Page 131 of Don't Date A DILF

Hunter chuckled. “You prepared Toby well, angel. He’s doing great.”

He really was. He threw his arms wide as he recited his lines, the dramatic flair making me smile.

“And so… after much thought…I named this Ball-Sack House, to honor my dear wife’s family as well as my own…”

There were twitters of laughter, and Toby broke character for a moment, grinning too.Ahh, juvenile humor for the win.Toby grew more serious, and I mouthed the final lines along with him. “Granville was founded by my uncle, and his name will be the one everyone remembers, except for this home, where I will raise my family with love and care. They will remember. Generation after generation of Ball-Sacks…” He paused for more chuckles, then went on, “to live and love within these walls.”

Applause rang out, and Toby withdrew into the house. Hunter and I hurried to the front porch to greet the crowd before inviting them inside. I’d intended to keep a low profile, but Hunter had insisted that I host with him.

“After all, this is going to be your home soon.”

Flutters erupted in my gut, just thinking of the moment when Hunter had asked me to move in with him.

“Are you sure?” I’d said. “What about Toby?”

“He knows,” Hunter had said. “In fact, it was kind of his idea. Not that I wasn’t fully onboard. I want you here all the time. But he asked me the other morning why you didn’t just move in if you’re going to spend every night here.”

“Oh geez.” I’d pressed my hands to my warm cheeks. “If I’m here too much, I can stay at my own place a couple of times a week.”

“Clark, you’re missing the point. He wants you to move in. So do I. Besides, if you think that kid will let you take Mookie away now, you’re kidding yourself.”

I’d laughed, emotion making my throat tight. “You’re serious?”

“Yes. I want you to move in. I want us to be a family. Hell, when the time is right, I want to put a ring on that finger too. I want it all with you, Clark Fletcher.”

“I want that too,” I said, floored. “I wasn’t sure if…if…you’d want to ever marry again.”

He kissed me. “I wasn’t either, but you made it an easy choice to make. Holly already told me she’d castrate me if she didn’t get an invite to the wedding.”

I gaped at him. “What?”

We’d been on good terms when Holly left a couple of days after Agatha and Elmer’s wedding reception, and I was pretty sure that when she did finally move to Granville, we’d all be able to co-exist peacefully, but I wouldn’t have expected her to want to consider the possibility of her ex getting remarried, much less ask for an invitation.

He laughed. “Apparently, I’m obvious in how much I adore you, Clark. So what do you say? Will you move in? Keep in mind, you’ll never escape us once you do and Mookie belongs to Toby now, so you’ll have to stay unless you want to lose your dog.”

I’d kissed him hard. “As if I’d ever leave, you ridiculous man. Of course I’ll move in.”

So now, here we were, on this porch, greeting the town together. And even though I hadn’t moved in yet—and no one else knew Hunter had basically proposed to me, even if it wasn’t the official down-on-one-knee proposal that I was sure would come later—I felt a sense of ownership in this man, in this home, in this moment.

I was living in the present, but in the future too, because I could feel the promise of it settle inside me, not an if, but a when. When I moved in. When Hunter married me. When we lived our happily-ever-after, a fairytale ending I never thought a nerdy history teacher like me would get.

“Before everyone goes inside,” Hunter said, “Our city manager, Tucker Ellis, has a few words about how we’ll take Granville into its next 150 years.”

We stepped aside, to allow Tucker to take the porch. “Thanks, Hunter. I’ll keep this brief. I just wanted to announce, while we’re all gathered here, that Granville has won the small-town innovation grant we’ve been working toward.” A few claps rang out. Tucker grinned, looking more handsome than I’d ever noticed before. His eyes were bright as he went on. “This gives us some of the funds we need to make real change for the better. We’ll be searching for more resources, investors, and matching funds going forward, but this is a great start. I want to thank Hunter for his part in the grant application process, and I’m happy to announce he’ll be joining us full-time moving forward.”

More applause broke out. Then a man emerged from the crowd. He was stunningly gorgeous, though he looked out of place. His suit was perfectly tailored, his hair styled in a messy but suave manner that seemed expensive. And when he spoke, his voice was low but smooth as molasses.

“If you’re looking for investors, I have a proposal for you.”

Tucker’s expression went from pleasant curiosity to shock. “Laurie?”

“Ah, so you do remember your husband.”

I turned to Hunter, wondering if I’d misheard, but he looked just as confused. Tucker was sputtering some nonsense that I couldn’t follow. “But-but…No, I— How. How did— Actually, why?”

The man ascended the stairs as if he had every right to, and everyone in the crowd watched as if they needed popcorn in their hands. Before the enraptured audience, he took hold of Tucker’s hand, lifted his knuckles for a kiss that was, admittedly, swoony as heck, and smiled. “Honey, I’m home.”

Whispers broke out, the gossip mill already churning, and Tucker grabbed his…husband’s?…hand and led him around the side of the house, speaking in a low, urgent voice.

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