“How much of a bargain?”
He snorts. “It’s still Malibu, Pres. But it’s priced to sell. The interior is outdated.” As soon as he says it, I realize I didn’t even look at anything inside except the floor-to-ceiling windows.Clearly, I have my priorities. “And it’s small—much smaller than the surrounding mega mansions.”
“It is?” I gape, looking back. “It looks huge.”
“That’s because you’re used to living in a shoebox.”
“Fair.”
He turns and pulls me by the waist. I go willingly, looking up into those jade-green eyes. “I’ve been talking a lot with my therapist about permanence. It’s something I’ve struggled with my entire life. I never felt like I had a real home growing up, and when I had the opportunity to put down roots as an adult, I was too scared. I couldn’t even unpack all the boxes when I moved from place to place because I was worried it’d hurt too much when I inevitably had to pack them back up again.”
“Hollis…” God, my heart hurts for him.
“I want to unpack all those boxes with you, Pres. I want to share a closet and a bank account. I want that permanence, and I want it with you.”
Tears sting my eyes. “Are you going to propose again?”
“Only one grand gesture today. Promise.” The corner of his eyes crinkle. “The down payment is just a hold, Pres. I can pull it if this isn’t the place, and we can keep looking until we find the perfect one.”
I look back toward the ocean. There are steps from the deck that lead to the beach. I picture moonlit walks in the evening, breakfast on the deck, and a hundred other memories just waiting to be made. “No need,” I say. “It’s perfect.”
“Are you sure? You haven’t even looked at the bedrooms or the kitchen.”
“I’ve seen the most important part.” I shrug, gesturing toward the Pacific. “The rest is all just details.”
Chapter Thirty-Four
HOLLIS
“How are things going with the house?” Troy and I are meeting a bit later this week because of a scheduling issue on my end. Talking to him as the sun starts to set feels different somehow, and I let out a yawn, as if my body is aware of it.
“Good,” I reply. “We had the inspection on Monday, and we will officially close in a few days. But we’re waiting to move in until after the holidays. With the wedding next week, it’s just too chaotic. Plus, we have some projects that will be easier to tackle if we’re not living there quite yet.”
“Sounds like you’re making progress on finding permanence.”
“Yeah.” I smile. “I am.”
He taps a few notes into his tablet. Then he looks up and says, “Speaking of the wedding? Everything going smoothly? I know from experience that it can be a stressful time, both for the couple and the family.”
“Is it weird if we’re not? Stressed, that is?”
“Do you think it’s weird?”
I love it when a therapist throws your question back at you. “No, I guess not. It just sort of feels like a big party, you know?We’re already married. I already got the girl. Nothing to stress over.” I smile wistfully. “And her family has been a huge help. I’m pretty sure her mom has single-handedly planned the entire event and loved every minute.”
He pauses, that contemplative look on his face. Then he says, “Why do you refer to the Creeds as Presley’s family?”
“I…” I stumble over my words. “That’s just what they are. They’re her siblings. Her parents.”
“But didn’t you tell me that when you lived with them, it felt like the closest thing you had to a family?”
“Well, yeah.” I wasn’t kidding when I told Pres he asked more questions than Sabine. She would just sit back and patiently wait until I reached the point she was waiting for me to get to.
Troy doesn’t wait. He just plows forward.
“And aren’t you married into that family now?”
“Yes.”
