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“And the volunteers?” I asked.
“I put both of us down and Ripley and Frankie are both already in. I don’t think we’ll have any trouble filling the other slots.”
“So we’re a go, then?”
“We’re a go.”
“Thank you, Nolan. I can’t wait to tell Nash.”
“It wasn’t me, Spencer. This was you. You saw a need, and instead of just talking about it, you did something. And the lives of the kids in this community are going to be better for it.”
On the way back to the clinic, I’d called my pops to fill him in on all the news, but Dad was still at work.
“Hey, kiddo, what’s up?” He answered right away, so he was either off and bored or not on a run and most likely still bored.
“I just wanted to give you guys some news. I could’ve waited until tonight and talked to you both, but I’m too excited.”
His deep chuckle reverberated over the phone, and my chest swelled. I loved both my dads so much, and I missed seeing them all the time. I was going to have to make more of an effort to go back home more often. “I can pass on the news to your dad, no worries. Now, don’t keep me hanging. What is it?”
“So there are two things, actually. First, we got the approval on the youth center. It won’t be anything like the one in Austin, of course. It’ll be open weekends and on the evenings during the week when school is out of session to start, but still, it’ll give them a place to hang out.”
“That’s amazing, kiddo. The center here does so much for the kids here in town, and I’m sure the one in River Gorge will, too. So what’s the second thing?”
I should have told them about my plans to move in with Nash the other day, but I’d been hesitant to tell them. I was excited about where Nash and I were headed, so the last thing I wanted was for one of my dads to put a damper on things. I was sure they liked Nash, but that didn’t change the fact that they were protective of me, and my dad, especially, could be a bit over the top with it on occasion. I knew that putting it off wasn’t going to change that, so I jumped right in.
“I’m moving in with Nash out on the ranch. He got a promotion, and that means he’ll be moving out of the bunkhouse and into an actual house on the property.”
He was quiet for a second, and I worried I was going to get a lecture about moving too fast or a bunch of questions about if I was sure this was right for me, so I held my breath and waited.
“I really liked Nash when we met him at the party.”
“Good, I’m glad,” I said cautiously, expecting a but.
“Your dad did, too, and your grandmother adored him. Hell, Meg’s so enamored over that horse rescue, I think she’d move in with him herself.” He chuckled fondly at his big sister and her obsession with horses. “But all that matters to me and your dad is that you’re happy. So that’s my question. Are you?”
“Happy?” I asked. “Yeah, Pops, I’m so happy I don’t even have words.”
“Well, then I’m happy, too. How about if your dad and I drive up this weekend? We would love to see where you’ll be living.”
“I’m not sure when we’ll be moving in. The person who was living in the house just moved right up the road, and they’re still getting stuff out, so let me get the details and I’ll let you know when to come.”
“Sounds good, kiddo. We love you.”
“I love you, too, both of you.”
Chapter 28
Nash
On Wednesday, Murphy came and found me to let me know the last of the stuff was out of the house, and V was spending the day making sure it was move-in ready. I couldn’t wait to show Spencer the house, but he was at work. I sent him a text asking him to meet me at the ranch when he got off, and he said he’d be there but that he was working until they closed at six tonight. That worked in my favor and gave me time to set everything up.
I spent the rest of the afternoon getting everything in place. I borrowed the outdoor café-style patio set that sat just outside Cruz and Nolan’s back door and set it up in the middle of the living area. Then I sweet-talked V into putting together a picnic-style dinner for me and Spencer.
I’d hoped to avoid a trip to town, but we didn’t have any nice candles in the bunkhouse, only the utility candles like you used in case of a power outage, and that would never do. Besides, my boy loved flowers, and he damned sure deserved to have them tonight. I checked the time and decided I had just enough time to get there and back before he arrived, but only if I hustled.
I didn’t stop anywhere else, just ran into Marshall’s. Grocery store flowers might not be the best, but they would work. I grabbed a couple of scented candles and the nicest bouquet they had and hurried back out to the ranch.
I pulled up and parked under what would be our carport, and just managed to place the candles on the table and light them before I heard his car pull up. I quickly started up the playlist I’d prepared and set my phone on one of the built-in shelves in the room before taking a step back and looking at everything. It wasn’t fancy, but neither were we. I felt good about how it looked, though.
