Page 121 of Where We Ended

“We need a bigger house.”

Glancing up from my phone, I stared at Laura. She was in the middle of jotting down something in one of her lyric books. She kept them all over the house, in the truck, her new car, and even one in my saddle bag, on the bike.

“What?”

She looked up, meeting my gaze, still leaning over her book, elbows propped on the counter. “Well, your mom is in the guest room for the foreseeable future. My mom asks to visit all the time now. We need a bigger house.”

I set my phone down and moved so I was behind her, pulling her hips into mine. I had the ring I planned to give her in my closet, buried in one of the closet drawers I kept ammo in, so she wouldn’t find it.

“And what about us…would we need a bigger house for just our little family?”

Her hands came over mine, where they gathered at her waist. Without seeing her face, I knew she had a smile spread across it.

“Are you asking if you can knock me up?”

A laugh bubbled up my chest, “I’m asking if you picture that at all?”

We hadn’t been together long, but I knew I wanted to marry her. I knew I wanted a life with her. There wouldn’t ever be another for me.

“I like the name Royce.”

I kissed her cheek and spun her around. “For a boy’s name?”

Her hands came up around my neck right as my mother walked into the living room. Her dark hair wet, braided down her back.

Laura giggled, but didn’t move. “For a girl’s name actually.”

Royce Quinn.

I pictured a little girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, one that liked to sing like her momma. One that had the heart of a wolf inside of her, just like her dad.

“I love that name,” my mom said, smiling at us both.

Laura moved out of my arms and walked over to the table. “Thank you, Rachel.”

I hated that my mom still looked nervous around us. Like she was imposing.

“When you need the extra room, I can find a different place to?—”

Laura’s hand shot out to my mom’s arm, her eyes narrowed. “When we are ready to have children, there will be plenty of room for them, you and my mom. You are welcome here long past all the seasons we’re about to endure, Rachel. You are his home, just as much as I am.”

Laura was talking about me, and my heart flipped in my chest. Was it possible to love her more than I already did?

My mom flicked a hesitant gaze my way, and I knew she wouldn’t believe what Laura said unless I told her.

“Mom, want to go get some lunch with me?”

Laura already knew I wanted to talk to my mom alone. She’d explained herself to me, and I listened without interrupting, trying to understand what she was telling me. I saw Silas, and knew he was a fucked up man and if his father was responsible for that mess, then I knew what she had done for me was a gift.

I had to slowly start building our relationship up. It had been almost twenty three years since she’d seen me, been around me, or involved in my life in any capacity. That was an entire lifetime. We couldn’t simply just pretend our way into this thing, we had to build it.

My mom smiled, moving toward her purse.

“Sure.”

We walked outside, both of us wincing at the bright sun. It felt like a new era for the Stone Riders. The immediate threats were put to rest, but there were still lingering ones that I could feel brewing. Concerns that I didn’t want to think about until I had no other choice to.

“I like her, Killian. Not that my opinion holds any weight at all but I couldn’t have pictured a better person for you. Laura is your match.”

---