Page 30 of Room 1017

I let go of Casey’s hand to take hers. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tori.”

“Oh, psh. You’re family now, Peter. You can call me Mom.” There was no hesitation from her as she gently pulled me down for a hug, mindful of my balance. I felt Casey’s hand at my back just in case.

He’d warned me that she’d hug me, but it still took me off guard. It was warm and welcoming, and all the worry I’d had about her liking me was blown away. She was suddenly the mother I wished I’d had, and I had to blink quickly to dispel the burn of tears.

“I hope you like meatloaf,” she said, rolling her wheelchair back from the door and leading us inside.

“I love meatloaf.” Almost as much as I loved her son, but I had a feeling she knew that already. Casey had clearly told her a lot about me.

As we walked inside, about to have dinner as a family, I was struck by a certainty I couldn’t shake. This was what forever felt like.

19

Casey

Therewerebigchangeson the horizon, and while I probably should’ve been terrified, I couldn’t help but feel anything but excited.

I finally sat down with Cliff and had a talk about the situation because hiding our relationship would soon be impossible. I walked into his office this morning, and before I could chicken out, I’d plowed forward, blurting it all out. How Peter and I had gotten closer as we worked together, that I hadn’t intended to fall in love with him, and while I was sorry for not telling him sooner, I refused to change a thing, because Peter was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I’d told my boss that I’d sign whatever paperwork was necessary and promised that we would keep things professional while at the clinic, but I’d practically begged him to let me stay on as Peter’s therapist. “Please, Cliff! We make a great team, and he needs me.”

He’d let me sweat it out for a minute, but in the end, he’d finally cracked and grinned, then said, “Glad you two finally figured things out. Talk about slow burn. I thought you were never going to commit.”

I was sure my jaw was gaping, but when I finally left the office, I was smiling. It was a huge load off my shoulders to have everything out in the open. Such a relief, in fact, that I may have let my buoyant mood carry me straight into making some hasty decisions…

Better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission… right?

Fitting my key into Peter’s front door, I stuck my head inside. “Honey, I’m home,” I called. No, I wasn’t officially living here, but that didn’t mean the possibility hadn’t occurred to me. I spent more time here than I did at my own apartment.

“Wait there, I’ll come to you,” Peter said from the bedroom.

Using my body, I blocked the doorway so it wouldn’t spoil my surprise. A few moments later, Peter appeared from down the hallway. He was walking slowly and carefully, arms held out at his sides in case he fell. He’d been practicing without his cane more and more, and while I knew there was still pain in the movement, every day was a step in the right direction.

He smiled wide when he saw me. “Hey, baby. What do you think? Am I ready to run the hundred-meter dash?”

“Any day now,” I teased along with him, but there must’ve been something in my voice that gave me away, because his eyes narrowed on me.

“What did you do?” he asked suspiciously.

“What?” My voice squeaked. Clearing my throat, I said, “What makes you think I did anything?”

He wiggled his finger, pointing at me. “You’re making a face. Don’t even try to lie to me, I’ll know. It was literally my job to question suspects, and you, angel, are no criminal mastermind.”

I winced. “Yeah, so, remember how you said you loved me?”

“Mm-hm, and I meant it.” He stepped into me, his hands finding my waist. “Now, what are you hiding behind your back?”

“It’s a present.” My smile widened as he tried to see around me, but I kept moving to block his view. “An I-love-you present.”

His groan gave way to a resigned sigh, but I couldn’t miss the amused twinkle in his eye. “All right, let’s see what kind of trouble you’re in.” I hoped it was just enough for a light spanking.

Laughing, I stepped aside. “Ta-da!”

Peter blinked a few times, clearly stunned. “It’s a dog… I think, though it might be a small elephant,” he said at last, and the dog in question’s tail began to wag. He peeled his butt up off the porch and waddled gingerly into the house so he could plonk himself at Peter’s feet. It was hard to tell what breed he was, maybe golden retriever mixed with some kind of shepherd—though no elephant, as far as I knew.

“Hi, sweet baby,” Peter cooed, and I took Peter’s elbow to help him lower down onto his knees to meet his new best friend. It was love at first sight for the both of them, though I didn’t think this dog had ever met a face he didn’t want to lick.

“This is Hurley,” I said, scratching the pup behind the ear. “The shelter said he’s about five years old, but the person who surrendered him hadn’t taken good care of him, so he’s a little overweight—okay, a lot overweight,” I corrected when Peter raised a brow. “He’s leash trained, up to date on all his shots. I figured the two of you were a match made in heaven because he’ll need you to take him for walks so he can lose that weight, and there’s no chance he’ll go too fast for you. And as he gets healthier, so will you.” I smiled, proud of my problem-solving skills. “You need each other.”

I could already tell that Peter’s heart was melting as he dug his fingers into Hurley’s short bronze fur, drawn in by those expressive brown eyes, just like I was when I first laid eyes on him at the shelter. “Well, I wouldn’t want to let Hurley down,” he said, his voice taking on a tone he might use to talk to babies. Hurley, of course, was lapping up the attention, tipping his muzzle up to bestow kisses on Peter’s cheeks, chin, and nose.

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