“Let’s go get them,” he said, pulling out of the parking lot and heading toward the shelter. A short while later they pulled into the parking lot and made their way over to the area the tiny houses were in. Giada led the way to the one she and her boys lived in. She paused and listened closely, her ear against the doorbefore she finally slipped the key into the lock and unlocked the door.
“It’s okay, Giada. I’m here,” Ronan said when he realized she was battling the fear that someone might already be inside.
Giada blew out a breath, then opened the door carefully, flipping the lights on before she even stepped inside. “Come on in,” she said.
Ronan followed her in, glancing around the tiny home appreciatively. “This is a really nice place.”
“It really is. We all sleep on the roll out bed, which is right there,” she said, pointing to the sofa. There’s a bathroom through there on the other side of the little kitchen. It’s not huge but it suits our needs. There’s a large cabinet in the kitchen that we keep a skillet and couple of pots in, and another that we keep some food in, but not much. We eat at the cafeteria mostly. Our clothes are in the closet in the bathroom. And the few toys the boys have are in the storage area under the bench the little table sits next to. Actually, if we needed another bed, the table can be dropped down and pushed against the bench, and there’s a pad that goes across them to make another bed.”
“Pretty handy.”
“It really is. And it’s leaps and bounds above freezing in a tent.”
“If I wasn’t already planning on building a house, I might consider one of these. It’s cozy, warm, you have everything you need.”
“It does have everything you need, but it’s hard to keep two rambunctious kids in such a small space. I’m not at all complaining, though. Just stating a fact. For someone single, though, you can’t beat it. And it can’t be very expensive to build.”
“No, I wouldn’t think so.”
He watched as she opened the lid on the bench and took out two stuffed animals. One was a rabbit, the other was a puppy.
“Ready when you are,” she said, hugging the two animals to her chest.
“Let’s go,” he said, stepping outside first and looking around before he moved out of the doorway and allowed her to follow him. They got in the truck and went straight to Havoc’s house. Ronan led the way up the steps to their front door, but it opened before they got to it. Havoc stepped out. “Well, well, well. Did you bring me a steak?”
“No. I brought me one.”
“That ain’t nice,” Havoc said.
“But it is. I was thoughtful enough to get one big enough that I could share it with Giada if we stay up late enough binge watching what it is we’re going to watch.”
Havoc looked at Giada. “Next time, make sure he brings me one.”
Giada smiled at him. “I will.”
“I’m guessing you want to see your babies before you follow this selfish male home,” Havoc said.
“Please.”
“Here’s the thing, Giada. Your babies are in my house. You don’t have to ask, you don’t even have to knock. Just come on in and see your babies,” Havoc said.
“Thank you,” Giada said, walking past him to open the door. She looked back at him once more just to be sure.
“Go on in there, your kids are there, you have every right.”
She nodded and smiled at Havoc, then disappeared inside, softly closing the door behind her.
“You don’t wrap that woman up, somebody else will.”
“Like who?” Ronan asked.
“I don’t know. But she’s all kinds of right for you.”
“I know. And I’m not planning on letting go. But if she refuses me, I won’t force her. She hasn’t had many choices in her life.”
“I understand that. Come on in,” Havoc said.
“So, she can walk in and I have to be invited in.”
