Page 57 of Taming Bull

Realizing he must have misinterpreted my tears, I shook my head. “Bull, it’s perfect. Ohmigod, I love it so much! These aren’t tears of sadness. I’m so happy I could…” I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed tight. “I don’t even know what to say. You didn’t officially ask me, but you bet your ass I’m moving in here with you. I’m still floored you bought a house. In Seattle, even. How can you afford this?”

“My grandparents set up trust funds for me and my sister when we were little. They grew up poor and struggled to do shit like buy a house until Grandpa’s business took off. They’ve been sittin’ pretty for years and wanted to pass along their good fortune. Or that’s the story they gave me. I’m financing some of the loan so we have money for shit like furniture, appliances, and repairs, but I can easily handle the payment with what I make while saving money for us to travel.”

“And I’ll help,” I said.

“You’re still apprenticing. You can buy groceries and stuff if you want, but I got this.” He cupped my face in his hands. “I want to do this for you. For us. And for that useless mutt of yours.”

Offended, I poked him in the chest with my index finger. “I’ll have you know my mutt is not useless. He helped me take down a would-be kidnapper at the park today. That’s why the cop was there. I tackled the guy, and Brahma bit his leg.”

Bull stared at me skeptically. “You’re shittin’ me.”

“I most certainly am not. I told you he was protective.”

Shaking his head, Bull chuckled. “Well, I’ll be. I guess it’s a good thing we’ll have the beast around guarding the place.”

“He’ll love it here. This is so perfect, babe,” I said, leaning into Bull as he wrapped his arms around me. “We’ll have privacy! I can’t wait to christen every room in the house.”

His eyes darkened. “That’s definitely a benefit to having our own place.”

He dropped his lips to mine in a sweet, gentle kiss full of promises and hopes. Then I led him into the kitchen to sign the last of the paperwork. We had plans to make and shopping to do, and more than anything, we needed to get back to the fire station so I could show my man exactly how excited I was about our new home.

Epilogue

Bull

“DON’T BE NERVOUS,” I whispered to Lily before knocking on the door. It was my childhood home and I technically didn’t have to knock, but barging into my parents’ home felt invasive to me. Even if they were expecting us.

“How?” Lily asked, rubbing her sweaty palms on her jeans.

She’d purchased a long skirt and flowery blouse she described as “wholesome church girl style” that she had wanted to wear for my parents, but she looked completely different in them. I didn’t want her buying new shit to impress my folks, so I had her return the outfit. Lily was perfect as she was, and she didn’t need to change for anyone. Instead, she wore the same distressed skinny jeans, boots, and sweater she’d wear if we were back home. She had kept her makeup light, and left her long brown hair down, making her look soft and casual.

Personally, I preferred my woman with no makeup and no clothes, hair mussed, spread out before me like a fucking buffet. I’d had a lot of time to enjoy that look on her in the months since we’d moved into our little house, but I couldn’t get enough of it. Or of her, for that matter.

“How what?” I asked, realizing she’d asked me a question I had yet to answer.

“How do Inotbe nervous? These are your parents. I need to make a good first impression, and you wouldn’t let me wear the innocent clothes.”

I shook my head at her. “You don’t need them, Angel. I told you, I’m so fuckin’ impressed with you, I don’t give a shit what anyone else thinks.”

Her eyes softened. “I love you.”

Knocking again, I slid my hand into hers. “I love you, too. I got you. It’ll be fine, no matter what.”

My parents answered and after the stunned second they took to process Lily’s resemblance to Amber in person, they hugged us and welcomed us into their home. As usual, Christmas decorations were everywhere. An enormous, professionally decorated Douglass Fir brushed against the high ceiling of the living room, looking a far cry nicer than the sparse wannabe Charlie Brown tree Lily and I had back home.

“Your home is gorgeous,” Lily said to Mom as she took it all in. A life-size nutcracker stood guard by a table with a Christmas village. The place smelled of cinnamon, apples, and Christmas.

“Thank you, dear,” Mom replied, smiling as she patted Lily on the hand. “It’s a bit much, but I do love to decorate for the holidays.”

We slipped through the living room, following boughs of holly into the family room where Grandpa and Grandma were deep in a competitive game of gin rummy against my sister and her husband. Everyone but my sister stood when we entered.

“Mom, Dad, Marilynn, Fred,” Dad said, scooting by us. “This is Lily, Deryk’s girlfriend.”

The welcoming smiles and greetings of my grandparents, sister, and brother-in-law helped ease more of the tension from Lily.

“You can call us Grandma and Grandpa,” Grandma said, gesturing Lily forward. “Everyone does.”

“Thank you.” Lily stepped into Grandma’s embrace before accepting a hug from Grandpa, too.

---