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“You’re a part of our family now.” I meant the Fletcher family collectively, but I wished we were talking about starting our own family—me, Delaney, and Natalie. I wanted it all.
“I hope you’re right.”
When she finished eating, I cleaned the dishes while they played with the puppy in the living room.
“We need to name him. We can’t keep calling himPuppy,” I said to them.
Delaney looked outside where there was a beautiful view of the mountains. It was the sole reason I bought this house. “What about Rocky? Mom said to pick a name that meant something to you, and you have this view of the mountains. I know it’s not the Rocky Mountains, but—”
A sense of rightness flowed through me, and it wasn’t just that Delaney had named my dog. “It’s perfect. What do you say, Rocky? You like that name?” I dropped to the floor, and Rocky wagged his tail excitedly as he kissed my face.
“He likes it!” Delaney exclaimed, moving to sit next to me.
“He loves you,” I said as Rocky climbed into her lap, scrambling to get her to pet him. When she complied, he licked her face, and she giggled. There was nothing better than puppy kisses and giggles.
I met Natalie’s gaze, and I winked at her. I hoped she understood my meaning. I wanted more mornings like this.
“You want to take him for a walk?”
Delaney’s eyes grew wide. “Can I hold the leash?”
“I don’t see why not.”
“Can we stop at home and get showered and dressed?” Natalie asked, still cradling her mug of coffee.
“We can walk around town, maybe grab some lunch. A few of the restaurants are dog friendly if you sit on the patio.” I held my breath, wondering if this was the moment Natalie pulled back or decided I was pushing too hard. But she didn’t.
She smiled at us and said, “That sounds great.”
“But there’s no rush. Finish your coffee.”
“If I were you, I’d never get tired of this view.”
This house was the perfect one to raise a family. There was room to grow. We could add a playground or even a pool if that’s what they wanted. But I couldn’t get ahead of myself. I’d done that too many times before. I needed to chill out and take things slow.
I was falling hard and fast for Natalie and Delaney. The years of holding myself back hadn’t changed anything. I was still the same romantic at heart. I wanted a wife and a family, and Natalie and Delaney fit. I liked them. But I didn’t want to ruin it with unreasonable expectations.
My head was a mess as I drove them to the B&B and waited for them to get ready. Then we walked downtown. It was a treat because it was the first time Natalie or Delaney had wandered the town.
They were excited over each new shop, eager to go in and peruse the wares. I waited outside with Rocky, content to just spend the day with them. We stopped at a deli for lunch and took the food to the park. It was a nice day, cool but not unbearable. When Delaney was tired, we headed home.
When I didn’t get out of the truck, Natalie said, “Come inside. I want to make you dinner.”
“I don’t want to intrude on your evening. I’m sure you need to get ready for the week and school.” She probably had laundry and cleaning to do.
“I’d really like to make you dinner to thank you for everything. Unless you need to get Rocky home.”
“I brought him small bags of food because I wasn’t sure how long we’d be gone.”
“Then come inside,” Natalie said with a smile.
And then Delaney said, “Please,” from the backseat, and I caved. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for them.
I helped Natalie cut the veggies for dinner, and then Delaney showed me how to sew, using her little kit. I never thought I’d let a nine-year-old girl teach me to sew, but I couldn’t say no. It was more fun than I thought it would be. Although my skill must not have been up to Delaney’s standards, because when I showed her my attempt at making the snail, she said, “Don’t worry. You just need more practice.”
I held it up. “I didn’t think it looked too bad.”
Delaney made a face. “Eh.”
