Page 72 of Cold Foot Croc

“Oh she loves the excitement,” he crooned, checking the rearview mirror.

“What are we going to do?” she asked him softly.

“About what?”

“Your house. I like being around you.”

“Oh, Sasha and I have a plan already. She bought the house she fixed up from her landlord, and she’s hiring a property management company to rent it out to vacationers. I’ll be fixing mine up to do the same.”

Her mouth fell open. “You’re okay with not living in your house? You love your house though.”

“I’ll love our house more. I know you can’t move down to the middle of Darby. Your Crew is here, in Wreck’s Mountains.Your nest is in that house. That’s Breah’s home. There is no rush. Whenever you are ready, if you’re ever ready, you just say the word and I’ll be moving in with you and Breah. Wreck already gave his approval. I asked.”

She sat there, stunned with happiness. “Really?”

“Yeah, really. I want to be around my girls. I’m not rushing it, but someday I want it all.”

“You want the family.”

“Hell yeah. I don’t want to miss anything. What if I missed her first words, or first steps, or her first Change just because I’m living between your place and Darby? I don’t want to miss out on kissing you when I come home from work, or hugging you at night, or watching movies in front of the fireplace.”

“It’ll be covered in baby toys, and sometimes I will be a frazzled mess.”

“Bring it on. I can’t wait to step on Legos.”

She giggled and wrapped her arms around his strong one, pressed her cheek against his shoulder. “What word do I have to say to get you to move in?”

“What’s the word from that stupid rap Cash made up?” he asked, frowning as he tried to remember.

“Peep.”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“No, I mean, peep. I’m saying the word.”

“You want me moving in now?”

She nodded. “I want it all, too. With you.”

His expression right now was so soft and happy, and it dredged up butterflies in her stomach. “You know I love you too, right? You can feel it?”

She nodded again. “I know.”

He pulled the truck to a stop, slipped his hand to the side of her neck, pulled her in, and kissed her. When he eased back, he said, “Something bothers me.”

“What is it?” she asked.

“I’ve been asked a lot who my Maker is.”

“We can find him. We can track down what happened—”

He shook his head and kissed her again, silencing her, then pulled back again. “I decided I don’t care about the why or the who. If anyone asks me who my Maker is from here out, to me, it’s you. You’re my Maker. You taught me. You cared.”

A smile took her face, and her heart felt so full. “Okay,” she whispered. “Tell them it’s me, and I’ll tell everyone you’re Breah’s dad.”

He nodded, and his heart was in his eyes. “Are you ready for your surprise?”

“Yes.”

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