Page 87 of Single Dad's Christmas Cookie

“Do you really know the owner?” Nova asked.

I could tell by her expression that the gears in her head were turning. She wanted this place.

“Could you maybe offer him a deposit or something to hold it until we get back?”

I nodded my head from side to side in a noncommittal move.

Nova bit her lip. “Please?”

“I can do you one better. I said I know the owner.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the key. It lay across my palm, tied with a sage green and silver bow. I held it out to her.

Nova’s brow furrowed, and she looked at the key in my hand and back to my face.

“Those are the wedding colors.”

“Uh-huh.”

She reached out for the key and touched the ribbons. “Why is it tied up with the wedding colors? I don’t understand.”

I dropped the key, pinching the ribbons in time so that it hung from my fingers. With my other hand, I took Nova’s hand and turned it palm up. I slowly placed the key in her palm.

“I know the owner, and she will be traveling over the summer. This is yours.”

Her eyes flashed up to meet mine. The hand with the key began shaking. She clapped her other hand over her mouth, and tears spilled from her eyes.

“The building is yours. It’s one of your wedding presents.”

“It’s mine?” Her voice was so small.

I pulled her to my chest and stroked her hair. “I love you. Did you really think I was going to tease you with this place right before the wedding? I knew it was perfect as soon as I saw it. It’s all yours. In your name and everything.”

“It’s mine?” she asked again.

I nodded.

And then she exploded. She started cheering and jumping. “It’s mine! It’s mine!” She laughed.

Amelia joined her, and the two of them danced around in joyous exuberance.

Nova grabbed my face. The key was still in her hand, and it pressed awkwardly into my cheek, but I didn’t care. My girl was happy. When she pressed her lips to mine, I felt her joy surge through my body.

“I don’t have time to draw up plans before we leave, do I?” Nova said. “Never mind, I can get ideas when we’re in Italy, and then when we get back, I can start doing the renovations. I’ll have tohire construction, but I should be able to paint. I’m still going to need money for all of that. I guess I can get a job.”

“Nova, honey.” I had to disrupt her thinking before she frantically took herself down the wrong path. “You own the building. You have three tenants who pay you rent. You have income.”

She stared at me and pointed at the floor. “But won’t I need that to pay the mortgage?”

I shook my head. No mortgage. “You own it outright.”

“Bryan, you didn’t.” She was laughing and kissing me again.

“My mom is going to freak!”

“Is Nana Deb freaking a good thing or a bad thing? Cause whenever you say my grandmother is going to freak, it’s always bad,” Amelia pointed out.

“You’re right. Your grandmother freaking out is a bad thing, but with my mom, it could go either way.”

Amelia nodded.

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