Page 80 of From Nowhere

I laugh at her excitement. Joy is timeless. It doesn’t matter if someone is five or fifty. It sounds the same, and it’s unavoidably contagious.

“Go message your Realtor. Good night.”

“EEK! Sorry, I let that slip. Okay, good night.”

I drop my phone to the side and continue staring at the ceiling. I think of Brynn, and I wonder if she would have liked Maren. Or would she say I’m letting Lola get attached to someone who could die because she has a high-risk job? Can I live the rest of my life wondering what Brynn would think?

Chapter Twenty

Maren

I haven’t told anyone.

Not my parents. Not Will. Not Fitz or Jamie.

For some reason, I want to tell Ozzy first.

Thursday night, when I pull into his driveway to pick up Bandit, I can barely keep my hands and the rest of my body from shaking with excitement to see him. This is a foreign feeling to me and a little scary. I’ve liked other guys, maybe even loved one or two, but this is next level.

“Calm down,” I whisper with a deep breath before knocking on the front door.

It’s no surprise but no less disappointing when Tia opens the door. She offers me a polite smile that’s just shy of believable.

“Hi. Hope I’m not interrupting dinner,” I say.

She steps aside. “Dinner was over an hour ago.”

I mirror her less-than-genuine smile. “Okay. Good to know,” I say.

Her face wrinkles, and I ignore it because I don’t care what it means or what she thinks of me; I just want to see Ozzy and Lola.

“Lola walked to the park with Amos, but they should be back soon because it’s getting dark,” she says, heading into the living room. “Your cat and Ozzy are downstairs.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, slipping off my shoes before making a beeline straight to the stairs just as Ozzy appears at the bottom.

I smile.

He smiles.

My heart tries to break through my chest as I descend the stairs. When I reach the bottom, Ozzy hooks my waist and swings me around the corner so we’re out of sight. Before I can even gasp, he kisses me.

I claim his hair with my eager fingers, and he grips my ass. Absence makes everything grow fonder.

“That’s not fair,” I whisper, out of breath, when he releases my mouth.

Ozzy’s expression morphs into something sexy and naughty while he presses his forehead to mine. He slides his hands up my back to my arms before softly cupping my neck. “You’re not fair. I’m dying, and you have the audacity to show up with your hair all ...wovenlike some goddess. And your skin smells like a flower garden.Andall I want to do is remove your clothes, but we don’t have time for that, so I’ll be taking yet another cold shower after you and your feline friend head home.”

I peck at his lips and giggle while my hands cover his. “Woven? Do you mean braided? And if I recall correctly, the last time I left here, I was the one who needed a cold shower.”

Ozzy’s face bleeds mischief.

I wrap my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his chest. “Besides, it’s only two more sleeps before we have all night together. And guess what?”

“Hmm?” He kisses the top of my head.

“I got the house.” I lean away from him just enough to see his face.

“That is awesome, Maren. When do you move?”

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