This time is different, though. This time I have Rowan and Hazel.
“I want to show you something,” Rowan says as he walks toward the hallway where the bedrooms are.
I frown but follow after him. What could he want to show me that I wouldn’t know about? This is my house.
He stands by the guest bedroom with Hazel’s car seat hanging from the crook of his arm with a smile on his face. He reaches out his free hand and turns the doorknob, pushing open the door and ushering me inside.
I walk past them and enter the room, a gasp stealing my breath when I see it.A nursery.Where there was once junk, there is a bedroom for Hazel. My eyes track over the new furniture and land on her name on the wall with pink flowers surrounding it.
I whirl around to face Rowan and find him smiling. “You did all of this?”
He nods. “Gray and Axel helped.”
“Why?” I rasp.
“I think it’s better for us to stay here,” he says, walking into the room. He puts Hazel’s car seat down and moves to stand in front of me, placing his hands on my shoulders. “I think the clubhouse is a little too loud for our girl. She needs a quiet place to sleep and so does her mama.” He smiles down at me. “I think we need to move here.”
My heartbeat picks up. “You do?” He nods. “But what about the nursery at your place?”
He shrugs. “It’ll be there for the nights that we want to stay there.”
“That easy?” I ask.
“That easy,” he murmurs. “What do you say?”
I smile up at him. “I say, hell yes!”
I launch myself at him and he captures me in his embrace. He swings me around for a moment before placing a gentle kiss on my lips.
“Good, because I kind of packed our bags already,” he admits with a wince.
I laugh and pull him down to kiss him. This man surprises me at every damn turn. He’s so good and so thoughtful. I’m so lucky to have him.
“You better go get our bags, then,” I murmur.
He smiles and turns out of the room heading toward the garage. I smile with a shake of my head and then get Hazel out of her car seat, opting to let her sleep in her new crib.
I walk through the house as Rowan brings in our bags, stopping to remove all the pictures of Travis that I have hanging up. I’ll save them because Hazel deserves to know who her dad was someday, but I don’t need his image haunting us.
I stop short in our bedroom, staring at the bed. The bed where Hazel was conceived. “Want me to get rid of it?” Rowan asks from the doorway.
I turn around and wince. “Is it weird that I do?”
He shakes his head. “Not at all. I’ll have the prospects bring my mattress from the club until we can get a new one.”
I’ve been sleeping in Rowan’s bed for the last week. Nothing has happened since I’m still healing, and he hasn’t even tried to get me to do more than kiss him. He’s a total gentleman, but I’m going crazy over here.
“Sounds good,” I say before I start to pull the bedsheets from the mattress. “Can they bring your sheets, too?” I ask, wrinkling my nose.
He chuckles. “I’ll tell them, darlin’. How about I make us some dinner while we wait?”
We have the best first night at the house. Rowan makes us steaks for dinner and Hazel sleeps until the prospects leave. Rowan was smart enough to have them bring her bassinette, too, knowing that I’d want her by our side for the first night. She hasn’t slept in her own room since we brought her home. I’m just not ready for that yet but knowing that she has her own room waiting for her, warms a piece of my heart.
20
ROWAN
I push Hazel’s stroller down the street with Everly at my side and nod my head in our neighbor’s direction as he waters his flowers. Everly’s neighborhood is quiet, clean, and safe. Every day that we’re here makes me happier with my decision for us to move here.
