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He chuckled. “We have to get up, eventually.”

I grumbled wordlessly against his shoulder blade. I sensed a shift in Joey from relaxation to attention.

“What is it?” I asked. “It’s not work, is it?”

Joey had taken the job with Scott Construction, but so far, it had consisted of paperwork and some meetings. He still worked at Paws & Claws, though. Pauline could have called him in.

“It’s the guys,” Joey said. “Ghost says there’s a trailer for rent behind his. It could be my chance to finally move out of here.”

I raised my head. “You’re getting your own place?”

I’d hoped that when Joey left here it would be to move into my bed. Permanently.

Maybe I was easy to read too, because he turned in my arms and raised a hand to my face. “It’s time for me to stand on my own two feet for a while. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want a life with you, too.”

I swallowed. “I just, uh, was surprised. I thought when you moved out…”

He brushed his thumb over my cheekbone. “Dakota doesn’t want me moving in. She’s got her own boyfriend, and she needs some space for herself.”

I nodded. Logically, that all made sense. My heart ached, though, because I wanted us to start our life together.

Joey kissed me softly. “I’m trying to get my life together. I want to be a guy worthy of your love.”

I pulled back. “Of course you’re worthy, Joey. If this is your dad in your head⁠—”

“No. It’s not him. I just…you know I’m still working on forgiving myself.”

“Yeah.”

“Well, this will help. I’ve let my parents take care of me for too long. I don’t want to jump straight to you taking care of me.”

I opened my mouth to argue. I wanted to take care of him, damn it. I wanted to protect Joey from the pain and sadness he’d lived with for too long, partly because of me. I’d give this man anything—anything—for a smile.

“I know,” he said, pressing his fingers over my mouth. “But I need this for me.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. If Joey needed to prove to himself he could do this, I wouldn’t be the one to stop him. “Okay. But for the record, if we lived together, I wouldn’t be taking care of you. We’d be taking care of each other.”

He nodded. “So, when the time is right, you’ll move in with me.”

My eyebrows shot up. “I will, huh?”

He smiled. “Don’t pretend now like you don’t want to. Besides, Dakota needs that house. When she marries Felipe, she’ll want it to be just the two of them.”

I laughed. “Well, damn, don’t hold back.”

He pulled me into a kiss. “I love you. I just don’t want to rush into anything. Let’s take our time and do this right. Come see the trailer with me later? If you hate it, I’ll find a different place. You’re going to spend a lot of time there, so…”

“Hell yeah, I am,” I said. “Every night, Joey.”

“Every night,” he agreed.

We kissed again, my disappointment fading. Maybe I wouldn’t move in with him right away, but we’d still have this. Nights sleeping together. Mornings waking up together.

One step at a time, we were building a life together. And maybe Joey was right. I’d hit fast forward on this relationship, but it didn’t feel fast to me. It felt as if I’d been living on pause, and now I was finally jumping forward to the place I was meant to be.

Still, life as Joey’s boyfriend—no guilt, no regrets—was no hardship. I might as well enjoy the full experience.

“How about we celebrate?” I suggested. “I could take you to breakfast at Griddle.”