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“Until now,” said Red as he stepped forward, resuming his human form, and the rest of the squad followed suit.
Joe nodded, looking back at Rose, whose eyes were shining in wonder. “Rose, I know this must have been a horrifying sight for you,” he said softly as she stepped forward. “I’m sorry for deceiving you earlier, but I couldn’t stand to let you see me like this. I understand if you wish to leave. I know you’ll keep what you’ve seen here to yourself.”
“Joe,” Rose said, almost laughing as she stepped forward, and to his surprise, she wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “Are you kidding? I’m just glad you’re safe!” Joe stood stunned for a moment before a soft smile appeared at his lips, and he returned the hug. “I love you, Joe,” she whispered softly.
The declaration put him off balance. “Do you really mean it?” he asked, and their eyes met, glittering in the scant light the building afforded.
She nodded.
He kissed her, hard. “I love you too, Rose. Now come on. Let’s get out of this horrible place.”
Chapter Five
“Emma, could you set the table, please?” Rose asked, tousling her daughter’s hair as she passed by her in the kitchen. Emma nodded enthusiastically, scooping up the pile of silverware to start arranging them on the dining room table. Despite her assurance that this didn’t need to be a formal affair, Rose’s parents were dead-set on going all out for their dinner with Joe.
Rose looked around the kitchen at all the various platters of herbed roast chicken, sweet potato casserole, and sautéed vegetables. There were three different kinds of pie for dessert, and Rose’s father had brought out an old, dusty bottle of Chianti for the occasion. She sighed, shaking her head. Her parents really didn’t know how to do anything low-key. They were incredibly excited to have company over—and especially if it meant finding a suitable man for Rose.
She just hoped they would be able to clamp down on their bubbling enthusiasm and not scare him off entirely. This was all a little over the top for Rose’s taste, but there was no going back now.
“Mom, you really didn’t need to do all this,” she remarked, sidling up next to her mother, who was taking homemade biscuits off of a baking sheet and setting them in a basket.
“Oh, honey, we just want to make a good impression,” her mother replied, beaming.
“He’s not the King of England or anything,” Rose laughed. “He’s just a… regular guy.”
She knew that wasn’t true. He was a beast, something more than human. And even though it might have scared a lot of women, it didn’t frighten Rose. She knew him to be patient, kind, and controlled. She had no real reason to fear him.
There was a knock at the door and little Cassidy toddled over to answer it, Rose following close behind. Her daughter’s chubby hands opened the door to reveal a neatly-dressed Joe Sanford smiling down at her. Cassidy giggled excitedly and reached up to take his hand, pulling him into the house. Rose had to swallow back a lump in her throat—her daughter was often afraid of strangers, so this was definitely a good sign.
“Nice to meet you, too,” Joe laughed, looking down at Cassidy with a grin. The little girl hugged his leg and then bashfully ran off to take her place at the table, climbing up into her pink booster seat. Joe leaned in and kissed Rose chastely on the mouth by way of greeting. She wanted more, but this was not the occasion for it. Not yet, anyway. Rose’s parents came around the corner to greet him, smiling warmly.
“Welcome,” Rose’s mom said, immediately embracing Joe in a tight hug. Rose’s father shook his hand and gave him a nod. He was a quiet man, but very gentle.
The family sat down to eat, Joe seated between Rose and Emma. The seven-year-old was enraptured by him from the very first moment, and she kept asking him sweetly to cut her food into pieces for her. Of course, he obliged happily, and Rose felt her heart swell with love. Joe was fitting in perfectly with her family, as though he’d been there all along. The meal went on for hours, all of them talking easily together, laughing and sharing anecdotes. By the time they finally moved on to dessert, the little girls were getting sleepy. Rose carted them off to bed and then returned for a couple hours of red wine, rhubarb pie, and effortless conversation. When ten o’clock rolled around, Rose’s parents excused themselves.
“You’ll have to excuse us,” her mother said, smiling. “We’re getting old now, and this is our bedtime. But do feel free to stay as long as you like. It was wonderful to meet you, Joseph.”
As they trotted off to their bedroom upstairs, Joe and Rose were finally alone together. He reached across the table and took Rose’s hand, his thumb trailing warm circles inside her palm. Rose felt so blissfully happy. She couldn’t believe how much had changed in a few short months. After what Brent had done to her, she had never expected to find real love—and certainly not in Cleveland, of all places. But Joe settled into her life like a missing puzzle piece. Despite the impossibility of his existence—and how sometimes disturbing it was to remember exactly what he was—Rose was eternally grateful for him. She had never lived a particularly normal life, anyway, so what was the harm in adding more craziness?
“Dinner was fantastic. Your mom is an excellent cook,” Joe commented softly, trying to keep his voice low since the others were trying to sleep. “I can’t remember the last time I felt so welcome and at home. Even at my own apartment it doesn’t feel like home. It’s just too empty… and too quiet.”
“Well, there’s certainly never a quiet day with my kids around,” Rose replied, giving him a half-worried look. She didn’t want to scare him away, like many men were, by the thought of having to commit to not only Rose but her two daughters, as well.
“That would be a nice change, I think,” he said, shrugging nonchalantly. “I miss feeling surrounded by people who genuinely want me around. It’s been a long time since I felt that way. But your family… they’re enchanting. They’re like a Christmas card.”
Rose chuckled and squeezed his hand fondly. “I know they miss having a man around, too, even though my ex-husband was less than present most of the time, himself. He was not a good father to them. I worry sometimes that I’m not good enough to be both parents, you know,” she confided sadly, staring down at their interlaced fingers.
Joe got up and moved around to sit beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. “You’re more than good enough,” he said, and Rose leaned her head into his shoulder. “But a little help never hurts.” Rose paused for a moment before looking up at Joe, and a smile played across her face.
“You know,” she said, glancing out the back windows, “I really didn’t get to show you around the yard,” she said, her finger tracing around his pants idly. “Come on, there’s something I want to show you.”
Moving softly, she led him out into the back yard, down a cobblestone path that led to the garden. “My mother has maintained this place for as long as I can remember,” she whispered as she hopped along the stones like she was little again. He followed along, laughing quietly with her as she danced into a circle of thick, vibrant rose bushes towards the far end of the garden, coming to a stop and looking around the place like she was among old friends.
“Roses,” Joe remarked, and Rose giggled.
“My namesake,” she admitted with a sigh. “I swear these things are my mom’s first love.”
Joe took a step closer to her, taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “Don’t go talking about love, Rose,” his voice intoned, and she almost unconsciously exposed her neck, turning her head to give her lion lover free reign of her flesh. “You’ll get me too excited.”
