Page 108 of Coming Home

“And I’m sure we’ve learned a lesson.” Mrs. Lewis tutted at her grandson.

“Yes, Grand,” he said sheepishly.

Mrs. Lewis turned to Nat. “Thank you for helping him, Dr. Owens.” She stepped close, wrapping her frail arms around Nat and squeezing tight. “You’re a good girl…you’re a good doctor.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lewis.” Nat pulled back. “But Dr. Owens is my dad. You can call me Dr. Nat.”

Doug ran his fingers through his black hair revealing the stitches at his hairline. “I told my Grand all about you. How you kept me calm and patched me up at the scene. How you helped Mr. Wilson.”

“I am just so grateful to you, Dr. Nat.” Mrs. Lewis teared up. “After Doug’s parents died four years ago and my husband passed last year, he’s all I have. Thank you for making sure I keep him.”

Emotion fluttered in Nat’s chest. If anyone understood the power that grief had on a heart, it was her. Had Mrs. Lewis’ reluctance to see Nat rather than her father been more about holding on to what was familiar after losing so much already? Had it been less a proclamation on Nat but rather a desire to hold on to what she knew? Nat wasn’t sure, but what she was sure of was second chances. About moving forward when mistakes had been made.

“Thank you, Dr. Owens.” Mrs. Lewis hugged Nat tight before she took her grandson’s arm and wandered away.

Noah looped his arms around Nat’s middle, pulling her close to his chest. “That’s my girl.”

She tipped her head up. “I love being your girl.”

“And I love being your everything.” He pressed his smile to hers.

EPILOGUE

“Love covers a multitude of sins…”~Louisa May Alcott,Little Women

Maybe the glitter eyeshadow was too much, but it was Halloween. Nat looked at herself in the full-length mirror hung on the back of the closet door. Hands on hips, she did her best Derrick Zoolander Blue Steele impression, admiring her short green dress and sparkly fairy wings. She was Tinkerbell, after all, so the glitter eyeshadow was on point. Blowing a kiss to herself in the mirror, she skipped out of Noah’s bedroom and downstairs.

It had been just over a month since his accident and just over two months since they’d started dating. Most nights, Nat slept at Noah’s, so it made sense that she’d commandeered the handing out of candy duties for Halloween. Noah was going to be at the brewery most of the night. Nat planned on handing out all the candy while eating the caramel popcorn she’d bought and watchingHocus Pocusuntil trick-or-treating wrapped up at eight. Then, she’d head to the brewery to meet Clayton and Ellefor a drink while keeping Todd and Noah company until they closed at ten.

Then she’d let Noah peel off her little costume and do all sorts of depraved things to her and she’d return the favor as their Halloween treat to one another.

With the first ring of the doorbell, she fixed a big smile on her face. She danced to the door, and swung it open, holding a plastic witch caldron overflowing with candy.

“Happy Hall…” She stopped, eyes blinking. There weren’t any adorably dressed up children at the door, but a basket with a tiny floppy-eared yellow lab puppy. “Who are you?” Nat crouched to examine the puppy, who took a tentative step out of the basket. Her uncoordinated puppy legs caused her to tumble out of the basket. Nat wasn’t sure why she assumed the puppy was a girl, but she scooped her up to check.

“Yep, you’re a girl,” she cooed.

The puppy snuggled into Nat. Her silky fur was like the softest blanket against Nat’s skin. Holding the puppy, Nat bent to retrieve a folded piece of paper from the basket.

“What’s this?” she asked the puppy, who only snuggled deeper into Nat. Smiling, she unfolded the paper. “My name is Tink.” Nat grinned at that and kept reading. “Will you live with me and my daddy?” Her heart sped. “What?”

“You’re here every night, so it makes sense,” Noah said, appearing from behind her.

Startled, Nat twisted to find him with an unabashed, hopeful smile on his face.

“I thought you were at the brewery,” she said.

“I snuck away to introduce my girlfriend to the puppy I finally got after all her pestering me about getting a dog of my own.”

Her face pinched in an indignant pout. “I didn’t pester.”

He stepped close, the heat from his body coiling around her. “I also came back to ask my amazing girlfriend to move in. I realize it may be a little too soon, but I don’t want the appropriate things I should be doing to stop me from doing what I feel is right. Nat, I love you, and I want to make a home with you here…with me and Tink. Will you live with us?” he asked.

Nat looked down at the snoozing puppy and back to Noah. “Will you cook for me?”

Amusement pulled at the corners of his lips. “There’s that savvy business mind of yours at work again. Yes, of course.”

“Then I’ll come home,” she said, raising to her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss against his lips.

“Come home?” His brow wrinkled.

“There’s no making a home with you because with you, I’m already home.” She nuzzled her nose against his.

“Welcome home.” His smile met hers.

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