Page 115 of Someday

Marlow shakes her head and makes a face. “She hasn’t seenHarry Potteryet. And yes, we have to go, peanut. We’ll be back another time.”

“When Owen’s here too? With his little people?” Dakota says hopefully.

“Maybe,” Marlow says.

Dakota deflates and looks up at me sadly. “Maybe means no.”

That seems to pause Marlow’s rush and she turns to look at Dakota. She leans down and kisses her on the forehead.

“Maybe meansmaybe,” she says, bopping Dakota on the nose.

Dakota giggles and Marlow smiles. I glance over at Wyatt and his expression has gone soft. When he notices me looking, he turns and walks in the opposite direction.

What the hell is going on here? What did I miss? Come to think of it, she never did tell me what Wyatt did to her when they met, and in all the busyness, I never followed up on asking him.

“Can I help you to the car?” I ask. “Get this girl buckled up?”

“No, you’ve got your hands full with finishing up here. We’ll be good.” Marlow smiles at me and it’s genuine this time. “Sorry to leave in a rush. I have an interview in the morning and I need to find something to wear.” She lifts her hand in a wave. “Come on, Dakota, let’s go. We’ll be back sometime soon.” To me, she mouths, “Tomorrow.”

I nod. “Thanks so much for your help today,” I tell both of them.

Dakota wraps her arms around my legs and hugs me, and I melt. It hasn’t taken any time for this little girl to accept me into her life, and it’s taken even less for me to be completely smitten with her.

They leave, and Steve and Magnus have a question for me before I go back to working on the office. I remind myself to ask Sofie about Marlow and Wyatt later, but then when we leave the stables a few hours later and she meets me in the shower looking all kinds of naked sexy, I don’t remember anything that happened earlier. I don’t know up from down other than I want to go down on her and then look up at her as she rides me into a free fall.

After I make sure that happens, I turn to face her in our bed and she’s already facing me.

“I think the stables will be finished tomorrow. Do you think your horses will like their new home?”

I see her smile in the moonlight and my heart does its Sofie-induced gallop.

“They’ll sense all the love here and feel right at home,” she whispers.

And yet again, I have to hold myself back from asking her to marry me right this second.

Instead, I say, “Wherever you are will be my home.”

She presses her lips against mine. “I’m never leaving your side, so I think we’re home.”

I kiss her again, harder this time, and we make love just like this, facing each other on our sides, bodies and souls aligned.

EPILOGUE

SOFIE

A week later…

I bring Fiona into the new stables last, guiding her to her stall. I moved Chief and Lady in first a few nights ago, and Honey was next, a night later. Showrunner stayed and kept Fiona company and I brought both of them over tonight, leading Showrunner in first. So far, everyone seems happy as can be, and Fiona has gained so much confidence since she first came to me, that I don’t have any worries about her adjusting.

Theo’s family showed up around an hour ago and have helped with the nightly routine. After all they’ve done to help the past few weeks, I was surprised to see them, but I’m not complaining one bit. Maybe there will come a day when I just want Theo to myself, but we get a lot of time together and I love his family so much, I love every chance we get to see each other. And the same with my aunts. They’re here and it’s such a gift that I can have a relationship with them now. I wish my mom had maintained the closeness she and Aunt Hilary had at one time, and I intend to appreciate every second I have with her.

Sometimes history doesn’t have to repeat itself. The cyclecanbe broken.

For the first time in my life, it feels possible to have a healthy family, and I couldn’t be more grateful for that.

Theo is taking pictures of me with Fiona, and I smile when she takes a carrot from my hand and chomps it down.

“She seems great,” I say. “I think they all approve of their new digs.”

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