“Yes.”
I claimed her mouth hard and fast, pulling her into the circle of my arms. I kissed Mouse on the nose and hugged them tight.
I had them both.
My girls.
A year later
I folded the newspaper and drained my cup of coffee. Crossing the room, I refilled my cup, leaning against the counter and surveying the main floor.
It had changed a great deal in the past while. I had always liked the simple lines of the room, but it had lacked something. Liv had changed all that. She’d added color and texture, moved the furniture around so it was a comfortable grouping. Added pieces and made the house feel like a home. My favorite addition was the chaise lounger which sat by the fireplace. I had taken it from the cabin, with Bentley’s blessing, and restored it. It held a lot of great memories for us.
But it was Mouse’s additions which really changed it.
My world used to consist of blue and gray. Dark woods and smooth textures.
It now contained a lot of pink. And lace. Little girls, Sammy especially, liked lace.
And the damn horrid glitter was everywhere.
Every room contained something of Sammy’s. Her hair things, ribbons, favorite toys. Her tiny shoes were scattered around the house like decorations. I found stuffed toys everywhere I went—even the workshop where Sammy spent a great deal of time with me.
And I loved every damn thing about it.
With a sigh I pushed off the counter and looked out the patio doors. I’d finally added the hot tub, and in the middle of the yard was a small aboveground pool. Sammy was like a little fish and spent much of her waking hours in the water on hot days. I loved climbing in with her and cooling off after a long day, listening to her never-ending stories of what occurred while we were apart for a few hours. To hear her tell it, the hours were endless, and I had to admit, some days, it felt that way to me. She was growing too fast, and I hated missing a moment of it.
I glanced toward the mantel, the additions on the bookcase, as always, making me happy. The two framed collages highlighted the two most important days of my life.
One was from the day I married Liv. Right here in our house—the place she made a home. We had the ceremony in the backyard under the trees, festooned with lights. The day was simple, surrounded by our closest friends and family. There’d been lots of laughter, music, food, and love. So much love. It was the exact kind of day we wanted.
Mouse tripped down the aisle, scattering flowers, and talking to everyone as she went. She paused by Bentley, who was holding his daughter on his knee. She patted Addi’s leg and admired the sparkly shoes on her tiny feet.
“Ooh—where’d you get those shoes for Addi, Mr. Bent? Can you tell Daddy? I bet he’d buy me a pair.”
Everyone chuckled, and to make sure I married Liv today and not next week, I held out my hand. “I will, Mouse. But you need to come to the front.”
She glanced back at the shoes, then the ones on her feet. They were plain white with only a few sparkles on the bow, and I knew they no longer pleased her.
“We’ll order some online as soon as we’re done here,” I pleaded, desperate enough to bribe her, even if it got me in trouble with Liv.
That did it. Wreathed in smiles, she dumped her basket of petals and hurried to the front. She wrapped her arms around my leg, gazing up at me. “I love you, Daddy.”
Everyone in the crowd melted. I did as well.
It didn’t matter that she was supposed to stand to the left. I didn’t care if the petals were a mound of color on the carpet runner laid out for Liv. Bending, I picked her up and kissed her nose, then settled her on my hip. “Good job, Mouse. Let’s watch Mommy now, okay?”
Liv was a vision in a pretty pale blue dress that swirled around her knees as she walked toward us. Her hair tumbled past her shoulders, and her smile was brilliant. But she was taking too long, and I met her partway down the aisle, bending to kiss her.
“You are so beautiful,” I murmured against her mouth.
“And you are so off-script,” she teased.
I tucked her hand into mine, and we finished the walk as a family. I never put Mouse down, and I never let go of Liv’s hand until it was time to exchange rings. And as soon as it was done, I wrapped my hand around hers, refusing to let go.
I still held her hand every day.
The second frame held the adoption certificate Hal had helped me acquire. Sammy was officially mine. Liv took the picture of Mouse and me. I was holding her with an indulgent grin as she gazed up at me, her hands on my face as she talked.
Mouse talked constantly.
That day, it was only the three of us. Me and my girls celebrating our little family—now legal and binding. No one and nothing could take her from us.
I sat down on the sofa, remembering those awful days wondering if we would lose her.
Nolan had tried and failed. In his selfish attempt, he had lost everything. John, the savvy businessman he was, offered Bentley a deal once he heard the real story. He fired Nolan, rehired Simon and allowed him to run the crews and finish the project. He avoided the bad press, kept his name attached to BAM and their good publicity, and cut all ties with Nolan. Once the project was finished, BAM hired Simon, who also brought along a handpicked crew. He had become one of my most trusted foremen and a valuable employee for BAM.
Nolan lost his job, his fiancée walked, and the last we heard, he sold everything and disappeared. I wasn’t upset by any of the news. Good riddance.
I startled when Liv’s arms came around me. Her sleepy voice made me smile.
“Why are you up so early?”
I tilted up my head, and she pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“Hey, baby. Couldn’t sleep. Did I disturb you?”
“No, but I woke up and my heating blanket was gone. I was cold, and I didn’t know where you were.”
I patted the sofa. “Sit here, Livvy. I’ll warm you up.”
She slid over the back of the sofa, curling up beside me. I tucked her feet under my legs and draped a blanket around her shoulders. She frowned as she studied me.
“Are you okay?”
I ran my hand over her head, sliding my fingers through her thick hair. “Yeah. Just thinking.”
“Are you nervous?”
I huffed out a sigh. “Yeah, I guess I am.”
“It’s going to be fine, Van. We’re going to meet him. Get to know him a little. Let him know us. See if we think it will work.”
“I know. It feels so…big. I don’t want to disappoint him.” I looked at the file sitting on the coffee table. “I think he’s had enough disappointments.”
She cupped my cheek. “It is big. And I love that so much about you. But today is very casual.”
I chuckled. “It doesn’t feel casual to me.”
She leaned forward, pressing her mouth to mine. “I know, baby. Another reason I love you.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “Care to share more reasons?”
“I could show you.”
I quirked my eyebrow. “Here?”
She smirked. “Sammy is at Mom’s. We have the house to ourselves. It’s still early, and we don’t have anywhere to be for a few hours.”
I slid my cup onto the table and turned to her. “Oh, I have someplace to be, all right.” I pushed her back into the cushions, covering her with my body. “Inside you.”