Page 123 of From Nowhere

I wait because it feels like he’s trying to figure something out. Perhaps it’s me.

I wait a little more.

The silence.

The slow inspection.

It’s too much.

Did I say the wrong thing?

Then his gaze locks on mine, and a smile steals his lips while giving me a barely detectable headshake. “I love you,” he says.

Tears burn my eyes in an instant. “It was supposed to be an epic moment.”

“Maren,” he whispers, trailing light kisses from my lips to my ear, “there’s nothing more epic than falling in love with someone who loved my daughter first.”

This is it.

This is everything.

I’mallin.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Ozzy

Over the next month, Lola and I spend all our free time at Maren’s, working on her remodel and cat-sitting. When she’s out of town, we send her pictures and video updates of Bandit and the progress.

We haven’t discussed Lola and me moving in with her since the day she suggested it. I can’t sort things out in my head, so I don’t know how to approach this with Lola and her grandparents.

“When Lola’s better, are you still planning on moving to Florida?” I ask out of the blue. Tia and Amos are helping me clean the kitchen. Lola’s staying with my mom tonight, and Maren is assisting with a massive fire in Canada.

“Why do you ask?” Tia answers all questions with a question. Brynn did the same thing.

“Has Lola changed her mind about riding in a car?” Amos asks.

“Not yet. But if you plan on staying in Missoula, which Lola would love, you should buy this house from me.”

“Are you hurting for money?” Tia closes the dishwasher and leans against the counter.

I stay focused on washing the dishes in the sink while Amos dries them. “No. I’m thinking about moving in with Maren.”

Tia scoffs. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Why is that so ridiculous?” I glance over at her as she cleans the stovetop.

“Because you’ve only known her for a few months, and it would be irresponsible of you to make such a drastic change in Lola’s life right now. Never mind that you’ve already let that woman get too close to your daughter.”

“That woman has a name. It’s Maren. And Lola adores her.”

“Of course she likes her.Marengot her a cat.Marendoesn’t have to be more than Lola’s fun adult friend. She’s a stranger bribing a kid with candy.”

“My god, she’s not a stranger. And she’s not bribing Lola.” I rinse a saucepan and hand it to Amos.

“Where are you going with this?” Tia tosses the sponge into the dishwater and crosses her arms. “Are you planning on marrying her? And God forbid, if you are, you need to do it before you pack up your daughter and shack up with this woman. At the very least, you need to be a role model. If you don’t want Lola making these kinds of rash decisions down the road, you need to set the right example now.”

I pull the plug on the drain and dry my hands. “You still haven’t answered my original question.”

---