As Mama gets up to leave, I stand and give her a quick hug. The door opens as we release each other and my guy walks in. “Hey Intruder.” I call teasingly.
Once I explained the nickname to Patrick, he demanded I never call him anything else. “Hey sweetheart, Mama Donna. Always great to see you.” Patrick walks over to the cat tree tucked in the corner of my office, Honey Cat in her usual space on his shoulders jumps off and makes herself comfortable once he’s close enough. Mama wraps Patrick in a hug of his own, telling us she wants to have a family dinner soon.
I think she’s planning to make family dinners a more frequent occurrence. I don’t think any of us siblings have been up to eat together with Mama since we went out that first hike with Patrick. She’s mentioned it a few times, even talking about getting Anika to come down with Henry. I don’t know if that is ever going to happen but I don’t mind taking extra time with my family anymore. Not when I have Patrick with me.
The whole family has completely accepted Patrick and I are together for the long haul.
“What are you thinking about?” Patrick kisses my cheek before wrapping his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his warm body. He always smells like sunshine and I can’t help taking in a lungful of my man. “That I love you.”
“I love you too.” Another kiss and we get to business. Patrick is kicking ass with tours and we’ve been discussing starting up a waitlist until we can look into hiring a second tour guide. “I printed out some different examples of how we could create the wait list, let me just figure out where I put them.” I frown as I shuffle through the different binders and notebooks on my desk. “Let me help.” Patrick stands and starts to help me search before he grabs my notebook.
My flower notebook. “No, not that one!” I jump up from my chair but it’s too late. He’s flipping through the pages, confusion quickly morphing into smugness then resting into a look of contentment. “You kept all of these?” His voice is full of awe, causing me to scoff. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I cross my arms and turn my head, hoping to hide the red staining my cheeks.
“Oh, sweetheart, I think you do.” There’s something in his tone that makes goosebumps dance across my skin. “Do you look at all those pretty flowers I brought you?” He’s behind me, wrapping his arms around mine and forcing me to uncross and turn to face him. “No.” I don’t know why I’m trying to deny this. The evidence is right fucking there. “Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay to admit you’re obsessed with me.” Patrick winks at me before resting his forehead against mine. “I love you, sweetheart.” His lips press against mine, sweetly. Once he pulls his lips away from mine, I keep my arms around his middle, taking in how much this man has changed my life.
Maybe I am obsessed but I wouldn't change anything I have with this man. He’s my safe space and I’m so happy he was forced to intrude in my life.
“I fucking love you too.”
THE END
Epilogue
PATRICK
Today’s the day!
I can’t stop my hands from shaking. Thank God Paul and Henry are here to help. There would be no way in hell I’d get this done before Elle and her sisters showed up and that would be embarrassing. “Alright buddy, I think we are almost done and Mama should be here soon.” Paul exits the office, ruffling his son’s hair. Henry hasn’t been in the office but he’s kept Honey Cat distracted and in the room. I wanted to make sure the whole family was here, so he’s been a giant help. “Nervous?” Paul looks at me with a giant smile on his face.
We’ve come a long way in the last couple of months and though I’ve never had one, I’d consider him a brother. “Hell yeah I am.” I can’t deny it, Elle is always surprising me and I can’t guarantee what her reaction will be. My glorious grump always keeps me on my toes, like when a month after she fractured her ankle, she asked me to move into her house with her. I was flabbergasted and moved in by the next week.
“Mama!” Henry jumps up, abandoning Honey Cat and running into the arms of a tall dark haired woman. I glance at Paul as the woman bends down and hugs her son. He has a melancholy look on his face, it’s sad but also a little happy? I’m not sure. Elle has told me that their situation is a unique one but that it’s not her story to tell and I’ve respected that but seeing the family all together pulls at my curiosity.
“Ready to go baby boy?”
“I not a baby, Mama.”
“I know, you’re my big guy.”
“Yeah! Big guy like Daddy and Rick!” A small sad smile dances across her features at Henry’s words and I guess that breaks Paul out of whatever trance he was in. “Hey Nik, this is Patrick, or Rick, Elle’s guy.” My chest puffs out at that introduction. Being Elle’s guy is the best thing I’ve ever been and I would happily have that be the only thing that anyone I was introduced to moving forward knows about me. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” I reach out to shake her hand. As we shake, Henry’s face scrunches up in confusion. “Rick, not ma’am, she’s Mama.” This kid was so damn funny without even trying. I nod solemnly, acting like I messed up my words.
“Hi, I’m Anika, this big guy’s Mama. It’s nice to meet you, too.” Paul stands from giving Henry a hug good-bye and telling him to be good to his mama. His eyes dance over Anika’s face but it seems like she is unwilling to meet his eyes. “You know, Nik, you’re more than welcome to stay. Sisters should be here soon.” Paul doesn’t even get the full sentence out before Anika’s head starts to shake. “I made an appointment for Henry and I to join Bennett and Luka at the bounce place.” It’s subtle but Paul’s shoulders slump in resignation. “Alright, tell them I said hi. I hope you have a good time.” Anika nods, weaving her fingers with Henry’s. “Have a good day, Rick. And good luck.”
Henry’s wave is so extreme, it shakes his whole little body and makes me chuckle.
Paul’s phone chimes and the awkward tension dissipates, turning into nervous energy. She’s coming. I rub my hands on my jeans, attempting to make sure I didn’t have sweaty palms for this. “Alright, it’s showtime!” Paul’s hands slap down on my shoulders and he gives me a little shake.
ELLE
Mabel and Lola are being weird. They invited me out to lunch and kept changing the subject so that I barely could keep track of what they were even talking about. Now, they are walking me to Patrick’s office, which I don’t understand. I haven’t seen Patrick all day and I don’t really want my sisters watching our reunion but I have no reason to ask them to leave because that would cause them to giggle like school girls. You’d think at our age, wanting to kiss my guy would be a normal thing but not with these Warren girls.
Paul is standing outside the tour building and my confusion grows. “Hey Grandma!” Paul wraps his arms around me in a bear hug, basically lifting me off the ground. I groan, “Let go of me you big lug!” I wiggle out of his grip but now all of my siblings have the same dumb grin. I scowl at them all. I raise my finger and point at each of them. “You all can go now, I’m sure you all have work to do.” I turn on my heel and open the door without another word. I don’t want to hear it, I just want to see my Intruder.
Patrick’s standing in the middle of the room, Honey Cat in his arms. He’s so handsome, it takes my breath away. “Hey sweetie.” I cross to the middle of the room and wrap my arms around his waist, not wanting to mess with the hold he has onHoney Cat. I take in a deep breath, soaking in his sunshine scent and letting it calm my nerves from my siblings' weird vibes. “I missed you.” I admit as he plants a kiss on my forehead. Honey Cat is obviously tired of being sandwiched between us and leaps out Patrick’s arms and lets out a loud meow at the same time the door, that I specifically closed to keep out noisy Warrens, opens.
Patrick’s grin is wide as he bends down to place a quick peck on my lips before leading me to the door that leads to his private office. “I have something I wanted to show you and I bribed your sisters to make sure you got here. Their only stipulation was to be here when I asked.” My nose scrunches but I keep my eyes on Patrick as he opens the door to the office.
A small gasp escapes my lips as I take in the area that is supposed to house all of Patrick’s stuff but instead of his stuff, it’s all the stuff frommyoffice. All of my stuff and a shit load of wildflowers in vases. I’m so confused and don’t keep my expression guarded as I turn and look at Patrick.
