“It’s okay.I’ve got it.I babysat a lot when I was younger and was a manny my freshman year of college.I can do diapers and bottles and all that stuff.”
“So when we have kids, you’ll take care of them?”
A smile spreads across my face as a flush spreads across Phoebe’s.She didn’t mean to ask that, but it was on her mind.And that’s one step closer to us being together.
I move her hand from my arm, place it on my heart, and cover it with my own.Hopefully she can feel the way my heart beats for her.
“Phoebe,” I say gruffly because suddenly there’s a lump in my throat.The truth—my truth—needs to be said, whether she knows I’m serious or thinks I’m playing a part.“I would do anything for our kids.Change diapers, middle-of-the-night feedings, protect them, love them.Anything.”I don’t say that I would protect and love her too.It’s too soon to say that and have her be ready to hear it, but one day, I will.
I can’t be this close and not kiss her.Not go down on one knee for real and ask her to be my wife.So, I uncover her hand so she can remove it from my chest when she wants to and pick up my own fork to take a bite of the cinnamon roll.One day, I won’t have to break these moments.I’ll be able to step forward and take her into my arms and kiss her.
We sit in companionable silence for a few minutes, enjoying the cinnamon roll and hot chocolates and being together.As much as being around other people exhausts me, I never feel that way when I’m with Phoebe.I feel peaceful.
“That was good,” I say, setting down my fork after my last bite of cinnamon roll.
Phoebe shrugs.“Yeah, but mine are better.”
“You’ll have to prove it,” I say with a wink.
“I’ll make them when we get home,” she promises.
Home.I’ll be coming home to Phoebe and a place we share.What I’ve always wanted.Almost.
I wipe my mouth with a napkin, and Phoebe scrunches her nose.
“What?Did I miss something?”
“No,” she sighs.“You got it all.But you had a smear right here”—she points to the corner of her mouth—“and I figured I could help you with it.”
Oh.Oh.A flush sweeps up my face, and I grasp around for a change of subject.“Let’s do something!I mean, uh, what do you want to do?For fun.Now.Anywhere you want to go in the complex?”I push back my chair and stand up so I can clear our table.
Phoebe stands too.“No, I’m good.We can get the stuff out of the car and put it in your room, if that’s okay?Maybe walk around the casino?”
I nod.“Okay.”
We grab our cups so we can finish our cocoas as we walk, and somehow we end up holding hands.I don’t know if I reached for her, or she for me.Maybe our hands were magnetically attracted to each other.As we leave the pier and walk across the Boardwalk to Devil’s Den, I realize we’re attracting attention and people are taking pictures of us with their phones.That’s the bad part of being almost seven feet tall and a professional athlete.I don’t blend in.
Phoebe squeezes my hand.When I look down at her, she holds her cup to her lips to hide her mouth.
“People are taking pictures of us,” she says quietly.Thanks to my shifter hearing, I could make out what she was saying.
“Mm-hmm,” I agree without opening my mouth.
“Are you okay with it?”
I shrug.“Hmm…”
We enter the casino, and I lead us to the elevator.People are noticing as we walk along, but judging from the comments that reach me, it’s mostly from my position as the newest Devil Bird and not because of our engagement.We’re alone as we ride up to the eleventh floor.I use my phone to unlock the door and gesture for Phoebe to enter first.
Housekeeping visited, so the bed is made and everything is tidy.Phoebe looks around and smiles at me from the window where she’s overlooking the beach and ocean.
“Are you sure you want to move into my place?This is much nicer than my condo!”
I shake my head.“This space is nice, but the company is better at your condo.”
A lovely pink blush blooms over her cheeks as she smiles and shakes her head.
“Make yourself comfy,” I say.“I’ll go down and get our stuff out of the car.”
