Page 90 of Quintessentially

Her chin lowers as she bashfully says the most wonderful words I’ve ever heard. “I want to call you dad.”

Kandace’s grip of my arm tightens.

Swallowing a lump in my throat, I reply, “I’d like that very much.”

Molly’s smile returns. “I can tell Amber that I have a room at my dad’s house.”

“You sure can.”

She looks around. “Where’s Mommy going to sleep?”

My gaze goes to Kandace whose cheeks have a rosy glow. “I’m going to sleep in your dad’s room.”

“Like Grandma and Granddad.”

Kandace nods and wrinkles her cute nose. “I’d rather not think of it that way, but yes.”

“Okay,” Molly says as she goes to the bookshelf and begins to look through the books Kandace recommended.

“That went well,” I say.

Kandace smiles. “I didn’t want to tell her I was in one of the other bedrooms and have her wake and not find me.”

“I thought it took a marching band to wake her.”

“That doesn’t mean she won’t come in the room in the middle of the night.”

My mind fills with new concerns. “Maybe I should tell the ghosts they’re fired.”

ChapterThirty-Four

Kandace

“Ilove having you here,” Dax says as he strips down to his boxers and climbs in bed.

It’s the fourth weekend in a row that Molly and I have stayed with him. She was so excited about her new room, she made Mom, Dad, Justin, and Chloe come over to see it. We told her that Amber’s visit could wait.

Dax leans closer and gives me a kiss.

Running my hands over his shoulders, I grin. “I wouldn’t have thought you could get more buff, but I think you are.”

“The personal trainer in Chicago has nothing on farm work.”

I lay my head against the headboard and sigh. “Lynell is starting on the store on Monday. He said I’ll need to stay closed for two days.”

“You deserve a break.”

“Thankfully, the beginning of the week isn’t usually busy. And I need to make the transition to the holidays, so I can work on pricing from home.”

“How about working on it here?”

“My stuff is at home.”

“Move your stuff,” he says, “all of it. Molly’s too.”

I blink. “Are you asking us to move in with you?”

“I am. This house is big and lonely when you two aren’t here.”

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