Page 73 of Surrender

And made notes about it.

My lower lip trembles as my eyes meet his across the empty room.

I want to ask him why. I want to know what he thought about the book. I want to hold him.

Instead, I square my shoulders, sign "thank you" and find a pitcher to fill with water to keep my flowers alive until I can get them back to the apartment after my shift.

What I didn't expect, though, is to find a new book, with a bouquet of flowers that match the color scheme of the cover, wrapped and waiting for me on the bar every night. And every night I read his notes and comments and hold them tightly against me like the most precious gifts I've ever received.

Because they are.

Chapter forty-five

Serenity

I'm a little sad this morning as I lead the beagle named Roscoe towards Declan's house for our morning run.

He opens the door and greets me with a kiss to the cheek, the only intimacy we've had in the month since I moved out. I didn't know if leaving was the right move back then, but I do now. The Declan I'm getting to know now already has his guard down. He's so sweet and gentle around me, none of his brooding anger to be found. It's a gift to see this side of him. And the thoughtful books and bouquets that are completely over the top make my heart feel full enough to explode.

Ella has already complained that we don't have enough vases or counterspace for all of them, but I don't care. I want to keep each and every one.

"The roses survived the winter," I say as I nod to the tiny pink buds that have just started to grow. I thought they would but a part of me was still worried.

"They did," he replies, shutting the front door behind him.

"Are you alright?" He asks, noticing my dampened mood.

I give him a tight smile that doesn't quite reach my eyes. "Yeah, I just asked for Hank this morning, but they told me he'd been adopted."

"I know."

I look up at him, perplexed. "What do you mean you know?"

He turns and opens the door again, wider and a bounding chocolate lab rushes to me, tail wagging so hard it almost knocks him off balance.

"Hank!" I squeal, dropping to my knees and smushing my face against his.

"You adopted him?!"

"I had to," he says with an unaffected shrug. "Couldn't let my girl's favorite dog get away." I'm in his arms before I know what I'm doing. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and bury my face against his shoulder. I know I'm making his shirt wet with my tears, but I don't care. It's the biggest, most thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me.

"Thank you," I whisper, my lips brushing against the warm skin of his neck. He shivers under the contact, and I remind myself that we're not sexual anymore.

I pull myself out of his arms reluctantly, my idea of six months feels silly now. Why in the world would I want to be away from this man and everything he is for so long?

"Completely selfish of me," he says, still smiling down at me with all of the warmth and love I never thought I'd ever have.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Hank has a question to ask you. You might have said 'no' to me, but you'd never say 'no' to Hank." He rubs the back of his neck. "Who might need a new name, don't you think?"

I laugh, wiping the tears off of my cheeks before I kneel again, noticing a piece of paper tucked into Hank's new forest green collar.

I fold it open, before hitting my knees and closing my eyes.

"Will you go on a date with my dad?"

It's a long moment before I can look up at Declan again, tears streaming down my face. The beagle, Roscoe, and Hank are making friends next to me but all I can see is the beautiful man in front of me. The beautiful man who is looking at me as if I hung the moon.

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