“Anything I want?” Birdie asks with wide eyes.
“Pretty much anything,” Jules confirms.
“Mac and cheese,” Birdie replies immediately. “I miss that the most.”
“Psh. I can totally do that for you. I can do thattoday.Do you guys want to come over later for dinner?”
And just like that, my heart has exploded outside of my chest. Because my woman, the one person I’ve wanted to have here with me from the beginning, just invited my family over for dinner. To our home.
Our. Home.
Dani grins, and Birdie nods.
“We’d love that. Bridger gets off work around three. What can I bring?”
“Just yourselves,” Jules says and hugs Birdie back when the little girl wraps her arms around Juliet’s waist. “I’ll make …hmm … how about fried chicken with mac and cheese and some salad?”
“I can bring baked beans,” Darby offers. “Alex has Mom’s recipe box, and there’s a really good beans recipe in there.”
“I’m down for that. And tell all of the others, too. Everyone is welcome,” Jules replies. “How does all of that sound, Miss Birdie?”
“Can we have itnow?” Birdie asks, making us laugh.
“If you want, you can stay and help me cook.” Jules raises her brows at Dani in a silentis that okaylook.
“Can I, Mom?” Birdie asks Dani.
“I don’t mind if you stay,” Dani says, kissing Birdie’s head. “We’ll be back later this afternoon, after your dad is off work.”
We walk Darby and Dani out, and then when we’re alone with Birdie, who’s happy at the table with her tablet again, Jules turns to me, nibbling her lip, looking uncertain.
“What’s up, Wildfire?”
“I should have asked you before I blurted out an invitation to have your family for dinner.”
I pull her in for a hug. Christ, I can’t stop hugging her. “You don’t have to ever ask permission for anything. This is your home, remember? Do whatever you want. But for what it’s worth, I love that you asked them to come for dinner.”
“You do?”
“Sure. I’m close to my family, baby. Having them here is never a hardship. Birdie is, behind you, my favorite person in the world.”
“I don’t know, I think she ranks above me. She’s awesome.”
I laugh and kiss the top of her head, breathing in her flowers. “Make me a grocery list, and I’ll go get whatever you need.”
“Oh, I don’t mind going. There will be certain gluten-free?—”
“I’ve got this,” I tell her. “Trust me.”
Her eyes soften, and she smiles up at me. “Thank you.”
I wake up with a start, not sure what might have pulled me out of sleep, but definitely aware that I’m alone.
And I should never wake up in the middle of the night alone. Not now that I have Juliet in my bed.
The sheets are cool, telling me she’s been gone for a while. It’s just before four, and I want her here with me, so I climb out of bed and tug on some sweats to go searching for her.
She’s not in the living room or the kitchen. Just when I’m about to panic, I glance out the front window and see my wildfire bundled up in my old red hoodie, sitting on the top step of the porch. She has her arms wrapped around her knees, just staring out into the night.
