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Maddox makes a low noise in his throat. “Do you think he’ll get adopted?”
“I hope so. He deserves a loving home. Someone just has to give him a chance.”
As if he knows we’re talking about him, Hades pushes closer, demanding more attention. Maddox chuckles while I let out a wet laugh. When it comes to this dog, I can’t seem to stop crying.
“Have you thought about adopting him yourself?” he asks, swiping the wet from beneath my eyes.
“I have. But I’m not sure if I’m the right person for him.”
“What? You’re the perfect person for him. Nobody is going to love him as much as you do.”
Hades pushes his face into my chest, and I kiss the top of his head, breathing in the lingering coconut smell from his bath yesterday. It scares me how clearly I can see us together—Hades and me. Maddox too. We’d play fetch all day in a spacious backyard with a big red doghouse by the fence for Hades like Snoopy has in the Charlie Brown cartoons and then spend the night in front of a brick fireplace. It’s a dream that I’m scared I could never make a reality.
“My life is so hectic—what if I couldn’t give him the time he deserves? Someone else could. Someone who wouldn’t have known about him without this calendar we’re shooting for today. It has to be perfect,” I say.
Maddox holds my waist and kisses my cheek, nodding. “There’s no rush. Let’s call Diamond back in here and finish this up. We can go from there, yeah?”
A knock on the open door comes at the perfect time, and all three of us turn to see our lovely photographer peering in at us. Her smile is contagious, and I find myself smiling back, waving her in.
“Hey. We’re good to go. Hades should let Maddox move him around well enough for the photos, but if everyone could stay a bit back just in case, that would be great,” I tell her, noticing the guys starting to fill the space behind her.
She walks toward us, eyes bright and a finger tapping on the top of her camera. “Actually, why don’t you stay for these ones? Hades is calmest with you, right? Plus, the three of you look really great together. Like a family.”
My stomach does a weird twirling thing.
“Hear that, baby girl? A family,” Maddox whispers in my ear.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to ruin the whole vibe. Maddox doesn’t even have clothes on,” I ramble, fighting back the urge to run and hide.
“Can one of you do something useful and go get Maddox his clothes, please?” Diamond yells at the guys, and it’s Bentley that rushes out the door a second later. She shoots me a wink. “There. This will be perfect for the whole family thing you’re trying to bring into the adoption day.”
She’s right, so I don’t fight her on it.
A minute later, Bentley is back and handing Maddox his clothes. My side is cold when he stands to get dressed, but it’s not long before I’m burning up again, the sight of him in all of his glory stealing my breath. It’s still hard to believe that this man wants me and continues to do everything he can to cherish me.
I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
A beat later, he’s dressed in a pair of light blue jeans with a small rip over the knee and a black T-shirt that hugs his biceps in the most delicious way. His feet are bare, and it fits the look perfectly.
With hearts in my eyes, I blink up at him and smile. Hades is turned away from me but flush to my body, waiting for Maddox to join us again. As soon as he does, any previous tension and anxiety at the idea of being photographed slips away, replaced with an almost giddy feeling of excitement.
“I’m going to steal these photos and plaster them all over my house,” Maddox says confidently.
I scoot closer as he drops an arm over my shoulders and pecks my cheek, interlocking the fingers I have buried in Hades’ fur with his.
“I like that idea,” I murmur.
“Stay just like that!” Diamond shrieks before rushing around and dropping to her knees again a few feet in front of us, camera lifted and pointed directly at us. “Just like I said! A family.”
Yeah. We are a family.
The term replays in my mind over and over again, growing more perfect each time. I soak up this moment, praying that I get to experience this feeling of pure bliss every single day for the rest of my life.
38
BRAXTON
It’slate into the evening by the time we get home from the shoot, the setting sun casting a pretty pink glow through the windows of the penthouse when we enter. The A/C drones on to try and beat the June heat, but the place is otherwise silent, calm.
