Page 28 of Make Me Unwind

Her eyes twinkle as she bites her lips together. Two seconds later, the laughter wins. “That’s funny because I happen to remember that exact moment. But I wanted to trip you and cause that ‘smug, I’m too good for you’ expression off your face as you fell in the water.” She winks. “But I would’ve rescued you before you drowned.”

“Thank you.” I lift her feet off the ground as she squeals and wraps her arms around my neck.

She sobers and the look in her eyes makes my chest swell. Among other things. “I started falling in love with you when you put up with Roe asking you questions about why you were wearing jeans and then you asked me if I knew what your name was.”

After closing my eyes, I rest my forehead against hers. I don’t deserve her, especially how I acted when we first met, but I’m not letting her figure that out. When I meet her gaze again, she sighs and the happiness and adoration on her face is my undoing. “Move in with me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m positive. I know what I want, and that’s you with me. Forever.”

She licks her lips and nods. “Yes, I’ll move in with you.”

“Good.” I kiss her lips and pull back. “I need to make a call.”

“Okay.” She takes a step as if she’s going to give me space. I don’t want that. I snatch her hand to keep her close and call Truman.

When he answers, I ask, “Did you find some places?”

“Yes. They’re all good, solid condos.”

“How soon?”

“One is as soon as next week and a couple the week after. One wouldn’t be available until the end of the month.” His voice is matter of fact as if he’s going through the list he collected. If I had to guess, the available units are printed out and in a file on his desk. His messy, overcommitted desk.

“Send me the photos for the one next week.” I smile at Piper’s shocked expression.

“Give me a second.”

Ten minutes later, Piper approved the location, and the lease paperwork was on its way back to the owner.

“Can you survive a week without me?’

“I don’t want to, but I’ll make it.”

An older woman with dark hair and brown eyes marches toward us. “What took you so long?”

“Mom.” Piper jumps out of my arms and spins on her heel. But instead of chastising her, Piper’s mom opens her arms and holds her hands out to me. “Come here and let me see this handsome man who has put a smile on your face.”

After introducing myself to Andrea, we walk together toward the restaurant where we’re eating lunch. “I can’t believe you met each other by chance, and now you’re moving to Kansas City.”

I lift our joined fingers and kiss the back of Piper’s hand. “I was meant to meet this beautiful woman.”

“Hmm….” Andrea studies me. “I can’t wait until Charlotte gets to know you. She’s going to put Weston through the paces if you’re always this attentive to Piper.”

I inhale. Hopefully, this means I’ve passed the first test.

One hour later, we’re stuffed from Socra-tease sandwiches at the Riverside Cafe, Andrea is telling me all about her obsession with pottery and how she ended up dragging her children to Magnolia Point for a vacation. “I love this town. I can see coming here for a vacation every year to learn and sell my pottery.”

Piper glances at me out of the corner of her eye as if she’s asking whether that’s something I’d like. “I’d also love to come here and spend time with my family.” I return my attention to Piper. “But we’ll stay up at my parent’s house. It’s big enough for everyone. They have a finished apartment in the basement and plenty of space on the main floors. There are ten bedrooms and five bathrooms altogether, leaving room for everyone.

“Don’t you think you should ask first?”

“Sweetheart, they’re going to do anything you ask. Once they meet you, and see how happy you make me, you’ll have the right to do anything you want.”

“Especially once the babies start coming.” Andrea pipes up and Piper coughs until her eyes water.

“Mom, slow down.”

---