When we’d both finished, I cleared the plates and set the tray on her dressing table chair. She sipped her tea, her gaze drifting back to the window.
“They’ve made a lot of progress on your house,” I said, trying to keep my tone casual. “It won’t be long now.”
She nodded, her expression thoughtful. “The outside looks great, but I haven’t seen the inside yet. I’ve been tempted to check, but I don’t want to risk it.
It’s been hard enough keeping Alana from running over there. I’d be setting a bad example if I couldn’t practice the same restraint.”
I chuckled, leaning against the foot of the bed. “Probably a good idea. Let the professionals finish their work. It’ll be worth the wait.”
Savannah stood and wandered back to the window. “I noticed they used different shingles on this side of the roof,” she said, pointing.
I joined her, standing close enough to catch the familiar lavender scent of her shampoo. The nearness of her made my pulse quicken, and I struggled to focus on the roof.
“You’re right,” I said after a moment. “But I doubt it’ll matter much. It still looks good.”
She turned to face me, and suddenly we were standing so close that I could see the golden flecks in her hazel eyes. My breath caught as I fought the urge to step away—or closer.
Before I could second-guess myself, she tilted her head slightly, an unspoken invitation. My heart pounded as I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers.
The kiss started gentle, a soft meeting of lips, but the moment she leaned into me, it ignited something deeper. Her arms looped around my neck, and I wrapped mine around her waist, pulling her close.
When we finally pulled apart, we stayed locked in a tight embrace.
“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time,” I admitted, my voice low.
She smiled, her cheeks flushed. “I’ve been waiting for you to make the first move. I wanted this too.”
“You could’ve told me,” I teased, grinning. “We could’ve been doing this weeks ago.”
Her laugh was light and carefree, but before she could reply, the door flew open.
“Morning!” Alana sang out, bounding into the room with a burst of energy.
Savannah and I pulled apart, laughing as the little girl launched herself onto the bed, rolling around with delight.
What are you doing, Bumblebee?” Savannah asked, striding over to the bed, turning around so her back was to the bed to join in Alana’s fun.
“I’m wrestling with you!” the little girl cried out, literally throwing her body on top of Savannah.
“Ooof! You ain’t ten pounds anymore, sweetie, you’re gonna make Mommy have no breath in her body. Then how will I breathe?”
“Breathe, Mommy, breathe!” Alana clapped both her hands on her mother’s cheeks and brought her face so close, they were nose to nose. “Breathe!”
Her antics made both Savannah and I laugh hysterically.
The room filled with laughter and warmth, and I couldn’t help but feel like this—this moment—was exactly what I wanted for the rest of my life.
“I’m gonna make her some breakfast. Come on down when you’re ready. Maybe we’ll go to the park today. It’s a beautiful day, not supposed to get too hot. How’s that sound?”
Savannah turned her head to smile at me. “I like that idea, Jackson. Let’s do that.”
“Yay, picnic, picnic, picnic at the park!” Alana leapt off the bed, giving me a mini-heart attack, and started to march around the room like a little soldier.
She even brought up her knees and swung her arms appropriately. I wondered where she’d seen that. Probably a cartoon. She repeated the phrase “picnic, picnic, picnic at the park” over and over.
There was no need for an actual picnic until later that afternoon, so instead of taking Alana to the park right away, we went to do a little shopping. Unfortunately, the fire had started near the kitchen.
It had destroyed every appliance and all her kitchen items. She’d received an insurance check the day before and the shopping trip was planned then and there.
