“I better go anyway. If I can’t hold my niece, then I’m outta here.” I give Grandma a kiss on the cheek. “FYI, Colton wants his key back and Ethel is creeping him out.”
Grandma Dori laughs.
“What am I missing?” Savannah asks.
“Grandma used a key to get into Colton’s house the morning after the wedding.”
“Ew, why would you do that? You want to see them going at it?” Savannah’s face is one of pure disgust.
“And Ethel looks at him like he’s her next social security check,” I say.
“She does not and so what? You should feel complimented that she’s admiring his body so much,” Grandma says.
Savannah and I share the same look. Like one more word and we’re going to run to the toilet.
“Tell Colton to get used to the key thing,” Savannah says. “The other day I thought Brinley was missing when I went to her crib to get her only to find Grandma Dori with her in the family room.”
Grandma laughs.
“It’s not funny. I thought someone had kidnapped my child!”
“And then Liam came running out in his boxers. Ethel had no idea he had that many tattoos.” Grandma Dori’s eyes light up and now I’m thoroughly grossed out.
“Why is Ethel always with you anyway?” Savannah asks.
“Because the sheriff said if he found me driving, he’d put me in jail. I think he’s blowing smoke, but with Ethel’s family in Sunset Bay it’s like she’s part of ours.”
I kiss Savannah on the cheek. “Bye.”
“Wait up,” Savannah says before she points at Grandma. “Do not wake her up. I have to talk to you, and I’m not doing it while you’re cooing at Brinley.”
The two of us step out into the hallway.
“Is SparkFinder not doing too well financially?” Sav asks.
“Why would you ask that?”
“Because that’s usually when the love for something dies. When you’re doing things like blind speed dating in a bar to make money instead of why you got into matchmaking in the first place, it tells me something is going on.”
“How do…” It doesn’t matter how she heard about the work I’m doing in Anchorage. Silly me, I thought all my siblings who just had babies were in lala land. I guess not. “I’m fine.”
“You’d tell me, right?”
“Of course.” I nod.
“No, you wouldn’t, but I have to go in there to rescue my baby because I just know Grandma’s not going to listen to me. Come over one day and we can go over your books. Figure something out.”
I turn and leave, only to hear Savannah open the door and yell, “I told you not to wake her!” And then Brinley screams.
I smile to myself. I left at the perfect time.
Driving back to my office, I think about Savannah’s words of advice. She runs a huge company. Maybe she could’ve helped me, but it’s Friday and Mr. Richards wants his money for last month and this month’s rent and I don’t have it, so I’m going to have to get my things out.
I park down the block, and I’m surprised to find Colton waiting at my office door.
He holds up a bag from the sandwich place in Sunset Bay. “Lunch for my girl.”
“Sunset Bay?”
“Had to go to deliver puppies.”
“Did you bring one back with you?” I open the door to my office, and he follows me inside.
“Is that something you’d want?” He places the bag on my desk and pulls out the sandwiches.
“I’m actually surprised you don’t already have one.”
He nods. “I never felt settled enough for one, but now…” He wraps his arms around me and kisses my lips. “If my girlfriend wants one, I want to make her happy.”
“Oh, would you? Well, maybe it’s something we should talk about.”
“First you need to move in.” He squares his eyes on me.
I blow out a breath and wiggle out of his hold. “I’m starving. Tell me you got me the bacon turkey ranch?”
He stands in the middle of the room, apparently unwilling to answer me or move.
I look at him. “What?”
“Stop dodging the topic. Why won’t you move in with me?”
“What about Kingston?” Kingston actually told me a few nights ago, when I stopped home to grab some clothes, he’s thinking about moving closer to Anchorage.
“Fine, Kingston can move in too. We have two extra bedrooms.” He walks over and unwraps his sandwich.
“You mean you have two extra bedrooms.”
He leans over my desk, and right before he takes a bite of his sandwich, he says, “What’s mine is yours.”
“We’re not married,” I say, opening up my sandwich, which smells delicious. Cheese gushes out of the side and I lick my lips in anticipation. We found this place on a whim during one of the first days of spring outings.
“Yet.”
“Colton.” I sigh.
“Juno,” he mimics.
“I’m serious. We just got together. Let’s enjoy this. What if…”
“I hate your what-ifs,” he mumbles and bites his sandwich.
“What?”
He finishes chewing and digs paperwork out of his bag. “Forget it. We have something else to talk about anyway. I did something, and I don’t want you to say no right away. I want you to listen to my argument.”
He tosses some papers on my desk and I read the first line, realizing Savannah and Mrs. Stone aren’t the only ones to figure out I’m a failure.
Loan Agreement
As I scan the document, there’s no mention of Four Paws, but there is a loan amount issued to Colton Stone personally. I inhale, trying not to let anger take over, but you know what they say about redheads—we’re fiery.
Twenty-Seven
Colton
I wasn’t going to present the loan to her in this way, but she pissed me off with her what-ifs. Why the hell can’t she just move in with me? Hell, I’ll take her brother too. Rent-free if he wants. I just want her. But I’m starting to realize I may have gotten her out of her desperation to not see me with someone else, but I don’t truly have
