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She laughed as she arched against him. “Well, okay then. Just as soon as you get our girl to school and come back home to me.”
Her words struck him right in the heart. He lifted his head and when her eyes met his, they told him that she’d meant for him to hear that exactly the way he had – ‘ourgirl’ and ‘comehome.’
She nodded. “That’s what I want, Grady.”
“I do, too. And we both already know that Ava does.”
“We do. So, can we just relax into it and enjoy it all now?”
Grady nodded. He believed that they could. He’d need to wrap his head around what it would mean in a practical sense. And he’d need to make peace with himself about the differences in their circumstances. That shouldn’t matter, he didn’t think it did, not too much. But he’d have to give it some thought just to make sure that it didn’t come around to bite him in the ass at some point down the road.
~ ~ ~
“Hey, girlfriend!” Molly greeted Hannah with a grin when she walked into the restaurant. “It’s good to see you in here. I’ve barely seen you since this guy got his paws on you!”
Grady gave her a mock indignant look. “Molly Moo! You want to watch how you phrase that.”
“Oops. Sorry.” She shot Hannah an apologetic look, but Hannah could only laugh. Grady had come around behind her and pulled her back against his chest. He let his hands rove over her, and even though he kept it PG-rated, it sent shivers down her spine.
“You shouldn’t say things likeI got my pawson her; I would never do such a thing.”
Molly laughed. “You’ve got your paws all over her. Put her down. Or take it in the kitchen. There are customers out here.”
Grady just laughed. “I know.” He landed a kiss on Hannah’s lips. “That’s part of the reason I have my paws all over you. You brought the calendars, right?”
She nodded.
“Uh-huh, see.” He nodded at Molly. “Andyouhave them all clamoring to see pictures of me shirtless. I’m just making my stand here. Letting the world know that they can look, but they can’t touch. I am well and truly spoken for.”
Molly grinned at Hannah. “He is, is he?”
Hannah nodded happily. “Yeah. I gave him a test run and he turned out okay. I decided I’m going to keep him.”
“How does Ava feel about it?”
Hannah laughed. “She was kind of attached to him anyway, so she’s fine with us keeping him.”
Molly laughed and looked at Grady. “Are the girls ganging up on you?”
He wrapped his arms around Hannah and hugged her back against him. “They are, and I love it.”
“Aww. I’m happy for you guys. And you’re welcome.”
“For?” asked Grady.
“For forcing the two of you to talk that day when Hannah came in. If it weren’t for me, I bet you’d still be avoiding each other.”
“You have a point there. Thank you.”
Grady nodded. “Yeah. All joking aside, I shall be eternally grateful to you.”
“You are very welcome. Just don’t screw it up. I love you both. And I don’t think I could deal with the fallout if you break each other’s hearts.”
Grady’s arms tightened around Hannah’s waist. “We love each other, and I know I couldn’t handle it.”
She leaned back against him and looked up into his eyes. “You won’t have to. We’ll no doubt screw up along the way, but I won’t ever break your heart, and I’m trusting you not to break mine.”
“Oh, get a room!” Molly said with a laugh. “Seriously, quit with the mushy stuff. We need to get those calendars in here and set up the display, and then I need to get home and get ready and take Luca over to Marcos’ parents before we come to the carol concert.”
