Page 45 of No Love Lost

He slapped Troy on the back. “You’d be right on all counts.”

Troy lowered his voice. “So all that alone time was good for you and Addison?”

Heath rolled his eyes but couldn’t stop the grin, making Troy laugh. “Good. You fit together. Both you and Addison as a couple, and the three of you as a family.”

That filled Heath with pride. He wanted these two females in his life permanently. Time to get serious about the brewery. He’d started some research. The possibilities and the challenges excited him. He liked the thought of figuring out those challenges as a team.

He also needed to look for a home, one big enough for his family, with plenty of space to grow. He wondered if Addy still loved cozy farmhouses. Or maybe she was attached to the home they lived in now. He hadn’t really studied it with expansion in mind, but that was a possibility as well. Although she’d always wanted a house with a wrap-around porch and a swing to watch either the sunrises or sunsets.

They’d have to make time to talk about things. Like a couple, like a family.

Once they were back at Addy’s house, Nina shooed them into the living room. “Mom gets cranky if she hasn’t written for a few days.”

“Hey.”

Nina grinned. “You do. So dive in. You’ve got an hour.”

Addy rolled her eyes but went directly to her desk in the corner and powered up her computer, a smile on her lips.

Heath turned to Nina. “You want some help?”

She rolled her lips together. “Not this time. You can catch up on some of your work, too. But another time, okay?”

She looked so vulnerable he couldn’t resist hugging her. “That sounds perfect.”

Nina’s desk was too small for him, so he sat in a corner of the couch and pulled out his laptop. He preferred working at a table, but working at the one in the kitchen would ruin the surprise Nina was making, so he’d make do.

He sank into the family vibe he’d been imagining and dove into his email. When Nina called them for food, he had to pull himself out of the work. He’d expected to struggle to focus, but it had been the opposite. Having his girls close by had helped him get right to it. He’d got a ton done.

He saved what he was working on and set the laptop on the table. Then he stood and stretched. Addy continued to type away, oblivious to the two of them. He shared a grin with Nina. “Is she always this focused?”

Nina laughed. “All the time. She loves it so much she gets completely lost in the words. I’ll set the table. You get her moving. Good luck.”

Heath crossed the room in two strides. “Hey, Addy, Nina has supper ready.”

Nothing.

He moved to the side and squatted down in her line of sight. Still nothing.

When he touched her hand, she yelped and flinched back. Unable to help himself, he laughed. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you.”

Her cheeks had flushed, and she blinked quickly. “It’s okay. Happens all the time. When I’m in the zone, it’s hard to break me out of it.”

She looked so flustered and cute that he leaned over to kiss her lightly. “I happen to like that focus. Nina’s got dinner ready for us all.”

She kissed him back. “I’ll just finish this paragraph.”

“Don’t let her!” Nina’s voice shouted from the kitchen. “Make her save it now or she’ll never eat this delicious mac and cheese I slaved over.”

Addy’s face flushed again as she laughed. “She’s right. Okay.”

Then she shoved the chair back and stood before saving her work.

Surprising him, she took his hand. “Let’s go eat.”

Addy didn’t think she’d ever been so happy. Nina and Heath were bonding. There were a few awkward moments and differences of opinion, but those almost made it better. It wasn’t perfect, but it was normal. A normal family doing normal family things.

Except they lived in different homes, and she didn’t want that forever. They’d let Nina see her and Heath touching more often. Heath had kissed her cheek or her temple a few times and they held hands frequently. Nina seemed comfortable with it all.

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