“You sound confident it’s the right location.”
“It is. Look.” She moved the chair to sit closer to me and fired up her laptop. “It has an entire upper floor that could be my living facilities. Downstairs has four bedrooms that can fit kennels and the main room, obviously for reception, then this mudroom can be transformed into a grooming station.”
“And the back yard?”
“Oh, baby. It’s huge! And has a ton of trees for shade.” She clicked a couple of pictures and got to the back. “I’d need a doggy pool, though. It gets too hot for them to be outside without water.”
“You sounded frustrated on the phone though. Why is November bad?” I asked, watching her slim fingers hit the track pad a few times. She clicked her tongue before groaning.
“I’m done here in September. That means October and part of November, I’ll have to find somewhere to live. Don’t want to go to my parents, that’s for damn sure. Megan would probably let me bunk there for five or six weeks, though.” She nodded. “Yeah, I just talked myself into it.”
“Stay with me.” The words flowed out of me, like I’d been waiting for the right moment to say it. I didn’t hesitate or have a single regret. “You love the building, and Fernie.”
“Do you really mean it?” she asked, eyes wide and chest moving faster. “This is a big step. I’ve never lived with a guy. You know, besides my dad.” She blinked a lot and looked at my forehead, rather than my eyes. “What if it’s weird?”
“What if it’s not?” I put my arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “My sister and I were close and I didn’t drive her too crazy growing up. So if you’re worried about being messy, don’t worry.”
“Not worrying about that.”
“Then what?”
“What if we decide to end this? What if…I don’t know, you’re traded? There’s a lot that could happen!” She pushed out from the chair and put her hands on her slim waist.
“What if I stay and get to see you every morning? What if we can to wake up together all the time? I don’t see a downside.”
“And if things go south?”
“Baby, that won’t happen on my end.” My voice came out firm. Her eyes softened before she bit her lip and walked back to me. “I love who I am with you. I haven’t felt like this, like me, in years. So why don’t we revisit this when September ends.” I paused, raising my eyebrows. “Did I just quote Green Day seamlessly into my life?”
She giggled and nodded. “It really worked.”
“I’m kinda proud of myself.”
She rolled her eyes and moved to stand between my thighs. She brought her hands to my shoulders and tilted my face up to look at her. “Okay.”
“Okay as in, you’ll move in with me?”
“Ninety percent, yes.”
“And the other ten?” I teased, hooking my fingers into her beltloops and pulling her so she landed on my lap. “What’s with that?”
“Let’s wait and see, hm?” She had a hint of worry in her eyes, and it was my new goal to get rid of that worry.
And for that to happen, I needed to end this shit with the charges.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sarah
Touring the potential house for my business should’ve been the best moment of my life, but, on a stupid whim, I’d thought inviting my parents to join me would be good idea. Almost like an olive branch. They’d shown up to the adoptathon. Now they could be a part of my future, even if they didn’t like it.
The silence gutted me. Not one comment from my opinionated mother as we walked the upstairs. “The windows face north and south, so you don’t get direct sunlight into the house. That’ll help with the bills for sure,” Mel said, laughing and doing her best to not acknowledge my silent parents.
“Can we see out back?”
“Of course. Come on.” She led the way down the stairs and I could already picture what type of decorations I could use. Frames of rescues who’d found forever homes. All sorts of dog outfits or bones or vintage dog signs. Cartoon versions of dogs. God, it would be wonderful to pick whatever I wanted to showcase the place. I ran my finger over the kitchen counter before following Mel to the backyard. The hot August air roasted my face as I scanned the back, but it was worth it.
“Yes.” I smiled and took a huge breath. “Put an offer together. This is the place.”
