Page 23 of Sheltered By the Surly Forester

Once we’ve covered everything she asks, "So, do you think this is okay?"

"Baby, they're going to love it. This is far more thorough than anything they're expecting." She raises an eyebrow at my chuckle. "I've seen them approve things scribbled on the back of a napkin before. As long as we're using qualified builders that they trust, and we're not interfering with anything, they're going to love it."

I squeeze her knee. "And they're going to love…"You, I want to scream.Everyone here is going to love you as much as I do."All of your ideas."

"Thank you." Her lovely, soft brown eyes look up at me with a gentle smile in them. "I really do like feeling useful."

"I know. So do I." Glancing outside, I notice the rain has stopped. "Why don't you go walk around the house, or sit outside on the porch and make your call to your friends? I'll make dinner."

"But—"

"Okay, I'llstart choppingthings for dinner, then whenever you're ready, you can come in and approve everything. How's that?"

A wave of relief flows through me when she kisses my forehead, then grabs her phone. "Back soon."

It's tempting to wander over to the window near the front porch to eavesdrop on her conversation. I want to know everything. Does this place she's thinking of moving to have security alarms? Is it in a safe neighborhood? And what kind of business are these girls planning, anyhow? Emie said something about a photography studio. Does that mean that photographers and models and makeup artists will be coming and going at all hours? Will Emie have a private space and a locked door between her and any strangers?

My mind is spinning, so I turn my phone to a podcast about various species of wildlife around the world that, thanks to zoos and conservation effects, are no longer on the endangered list. That calms me down a bit.

When Emie returns, she's in a great mood and helps me with dinner as if she didn't have a care in the world. By the time we're sitting down on the couch, it feels like everything is back to our version of normal. Almost.

That's it. As soon as I find the right opportunity, I have to tell her how I feel. This walking on eggshells has got to stop.

I cannot let her leave unless she's really, truly thought about staying with me.

14

EMIE

Is there such a thing as too much good luck?

A week and a half ago, I was grasping at straws, trying to find somewhere to stay. Now I have two options, and don't know which to take.

The call with my friends went really well…I guess. The details about this Colorado loft are incredible, but I still have a few concerns. For one thing, Jennifer is – sorry – still super flaky. And Katie doesn't quite seem to have everything nailed down.

It's crystal clear that they need an organization person like me to take them through some of it and maximize the potential of the space. Neither of them visualizes very well.

But… I can't stand the thought of leaving Josh.

As we snuggle some more on the couch, my palm wandering around his chest, it's the first time my mind doesn't pretty much blank out the second I nuzzle his neck.

Josh pulls back a bit. His finger is not quite tapping on his knee. "Is everything okay? You've been a bit quiet since you had your call with your friends. If you want to talk out any details, I’m happy to be a sounding board."

What the heck. I pride myself on being an efficient person. There's absolutely no reason for me to beat around the bush.

"Okay. Here's the thing." Sitting back a bit, I take his hands. "They need me to make a decision in the next day or two, or they're going to talk Katie's sister into coming up from San Francisco."

He nods. "You're a clear-minded person. I'm positive you can make a good decision. Go on."

Wow. He actually sounds like he's taking this seriously.

"On the plus side, I would have creative freedom. They like things to be visually interesting, but they can't visualize anything themselves, so they've always just gone with whatever other people whip up for them. So I don't have to make any presentations or wait for approvals."

"Bear in mind the presentation to the town council here is simply a formality. A courtesy, if you will. And I've loved every single idea you've had so far, and I’m sure they will too. But go on." Josh nods for me to continue.

"Looking at the photos, Colorado Springs is drop dead gorgeous. But I don't know anyone there."

"You've already seen Wolfe Mountain in real life. And you know me." Josh grins. "And Mrs. Honeywell, and Riggs. You've briefly met Barrett and Brady. And my brother Jace.” Josh squeezes my hands. "You said the spot with the girls was just for two or three months?"

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