Page 67 of Tide Over

Isla rolls her eyes, clutching a stack of books to her chest. “He crawled into the ditch to get them.”

Heather sighs, ushering the kids inside as I hold the door open for them with a chuckle. “I didn’t bother changing him this morning, but I brought extra clothes,” she says, handing me a bag.

I take it and glance down at Mason as he kicks off his shoes. “I could just dunk him in the ocean.”

His eyes widen as he looks up at me. “Can you?!”

“Oh my god,” Isla mutters, heading towards the kitchen. But she stops suddenly as she stares into the living room.

I follow her gaze to see Miss Bobber rolling around on the rug with her toys.

“She’s. So.Cute.” Isla drops her books on the kitchen island and rushes over to her, Mason quickly following. They drop onto the rug with her, and she looks up at them curiously. But once they start dangling her toys for her, she’s in heaven.

“She isverycute,” Heather says, watching with a smile as the kids play.

I hear the creaking stairs through the laughs and giggles, then Liam enters the room, now wearing a t-shirt.

Unfortunately.

He takes in the adorable scene before him and smiles, then looks up at Heather. “Hey.”

“Hey, Liam,” she says. Then she shifts her gaze around the living room and kitchen. “I see all the work Theo has been making you do has paid off. It looks incredible in here.”

Liam’s eyes dart to me as he smirks, and I just roll my eyes. “I’m notmakinghim do anything.”

She gives Liam a knowing look, pulling a laugh out of him. And the sound is so perfect that I can’t even bring myself to protest anymore.

“For real though, this is insane,” Heather says, running her hand along the kitchen counter, her eyes drifting up to the exposed beam where we took down the wall between the kitchen and living room. “Not only is this place actually livable now, it’s beautiful. Good job, guys.” Her gaze catches on the doorway to the sunroom, and she heads towards it. But she stops at the threshold and looks back at us with a shocked expression. “Nowthisis going to be amazing.”

I follow her to the room, leaning against the doorframe as she steps over the now carpetless hardwood floor, still covered with some plaster, and takes in the newly painted drywall and trim around the windows.

“Perfect place for morning coffee,” she says with a smile, gazing out at the view.

I smile too, my eyes flicking back to the living room. Liam is crouched on the carpet with the kids as they play with Miss Bobber. His eyes meet mine, and he gives me a lopsided smile.

That’s our plan.

When I bring my attention back to Heather, she’s looking through the hallway into Liam’s room. Or I guess, what used to be his room. His empty bag is still tucked in the corner, but his clothes are in my room, and every night, he’s in my bed.

Her eyes sweep over the neatly made bed, his bag the only sign of him ever being in there.

“Liam’s tidy,” she says, eyebrows raised.

I freeze, watching her peering into the room.

Fuck.

But Liam chuckles from the rug behind me. “It’s just where I keep my bag. I took a room upstairs.”

Relief floods through me as Heather laughs. “Well that makes more sense. No man is that tidy.”

I force a chuckle as well, trying to get my heart to settle the fuck down. When I meet Liam’s gaze, he gives me a reassuring smile, and I take a deep breath.

Randomly finding out the guy I moved into my house has been sharing a bed with me isn’t exactly how I want to come out to my sister.

“Ok, I need to go,” Heather says, reaching down to ruffle Mason’s hair as she walks past them towards the door. “Be good for your uncle, please,” Heather says, looking back at the kids. But mostly at Mason.

“I’ll make sure he is,” Isla says confidently, patting Miss Bobber as she rubs up against her.

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