At the word girlfriend, Cassie stops, grinning. Coming around the tire, she leans in, running a nail across my chest as she peeks up at me. “Is that what I am? Your girlfriend?”
I nod, offering her my hand. “I love you, Cassie. Come on, let me show you the inside of your new house before we go see Mrs. Barnes.”
She hesitates but takes my hand, pulling back slightly so that I look at her. “Caleb, I’m really sorry. I just . . . I was afraid. I thought you were like my mom’s boyfriends, and I jumped to conclusions.”
“You don’t need to—” I start, but Cassie holds up a hand.
“You’re nothing like them. I should’ve trusted you. You’d given me no reason not to, but it just felt so obvious at the time. I can blame my past, but the reality is that I blame myself. Really, I’m sorry.”
I pull Cassie close, hugging her tightly. “I’m sorry too. Because I know what you mean. I was the one who was acting weirded out, and I’m sorry. But it’s okay, and I love you.”
“I–I love you too,” Cassie says, trying on the words before smiling. “I like the sound of that.”
“Me too,” I say as I nod my head once at her, pulling her up the porch. She smiles at the porch swing, glancing back at the yard, and I know she’s envisioning sitting here as her kids play on the tire. I hope that she’s seeing the same thing I am, that I’m sitting there next to her and that it’s our children out there.
We walk inside, and she freezes, her jaw dropping and her eyes lighting up. “Caleb, it’s beautiful. It’s everything I wanted it to be.”
I nod, showing her the floors and the way the light through the windows makes the walls glow. I lead her into the kitchen, and she gasps, running her fingers over the butcher block island and turning the faucet on and off again. “I already called the water company. Everything’s hooked up. You can start moving your stuff in tomorrow if you want.”
“How’d you get it finished so quickly?” Cassie asks. I give a tilt of my head, and she follows me to the hall bathroom, our eyes meeting for a moment in the mirror.
“I realized I’d hurt you, and I’m not the sort of man who can use fancy words to say what’s in my heart,” I tell her softly. “So I poured it into this house, with my hands and my sweat. It’s all here, my love in every board, every nail, every hour of work . . . for you. I love you, Cassie. I just don’t know how to say it any better than that.”
Cassie turns and puts her arms around my neck, drawing me in for a deep kiss. When we part, she’s looking up into my eyes, smiling. “You said it perfectly.”
We check out the bedrooms and the other bathroom, finally heading back to the living room. “Caleb, it’s amazing. Thank you. Truly. I hear you loud and clear in every detail. I’m surrounded by your love here. I want you to know I love you too. I didn’t expect it, but I fell for you a long time ago. I started thinking of you, ways to get under your skin, maybe get under you, even. But it was more than that. I’ve loved you long before I even admitted it to myself. But . . . I love you.”
Every time it rolls off her tongue, I feel my heart grow bigger, a knot that’s been there for years undoing itself in my chest, and I hug her again, feeling her tiny body pressed against mine and the growing realization that I want to feel her in my arms forever. “I’m glad you like it. If there’s anything you want changed or fixed, now’s the time.”
“No, it’s even better than I hoped. But I do have a question for you.”
“What’s that?” I ask as Cassie gives me a knowing grin.
“You told me you sold your place to Oli. And you just gave me the keys to this place. So where are you planning on staying?”
Caught, I grin sheepishly and pull her close. “Well, I was kinda hoping—”
Cassie smacks me on the butt, growling lightly and grinning. “Oh, is that how you planned on it being? Well, tell you what. Let me think about it as we drive out to Mrs. Barnes’s place. Maybe, just maybe, I might find an extra corner of a spare bedroom where I’ll let you put a blanket.”
“Is that how it’s gonna be? But I love you!” I mock-protest, and Cassie laughs.
“You don’t love me. You just love my doggy style. Now come on, before I’m too tempted by what I just said to let you get your work done.”
I grin and check my watch. “Hmm.”
“What?” Cassie asks, moaning when I reach out and grab her ponytail. “Your appointment . . .?”
“Gotta hurry or we’ll be late, but when you make comments like that, you’ve gotta back them up.”
Cassie gasps, reaching for the button on her jeans, grinning. “Yes, sir. So . . . are you carrying your protection?”
“I always have the right tools for the job.”Cassie
I’m super-nervous as Caleb and I walk up to the front door of the small, neat house, but Caleb reaches out and takes my hand. “Hey.”
“Yeah?” I ask, biting my lip. I took a few minutes to at least fix my hair, but I know I still look like a five-foot-one-inch pile of schlep, and I hate it. I’m here as Caleb’s girlfriend. I’d rather be looking my best.
“You’re beautiful,” Caleb says, reading my mind. “Come on, let’s just have fun.”
Caleb rings the doorbell, and I have a quick half-second to tuck my shirt in before the door opens. I can tell Mrs. Barnes is surprised when she opens the
