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“That’s right. I could tell something wasn’t right with you the past month or so. I was hoping that I could get you to talk to me about it. I didn’t think this would be the thing that would cause it.”
“No,” he said. “What gave it away?”
“The house with Mike,” she said. “I think that just told me right away that you changed and you were struggling with that too. That in the past you would have talked to Mike. You would have checked that house out. Even if it didn’t work out, you would have at least tried.”
“Yeah,” he said. “And the fact Mike hasn’t asked again has made me feel bad about it. I can’t be my father. I can’t let something bad that happened in my life cause me to be someone I’m not.”
She smiled. “That’s right, Cal. You’re not your father. You’re not your mother. They loved you. They love you now and are watching out for you.”
“Angels above,” he said. “Right?” He liked the sound of that.
“Yes,” she said. “And they’d be proud right now that you finally realized you can do things thatyouwant to do. Maybe it’s what you would have done regardless, but you need to start to realize they are your decisions and not anyone else’s.”
“You mean like asking you to move in with me?” he asked. “Not that this is a place we can stay right now.”
He was laughing and she shook her head. “How about we stay at my place while this is cleaned up?” she asked. “I’m sure since I’m renting from the Butlers, they will give us a pass on the dog, all things considered, until we can get back here.”
“I’m sure they will,” he said. “And then we will be back here together. Where I can watch out for you.”
She lifted an eyebrow up at him. “I can watch out for myself,” she said.
“You can. You’ve proven it well.”
They turned when they heard the commotion and saw Caden running in. “Mia, are you okay?” Caden asked. “Morgan just called me.”
“I’m fine, Caden. I don’t need my big brother to watch out for me. I’ve got my boyfriend to do it even if I’ve proven I can do it on my own.”
Cal smiled and kissed her on the head. “You do. But as you said, you didn’t need much help. Your sister is a slugger, did you know that?”
“What am I missing?” Caden asked.
“Let me fill you in,” Mia said. “Grab a broom and help us clean this mess up.”
“That’s my girl,” Cal said. “Stronger than you ever thought you were.”
“Just like you,” she said. “Remember that.”
“I will.”
EPILOGUE
Four Months Later
Saturday,the first of July, Mia walked into Cal’s house after having gone shopping with her sister.
She hadn’t felt like she needed anything, but her sister had asked and she wouldn’t say no. If she found it odd that Morgan was adamant they go on a day when her sister was normally at the shelter with Cooper, she kept it to herself.
After the past few months she’d had, maybe some girl time with her sister was exactly what she needed.
They’d just moved back into Cal’s house last month after all the damage was repaired. She’d been nervous about giving her apartment up, but this just felt so right to her.
Though it wasn’t much more than cosmetic damage to the house, Cal had asked her opinion on redoing the kitchen. Stating that he didn’t want there to be any bad reminders for her to not want to move in.
She’d laughed at it but understood where he was coming from.
Her hands were loaded with bags and Harley came running. Their pup—because it really was theirs and not just Cal’s—came racing over with his tongue flapping out of one side of his mouth.
“Looks like you bought out the store with your sister,” Cal said.
