Page 52 of Merrily Mine
“No, you won’t.” A shudder ran down my spine at Angelina’s intimidating glare. She was five-foot-ten, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen her without her hair perfectly styled, heels, or a swipe of red lipstick on until this morning, when she’d come upstairs in a pair of Batman pajamas and her hair up in a messy ponytail. Still, she was still menacing, even if I had six inches and a lot of muscle on her.
Gabbi laughed. “Don’t scare him off, Ang. Welikethis one, remember?” I was having a hard time believing her when she gave me a look that I was going to file away for later.
Right when I turned off the burner, a stack of pancakes ready to be devoured, the three Sullivan siblings all crowded inside, looking slightly misty-eyed but happy.
“You good?” I whispered into Em’s ear as she walked over to me, wrapping her arms around my stomach. I slid an arm around her shoulders, tugging her tight into my body.
“Never been better,” she admitted.
I grinned. “That’s what I like to hear, baby.”
Kissing her on the forehead, I turned to everyone. “Merry Christmas, Sullivans. Who wants pancakes?”
one week later…
“That’s the last of it,” I said, carrying another box full of shoes into my cabin.
Emily looked up from a pile of clothes on the floor. “Thanks, cowboy.”
“Of course,” I told her. “Want me to help unpack?”
She bit her lip. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. This is your home now, too. Least I can do is help you.”
As of today, she was officially moved in.
Over the last week, she’d been shuttling her stuff over, one bag at a time, like she thought I didn’t know exactly what she was doing. As if I hadn’t cleared out drawers for her the second I’d got back from her house on Christmas Day.
Today, I’d finally said,enough.After I’d finished my work on the ranch, we’d gotten in my truck, finished emptying her basement room, and I’d carried it all into the cabin. Now, her clothes hung side by side with mine in the closet.
The rest of them—and her shoes—were all in the guest room closet, because my girl had more clothes than I was pretty sure I’d ever know what to do with.
Not that I was going to complain. I’d let her fill up my entire house with her things, because her presence made me feel whole. Like I’d been walking around with something missing for all these years, and I’d finally found it in the little vixen of a brunette.
God, I loved her so much.
So did my parents. The first night I’d brought her home for dinner—the day after Christmas—they’d spent the entire night talking to her, barely letting me get a word in edgewise. After we’d eaten, my mom had pulled out the old photo albums, finding the ones of us when we were little.
My favorite were the ones of little Emmie Girl in her pink cowgirl boots and pink hat.
She’d worn the one I’d given her that night, and it made my heart feel like it was fit to burst. What would she think if she knew the thoughts that were running through my head?
I fully intended to put a ring on her finger by the end of spring.
Was that too soon? I didn’t think so. When my parents had gotten engaged, they’d been dating for two months. My dad told me he knew my mom was the one on their very first date. And look at them now. Happily married for thirty-eight years and still running the ranch together. Honestly, it felt like they were more in love with each other now than ever before.
And I’d had the same feeling with Emily. On the first night at the bar, I’d tried to downplay the connection I felt to her. I’d tried to ignore it, for my friendship with Hunter’s sake, but I hadn’t been able to.
Though, apparently, we owed some of our relationship to our meddling moms, too. Neither of them was as sly as they thoughtthey were, however. When Em’s mom had gotten back from her vacation, she’d let it slip that they’d been talking the whole time, scheming about ways to get us together.
Apparently, both of them thought we needed a little nudge because we werelonely. They were right, of course. My mom sending me over to check on Emily during that snowstorm had been the best thing that had ever happened for us.
And now, here we were—starting off the new year with her moving into my cozy little A-frame cabin. Starting the rest of our lives offright. It was small, but it was more than enough space for just the two of us.
I was already thinking about how I could expand it, though. I’d also been scouting areas on our property, thinking about building a big house with a wraparound porch. Enough bedrooms for as many kids as she wanted.
Getting ahead of myself? Maybe.
