Page 63 of Twisted Fate

The months flew by.My relationship with Delilah only grew stronger as time went on. We were happy, all three of us. Charlie was thriving in school, and Delilah was thriving at work. I’d gotten a handle on my workload and was no longer putting in such long hours at the office. I was getting to spend more time with them, but something was still missing. We felt like a family, but my home wasn’tourhome.

Delilah was content to claim my guest bedroom as her own whenever she stayed over. She wouldn’t step foot inside my bedroom out of respect for Sarah. That was a line she wouldn’t cross. But I didn’t want her to perpetually feel like a guest any longer.

It had been a year since we reconnected and more than two and half years since Sarah had passed. It was time to move forward. It was time we had a place to call our own.

I wanted to surprise Delilah and didn’t want her to know what I was up to, so I contacted her friend, Melody. Melody had moved to town a few years ago and revived her grandparents’ bed and breakfast. After helping them manage it and their rental properties along with her aunt, she decided to go into real estate. She and her husband, Gavin, had flipped a few properties with the help of Gavin’s cousin—and Delilah’s friend—Macon, whose father was the biggest contractor in the area. Both men had worked under Ben Lewis at some point and knew their way around a home remodel. Melody was my perfect partner in crime.

I told her about my plan, and she was all too happy to help. She would help me find a few houses we thought would suit Delilah's taste. After watching countless episodes of home improvement shows with her, I had a pretty good idea of what she liked. I knew what her must-haves were and what she could live without. I’d been paying especially close attention the last couple months since I’d been considering moving.

Two weeks later, we had it narrowed down to three houses. They all had everything we needed and were within the school district, but two of them were closer to Willow Brook Falls than where I lived now. That was an added bonus that might win Delilah over. Not that I thought she’d be opposed to moving in with us, but it never hurt to sweeten the deal.

Melody planned to show her each house under the guise of needing her help to pick out an investment property. Delilah went along merrily with no idea Melody was trying to see which one she liked best. I had a feeling I knew what she would pick, so I asked Melody to show it to her last.

I received a text when they were on their way. Melody’s SUV was already parked in the driveway when I pulled up to the curb. Shortly after, my phone dinged with an incoming text.

You were right.This is the one. She’s practically gushing over it.

Melody’s assurancesbrought a smile to my face. I’d known as soon as I saw the listing that Delilah would love it. Now came the hard part: convincing her to let me buy it for us.

It’s go time.

I readover Melody’s next text before pocketing my phone and shutting off my car. I got out and strode up the sidewalk, my palms dampening more with each step. I rubbed them down the front of my pants before reaching for the knob and opening the door. Voices filtered through from the kitchen, and I followed the tinkling sound of feminine laughter. I rounded the corner to find both women standing at the sliding glass doors that led to the patio as they peered out at the back yard. It was large and blanketed in lush green grass. The wood fence surrounding it offered safety and privacy. There was even room for a pool if we decided to put one in. Charlie had been asking for one for months, but I hadn’t wanted to install one at our house when I knew we wouldn’t be staying.

“So … what do you think? Could you see yourself living here?” Melody asked as they took in the view.

She huffed out a laugh filled with longing. “I wish. This is my dream home, but I’d never be able to afford it on a teacher’s salary.”

“You wouldn’t have to do it on your own,” I said, and Delilah jumped, letting out a shriek of surprise.

“Vance!” she gasped breathlessly, pressing a hand to her chest. “What are you doing here?”

I took a step forward, my eyes never leaving hers. This was it. The moment I asked her to take the next step. Ignoring her question, I closed the distance between us in a few strides. Lifting my hand to her face, I cupped her cheek. Instinctively, she leaned into my touch.

“We could do it together. Buy your dream home.” My offer finally registered, and her gaze snapped to mine as her spine straightened. Curling her fingers around the hand holding her face, she looked up at me hopefully.

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I want to move in together. I want us to have a home that’s all ours. I want to start our life together. You belong with me and Charlie. You don’t need to keep going back and forth, splitting your time between my house and yours. It’s time for us to have our own home.”

Her hopeful gaze searched mine. “Are you sure? You want to move in together? It’s a big step.”

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

A choked sound fell from her lips, half laugh half sob as she covered her mouth with her hands. She flung her arms around my neck and held me tight. “Yes,” she crooned. “Let’s do it.”

I crushed my mouth to hers, swallowing her cries of joy and tasting the salt of her tears on my tongue. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I picked her up and twirled her around. My heart was beating like I’d just run a marathon. That was what this beautiful woman did to me. She made me feel alive. She still set my pulse racing with her touch even after all this time.

Once we were finished celebrating our decision, we went in search of Melody. She’d slipped out at some point to give us some privacy. We found her in the front room. She was tapping away on her phone screen but looked up when we entered.

“Let’s put in that offer,” I instructed, and a huge grin spread over her lips.

“You got it.” Melody dialed a number, pressed the phone to her ear, and walked toward the kitchen. I heard her say the listing realtor’s name as I turned to face Delilah.

“You tricked me,” she accused, poking me playfully in the chest.

“It worked,” I countered, and she went to poke me again, but I caught her wrist and brought it to my mouth, pressing a soft kiss to her pulse point.

“How did you know?” she breathed, the pulse pounding beneath my lips picking up speed.

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