Page 72 of Under One Roof

I don’t confess that I know he loves her and, instead, stay silent as the sky grows darker, the sun fading until lights in houses up and down the street blink on. And as Logan begins to tell me about how there are two Charlies on his baseball team and Coach Matthews has taken to calling them One and Two because he can never remember their last names if they aren’t wearing their jerseys, Andi pulls into the driveway with Grace.

Andi shuts her door, smiling at us. “How’s it going here?”

“Good,” Logan replies as we both stand, and then the strangest fucking thing happens. Nobody even says a word. But suddenly, we’re all hugging. All Andi has to do is hold her arms open. Logan takes up the offer first. Then Grace. I round it out, wrapping my arms around the lot. These three people are my whole world. My two kids and my person.

I only have to tell her so.

But for now, this hug is good, too.

Chapter24

Andi

With Logan at Sebastian’s house, I take Grace shopping and out to lunch before she asks if she can sleep at Taryn’s house with Maddie. I text Griff to make sure it’s all right then drop her off just as he messages me back, informing me he forgot to bring his new phone charger to work and asking if I can drop it off.

So, I double back, pick up the charger from the corner of the kitchen counter and head over to the firehouse. He’s outside when I pull up to the curb, and he greets me with a kiss.

“I feel like this was a ploy to get me here,” I say with a laugh.

“I wish. I’d rather hang with you than do this training.”

Usually, he’s off at noon, but he won’t be home until after eight tonight, working an extra couple of hours. Tough job, saving the world and all.

I’ve watched videos of firefighters doing timed drills, running up ladders and staircases, carrying heavy bags. I’d pay money to see Griffin do that. “What’s it for? Practicing saving people and stuff?”

He shakes his head. “New procedures, OSHA requirements, system updates. All the boring bullshit stuff.”

I wrinkle my nose. “So, it’s just a few hours sitting at a desk?”

“No, I have to run it.”

“Big boss man.” I whack his arm, earning a stiff eyebrow raise that sets my panties ablaze.

And I am in sudden need of a rescue.

“What are you going to do all day by yourself?” he asks, and I try on my most flirtatious grin.

“I’m sure I could find something.”

He grunts a rough sound like he’d rather be home with me—kid-free—than here. Especially when he winds a hand around my waist, squeezing possessively. He keeps me against his side as he leads me inside the firehouse. He introduces me to everyone we pass, some of them familiar-looking since I met them at the fundraiser weeks ago, but I’m not able to talk to them, too busy foaming at the mouth over how good Griffin looks in his fitted work pants and shirt with a radio strapped to his shoulder. So official.

He gives me a short tour of the house, including the kitchen and bunk room before we end up in his office with a closed door. I lean against it while he plugs in the phone charger.

“So, what do you do all day around here? Besides, like, look hot.”

He raises his brows. “Excuse me?”

I wave my hand up and down the length of him. “You have basically the most attractive career on the planet. You’re the stuff women fantasize about. I mean… Look at you!”

He shakes his head, mouth twitching, so I push him further.

“You’re the stuff movies are made of.”

He keeps his gaze on me as he sinks into his leather chair, rolling it backward, creating space between him and the desk. An obvious invitation.

“What happens in these movies?” he asks, and I’m bolder than I’ve ever been when I slink over to him, standing between his open legs, my hands on his shoulders.

I pitch my voice higher yet keep it a whisper like Marilyn Monroe, “Oh no, Mr. Big Firefighter Man, my cat is stuck in a tree. You have to help me.”

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