Page 99 of Claimed by my Bestie's Dad

I smile proudly as we stand there and talk about different colors.

“Do you have a name yet?”

Madison smiles sheepishly. “No, I haven’t thought much about a name. I think naming things is the hardest part.”

“You can paint the name on later. Right now, let’s just get a protective coat of paint on the whole place. We need paint that is meant to protect the walls despite the difficult weather it’s going to face.”

I start reading paint cans and don’t notice the sales associate arriving until he’s standing right next to me. “Can I help you two with anything?”

I put my arm around Madison’s shoulders and smile, just happy to be out with her.

“We’re looking for some paint. It will be on… a deck. Outside.”

“You need this type.” The sales associate points to a selection a little further down. We thank him, and he moves on.

Madison squeezes me even more tightly. “He didn’t say anything.”

“What do you mean? He showed us exactly where the paint was.”

She whispers, “No, I mean aboutus.I didn’t even feel judgment in his eyes about our ages or anything.”

“Maybe it’s because you look older than you are.”

She laughs. “Are you calling me old? That’s not a compliment. We could pretend you look like you’re in your late twenties, but I think we both know that isn’t true.”

I laugh and kiss the top of her head. “Let’s get this paint to the building.”

The building isn’tmuch to look at yet, but standing in the middle of it with Madison by my side gives us the chance to let our imaginations run wild. The surf school she’s always dreamed of is finally happening.

Madison surveys the space, her eyes lighting up the way they do when she’s excited about something. I hand her a paint roller, and she takes it with a grin. “Alright, let’s see what we can do.”

We spend the next few hours painting the walls, working together in comfortable silence. Every once in a while, I steal a glance at her. I can’t help it. I love looking at her, especially when I see the joy on her face.

We talk a little as we work, and I feel like I can finally relax. “I can’t believe this is actually happening. I need to do some research on pricing. I want to be competitive, but not a steal.”

“You’re trading your time for money, so make sure it’s worth it. And if you need help with advertising, I have a buddy who works in it. He could probably at least give us a few tips.”

“Oh, I need all the tips I can get. My friend Mia is dating the man who built that resort. He might know about advertising because it seems like their rooms are always full.”

“Maybe we can make a list of people who can be resources for you as you figure out how to spread the word.”

I turn back to the wall and roll on another layer of paint. Suddenly, Madison is behind me, wrapping her arms around me so that I can’t paint the wall properly. “What are you doing?”

“Hugging you. I’m allowed to hug you, aren’t I?”

“You’re allowed to do whatever the hell you want with me.”

Madison laughs. “Good, because I… I appreciate you taking care of me. This building… It was really over-the-top, but it’s also just what I need. I mean…now that I’m pregnant, it would be easy to kind of give up on my dreams. But you gave me a way to keep them alive.”

I turn and kiss Madison’s lips. I want to say something cheesy, but the right thing doesn’t come to mind before she turns back around and continues painting.

After a while, Madison steps back, her roller still in hand, and looks at the wall with a satisfied smile. “It’s starting to look like something, huh?”

I chuckle. “Yeah, it is. Not bad for a couple of amateurs.”

She laughs, and the sound is like music to my ears. I set my roller down and walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind. She leans into me, her body relaxing against mine. I just want to touch her all the time.

“I’m glad that you’re enjoying this. We can lock up the paint cans here, and you can come work whenever you have the energy. But just keep the windows and door open so the paint fumes don’t get to be so much.”

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