doughnut into the box and wrap my arms around his neck.
“You can be patient, because everything in my life requires so much patience.”
“I can do that,” I say, teasing the nape of his neck.
“She’s a lot.” He nods toward the back door.
“I’m a lot.”
Ozzy hums. “Yes. But in a different way.” His smile fades, replaced with worry lines stretching along his forehead as his gaze drops between us. “If you ever start to feel like you’re in over your head—”
“I love her too,” I say.
Ozzy’s eyes find mine again.
I shrug. “I might have fallen for her before I fell for you. She’s pretty adorable. And she likes to save abandoned animals.”
His gaze washes over every inch of my face while he holds an unreadable expression.
I wait because it feels like he’s trying to figure something out. Perhaps it’s me.
I wait a little more.
The silence.
The slow inspection.
It’s too much.
Did I say the wrong thing?
Then his gaze locks on mine, and a smile steals his lips while giving me a barely detectable headshake. “I love you,” he says.
Tears burn my eyes in an instant. “It was supposed to be an epic moment.”
“Maren,” he whispers, trailing light kisses from my lips to my ear, “there’s nothing more epic than falling in love with someone who loved my daughter first.”
This is it.
This is everything.
I’m all in.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Ozzy
Over the next month, Lola and I spend all our free time at Maren’s, working on her remodel and cat-sitting. When she’s out of town, we send her pictures and video updates of Bandit and the progress.
We haven’t discussed Lola and me moving in with her since the day she suggested it. I can’t sort things out in my head, so I don’t know how to approach this with Lola and her grandparents.
“When Lola’s better, are you still planning on moving to Florida?” I ask out of the blue. Tia and Amos are helping me clean the kitchen. Lola’s staying with my mom tonight, and Maren is assisting with a massive fire in Canada.
“Why do you ask?” Tia answers all questions with a question. Brynn did the same thing.
“Has Lola changed her mind about riding in a car?” Amos asks.
“Not yet. But if you plan on staying in Missoula, which Lola would love, you should buy this house from me.”
“Are you hurting for money?” Tia closes the dishwasher and leans against the counter.
I stay focused on washing the dishes in the sink while Amos dries them. “No. I’m thinking about moving in with Maren.”
Tia scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Why is that so ridiculous?” I glance over at her as she cleans the stovetop.
“Because you’ve only known her for a few months, and it would be irresponsible of you to make such a drastic change in Lola’s life right now. Never mind that you’ve already let that woman get too close to your daughter.”
“That woman has a name. It’s Maren. And Lola adores her.”
“Of course she likes her. Maren got her a cat. Maren doesn’t have to be more than Lola’s fun adult friend. She’s a stranger bribing a kid with candy.”
“My god, she’s not a stranger. And she’s not bribing Lola.” I rinse a saucepan and hand it to Amos.
“Where are you going with this?” Tia tosses the sponge into the dishwater and crosses her arms. “Are you planning on marrying her? And God forbid, if you are, you need to do it before you pack up your daughter and shack up with this woman. At the very least, you need to be a role model. If you don’t want Lola making these kinds of rash decisions down the road, you need to set the right example now.”
I pull the plug on the drain and dry my hands. “You still haven’t answered my original question.”
“You want us to buy your house so you can move in with another woman? No. If you don’t need us, then we’re leaving.”
“I didn’t say I don’t need you.”
“If you have time to fall in love and move in with someone, then I think that’s a pretty clear indicator that you don’t need us. Your mom can watch her.”