Page 63 of (Un)Spoken

“I hope so,” Adam answered. “I might not be able to be there every night, but I’m going to try. And if I can’t, I’ll be sure to call and talk to the two of you.”

She nodded, seemingly pleased with his answer. “Are you going to live in our house?”

“Not right now,” Adam said. “But maybe one day. We’d talk to you about that before it happened. And if we did…maybe we could all get a big house and fill it with lots of animals.”

That made her eyes light up, but she wasn’t entirely done with her questions. “Are we gonna cross the thing off Mommy’s list?”

Adam’s face blanched, and even when Iarched a brow at him, he didn’t look in my direction. “Not yet,” he said, lowering his voice conspiratorially. “But soon. I’ll let you know.”

My eyes narrowed at the two of them, trying to read through the lines. When Adam pulled back and wrapped his arm around my hips, I glared in his direction. “Are you ever going to tell me what she wants me to do?”

“Nope,” he chuckled as he pressed a kiss on my forehead. “But trust me—I think you’re going to like it.”

THIRTY-SEVEN

Within the hour, news had gotten out about Cam and Hadley’s arrival. Victoria’s small apartment was soon crowded with all our friends. In between questions, though, everyone made their way over to us, telling us in different terms that they knew Victoria and I were going to get together eventually. Alex and Calla were particularly smug, claiming that they were the first ones to see a spark between us.

I just stood next to Tori, touching her every chance I got. It was nice not having to hold back anymore. I liked the way her eyes lit up when I grabbed her hand—almost like she felt the same way. The only detractor was Cole, who groaned every time I kissed her or pulled her against my chest.

“You know this is karma,” Theo said after Cole made another comment. “You and Alex have been disgustingly touchy since the moment you got together. It's about time you felt our pain.”

“It's not the same,” Cole grumbled. “Wait until it’s your baby sister, and then you can talk.”

“I don’t have that problem,” Theo smirked. “Don’t have a sister.”

“Then your daughter,” Alex quipped back. “That will be really fun for you. And if she’s anything like Calla, you’re in for it.”

“Oh God.” Theo’s face paled at the thought. “That’s it.IfI have a daughter, she’s not allowed to date until I’m dead.”

His eyes narrowed at Alex as she smiled innocently at his side, busying herself with another set of magnets she was putting together for Fall Fest. After everyone had gotten to know each other, this had become the unofficial headquarters for the event tomorrow. With our group responsible for three different booths, it was all hands on deck to get everything ready.

Calla and her sister, Devyn, were putting together sample fall-themed bouquets in one corner while Theo and Cole were waiting for Gray. They were going to help him figure out how to set up the equipment for The Lost Tavern’s food stand. Meanwhile, the rest of us were putting together swag bags for Fox Creek, complete with brochures, magnets, and other little trinkets to bring in more guests.

Cam and Hadley tried to help as much as possible, but they were eventually relegated to Emilia duty. Even though she wanted to be involved in what everyone was doing, there was only so much a four-year-old could handle safely.

“Shit,” I hissed as I sliced my finger on the paper slicer, sticking it in my mouth before I could think better of it. As I pulled it out, I smirked at Alex. “You know, most people get paid for their work…”

“Consider it your payment for all of the free lodging,” Alex popped back at me. “And not to mention, my excellent matchmaking services.”

“Umm, no,” Calla said. “I’m totally taking credit for it. I have a reputation to uphold.”

“Neither of you get credit,” I chuckled. “As much as I love you guys, it was in the works long before you guys said something.”

“How long?” Alex asked.

I turned to look at Tori, smiling softly at her curious frown. “From the moment she got here. She almost crashed into me downstairs, and I thought she was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I didn’t even realize who she was.”

“I knew it,” Tori chuckled before turning back to the rest of the group. “He tried to play it off like he knew exactly who I was.”

“I was in shock!” I argued. “You looked nothing like I remembered. But as soon as she smiled up at me, I knew I was done for.”

“You’re such a softie,” Victoria teased as she came closer. “For me, it was a little bit later. Obviously, I thought he was attractive. But I started falling for him when he tried to teach me poker.” She winked at me. “You still owe me a rematch.”

“Name the time and place, trouble.”

Story time ended when Gray crashed through the door, his dog, Elsa, leading the way. As he stumbled with the bags of groceries and craft supplies, Elsa had other plans, barging through the room and right into Emilia’s waiting arms.

“Elsa!” she cooed, wrapping her arms around the dog’s neck. “I missed you! I saved you all the bacon from breakfast.” She pulled a couple of strips from her pocket. “I hope you like them.”

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