Page 102 of Roommate's Guide to Love

Even though I know this is not a two-way monitor, it’s like Grace knows what’s about to happen, and her cries go from small to consistently even. And so sad.

“Ugh,” I blurt out, my body falling limp as Porter’s mouth and fingers also stop working their magic.

Kids, cockblocking parents and guardians since the beginning of time.

“Note to self: remember to work quickly in the morning as a child will apparently somehow have impeccable timing.”

I laugh as Porter crawls his way back up to me, leaving a kiss on my shoulder before he rolls out of bed. “I’ll go get her. Wait here.”

Like I could get up if I wanted. Though, it does hit me that I’m naked and Porter is bringing Grace back to the bed, so I hurry and dig through his drawer to find a T-shirt to slip on. Just as I do, the door opens and my heart melts in an instant.

Grace’s head is resting on his shoulder, the tip of her thumb in her mouth, as he carries her back to the bed.

“Hey, Miss Ma’am,” I whisper, her sleepy eyes still half shut as we sit on the bed. “Did you sleep good?”

Of course she did. This girl has two modes of sleep operation—like a rock or not at all. And since we didn’t hear her last night, I’m going to assume it was the first.

You know what? I’m going to give her a pass on interrupting us this morning. She’s a real star for sleeping through last night.

“Here we go,” Porter whispers as he lays her down between us. “I think we could all use a lazy morning.”

The three of us lay there, not saying anything, as Grace slowly starts to wake up. Porter’s hand reaches over her, our fingers gently playing with the others, as we just lay and watch this little girl, who I’m just realizing is the reason I’m here.

“Do you think this would have happened without her?” I ask, because until right now, I don’t know if this thought really hit me.

“I’m not sure,” he says. “I’d like to think it would’ve.”

“So do I. But then again, I know how stubborn I was.”

He quirks an eyebrow. “Was?”

“Fine. Am,” I say as Grace starts cooing between us. “Exactly, Miss Ma’am. Tell me all about how stubborn I am.”

Grace starts giggling as I rub my nose into her belly. I’m so lost in her little laughs that I don’t realize until I look up that Porter is staring at us.

“What?”

He shakes his head slightly. “Just looking at my girls.”

Oh damn…that hit me in a way I wasn’t ready for.

“Your girls, huh?”

“Yeah,” he says, picking up Grace and laying her on his stomach. He holds out his arm for me, allowing me to snuggle in with my head on his shoulder. “I never knew I wanted this. I didn’t want to be a dad. I didn’t want a relationship. I didn’t want any of this…but now…now I can’t imagine my life without it.”

I understand his words completely. I never thought I wanted to move back or live in Rolling Hills. I never wanted a relationship. I never saw myself as a mother figure. Cool aunt? Hell, yeah. But keeping a human alive? Absolutely not.

But the thought of not being here? Away from him? Grace? My family? It’s unimaginable.

I guess you can truly say never say never. Because there are so many nevers I’m about to break it’s not even funny.

Because get ready, Rolling Hills. Quinn Banks is back, baby!

29

porter

“What the fuck…”

---