Page 116 of My Best Bet

“Oh my gosh, yes!” Lucy squealed.

“Wait, hold up,” I said, shaking my head. “That doesn't make sense. How are you making money?”

“Because we would’ve spent it, but we’re not, so it’s extra,” Mer explained.

I looked at Mer like she lost her mind. “Come again, darling?”

“Makes total sense, Dad,” Lucy interjected.

“Yeah, total sense,” Mer said, struggling to maintain a straight face.

Lucy ran up to the counter to ask for her size.

Keeping an eye on her, I inconspicuously wrapped an arm around Mer’s waist and dipped to whisper. “Are you teaching my daughter girl math?”

She reached up and held my cheek. “It’s an important skill.”

My eyebrows raised. “Oh, is it?”

She giggled before giving me a quick, chaste kiss. “Yes.”

I didn’t quite believe that, but I didn’t care, because Lucy wore her new boots to both home games that weekend thanks to Mer, who happily brought her. I loved watching the two of them going crazy cheering us on right on the glass.

Mer brought a much needed change to the house. Instead of dreading cooking dinner each night, it quickly became my favorite part of the day.

The three of us would listen to music, bust funny moves, and laugh together while we created a meal.

When we sat down to eat, Mer would always ask us for our highs and lows of the day. Sometimes I suspected she did it for herself as much as for us– like it was her way of keeping her mind busy so she could finish dinner without thinking about it. I knew her well enough not to draw attention to it. I just hoped she knew I was there for her if she ever needed help. Either way, sharing became easier for myself and Lu, and our dinnertime conversations always ended in us laughing so hard we were almost crying.

Day by day, Mer also started sprucing up my bedroom. There was suddenly a frame on the wall with a candid picture of me carrying Lu on my shoulders at the cider mill. Another day there was some kind of fall candle on the bedside table that made the room smell amazing. Then there was a plaid Christmas throw blanket and a couple decorative pillows.

The night the pillows appeared, she was lounging on her side of the bed in one of my hoodies, boy shorts, and slippers, her hair up in a messy bun while reading one of her romance books. I leaned in the doorway and laughed to myself.

She dog-eared her page before looking up. “What are you laughing about?”

“Nothing, nothing,” I mused.

She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an answer.

“You’re like… nesting,” I said with a smirk.

Her mouth formed a little oh. “Is that bad?” She scrambled off the bed. “Sorry, I just thought… it was kind of…” She tied her fingers together in knots. “It was plain in here. I’ll take it all with me.”

I stalked closer to her, right into her personal space, and gently grabbed her chin. “Take it with you where, sweetheart?” I arched a challenging eyebrow.

Her eyes shifted nervously and her cheeks flamed with a blush.

“Youare staying, and all your cozy shit is staying, got it? I love it.”

She blinked. “You love… it,” she repeated quietly.

I knew exactly where her head was at and I needed to fix it, immediately. Picking her up, I dumped us both onto the bed, making her release a little laugh.

But her laughter was replaced by a breathy gasp when I started kissing her neck. “I loveyou, Mer.” I pulled back to see her ocean eyes. “I never stopped. My heart has always been yours, baby.”

Her eyes went a little glassy as she looped her arms around my neck. “I love you, too. So much, Colt.”

We were frantic then, kissing, touching, groaning in pleasure. I never wanted this to end.

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