“I love it. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He pulls back, brushing hair from my face. “And I have a question.”
“Okay.” He better not ask me to marry him. He knows better, right? I mean… I’d say yes but… I’ve always dreamt of a fairytale proposal. Nah, I think. I love this man. He could ask anytime and I’d say yes. Being with him is all that matters.
“Move in with me. Officially. Make this home.”
“I'm already here most nights.”
“I know. But I want it to be official. I want your stuff here. I want mornings like this to be our normal.”
My chest feels too full. “Yes.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah. Absolutely yes, Daddy.”
He grins—that rare, unguarded slightly lopsided boyish expression that still makes my stomach flip—and kisses me again.
“Good. Because I already cleared space in the closet.”
I laugh. “Presumptuous.”
“Confident,” he corrects.
We spend the morning in bed being lazy. It’s warm, cozy and perfect. Later, we make breakfast together, and I film a quick video of pancakes and coffee and snow falling outside, with Ty carefully staying just out of frame.
Some things are still just ours.
That afternoon, Holly and Chloe descend on the cabin for what Holly's calling a housewarming celebration.
They arrive with wine, snacks, and enough chaotic energy to make Ty retreat to his office with a bemused expression.
“He likes us,” Holly insists.
“He tolerates us,” Chloe corrects.
“He loves that Madison loves us,” Holly says wisely. “That's what matters.”
We sprawl across the living room, talking over each other, sharing updates and gossip and relationship advice that ranges from sweet to absolutely filthy. I am glowing. I can feel it. The kind of happiness that radiates from the inside out. Later, when the girls are gone and the cabin is quiet again, Ty emerges from his office and pulls me into his lap on the couch.
“Your friends are very loyal,” he says.
“You say that like it's a bad thing.”
“It's not.” His hand rubs slow circles on my back. “They care about you. That matters.”
“They like you too.” I tell him. “We’re hoping the rest of the littles from our Naughty Little Girls Book Club can move to the area. They all have mobile jobs, like me. They can work anywhere. We’re trying to talk them into it.”
“The chaos will definitely grow. It’s loud enough when you are all on video call.” He shakes his head but I see the sparkle in his eyes. He knows how much I enjoy spending time with them and the amount of happiness they bring to my life.
I settle back against his chest, breathing him in. “This is good, isn't it? What we have?”
“This is everything,” he corrects. “Are you happy?”
“So happy it's scary.”
“Good. Because I plan to keep you that way for a very long time.”
