Page 109 of Gifts

She jumps with a yelp. “Holy shit! Don’t sneak up on me.”

I smile. “Just enjoying the show even though I bet you can do that faster with a pitchfork.”

She wipes her forehead with the back of her arm as she blows a stray piece of hair from her face. Putting her hands to her hips, she says, “Leg day.”

I tip my head. “Leg day?”

“Yeah.” She grins and kicks a hunk of hay my way, covering me in dust. “I don’t exactly have a home gym or time to go to one. It’s leg day. I use a pitchfork on arm day.”

I push away from the door. Never thought about farming for a workout. “I only have weights and a rowing machine. Where’re the kids?”

I grab a tool and start to pitch hay. She stands there watching and answers, “Knox and Saylor are already in bed. The last I saw, Levi was helping Emma with geometry.”

“Sorry I’m late. Trying to catch up on some stuff with Crew.

She nods, and after watching me a bit, bizarrely states, “My basement is creepy.”

I look at her out of the corner of my eye and drawl, “Okay.”

“I mean, I don’t go down there unless I absolutely have to. You might need to clean it up a little bit, because like I said—creepy. But you’ve proven you don’t mind lurking in creepy spaces, so … maybe you’d like to put your workout stuff there.”

I stop and look at her. She’s still standing there with her hands on her hips, but now she’s biting her lip, so I ask, “What are you saying?”

She gives her head a little shake. “Where do you workout now?”

“I usually fit it in at Crews during the day. Sometimes I get on the mat with the trainees.”

Her shoulder hitches. “If you want to bring your stuff here and set up shop, my creepy basement is all yours.”

I let the pitchfork clank to the ground and cross my arms. “If you were sleeping at my house, would this be the equivalent of me asking you to move your shoes into my closet?”

She rolls her lips in to keep from smiling. “Maybe. But no one’s ever invited my shoes to move in with them before, so I can’t be sure.”

“I might have some other stuff, besides weights and a rowing machine.”

She shifts her weight. “I figured.”

“Like two kids,” I add.

“Then it’s a good thing I’ve become pretty fond of them.”

I smirk. “You’ve become fond of my kids, huh?”

She gives me a little nod. “They can have their own rooms. Only your weights have to go to the creepy basement.”

My smirk spreads into a grin. “That’s nice of you.”

“I know.” She tries to hide her grin but it doesn’t work.

“Are you telling me you officially want my weights in your creepy basement?”

She loses her grin and her face falls into a serious expression, whispering, “I do.”

I don’t say anything and try to memorize this moment.

“I’m sorry,” her words become rushed and she tries to defend herself, “that I am the way I am. You’ve put up with a lot from me and you deserve better. But please believe me, I’m sure about this. So sure. I want you and Levi and Emma. I want us all together.”

I lower my voice. “I believe you, baby.”

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