Page 114 of The Snuggle is Real
“I will,” I promised.
Now that LuAnne had agreed to leave Charlie with us, we could plan the summer vacation. We could planyearsof summer vacations.
In two days, Ford and LuAnne were meeting with a lawyer to make the custody arrangement official. We didn’t want to risk LuAnne changing her mind in a few months and swooping back in to take Charlie.
She seemed to have made her peace with leaving her, though.
LuAnne had sent us off to have New Year’s Eve dinner with my family the night before, and when we came back she was writing out a checklist of things to do before she left town.
She seemed upbeat, if a little manic, and I suspected that giving up Charlie had lifted a weight from her shoulders, even though she loved her. Being a single mom wasn’t easy, and LuAnne had a lot of rebuilding to do after her time in rehab.
Sawyer crushed me in a hug, making me beg for mercy before he released me, and Ash slapped my back.
“Ugh, you guys are perfect for each other,” I told them.
Ash grinned. “Of course we are. Your brother was just too stupid to see it.”
Sawyer elbowed him. “Yeah, I should have figured out Ash was obsessed with me much sooner. I mean, who wouldn’t be?”
“Like I said, perfect for each other,” I said with a laugh.
They shouldered their duffel bags, then grabbed some of Mom’s luggage—which had grown significantly while she was in Christmas Falls, thanks to several shopping trips. My family had thoroughly enjoyed the town, even though they’d missed most of the festival.
I picked up a box, but Ford took it from me. “I got it, sweetheart.”
“That one’s a keeper,” Mom said as he strolled down the sidewalk.
I smiled. “Yeah, I’m really lucky.”
“Oh, he’s lucky too.” Mom squeezed me again. “You take good care of Charlie too, all right? That little girl needs you both.”
“We will,” I said.
Charlie was playing with Peppermint Bark in the front yard, but she broke off her game of fetch to hug my mom goodbye. “We’ll see you this summer,” Mom said, eyes twinkling.
“Sawyer has to take me out on the lake,” Charlie said excitedly. “I want to lake surf.”
“Wakesurf,” he corrected, giving her hair a tousle. “And it’s a deal. You show up, and I’ll give you lessons.”
After another round of goodbyes and hugs and well wishes, Mom, Sawyer, and Ash piled into her station wagon and they drove away.
Ford wrapped an arm around my waist, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. Charlie held his hand on his other side, while Peppermint Bark leaned against my leg, panting loudly.
Watching my family go wasn’t as difficult as I’d expected. I had a family here now.
“Want to go inside and pick out which bedroom you want?” I asked Charlie.
Her eyes lit up. “We get to live here? With Peppermint Bark?”
I laughed because of course she was more excited about cohabitating with my dog than with me.
“Yep, go on,” Ford said. “We’ll have to pack up the house, but this is going to be our home.” He paused. “As long as that’s what you want?”
“Well, duh!” She turned to the dog. “Come on, Pepper! You can share my room.”
She ran up the steps of the porch and went in the front door. We followed more slowly.
It was fast to move in together, probably, but I didn’t want to wait to start our lives together. To be part of this little family that had claimed my heart.
