Page 64 of Almost Always

“Hi.” He matched her smile. “Thank you for staying with Cal tonight.”

She shook her head, tracing the daisies on his arm. “Of course. I love your kid, Raff.”

“Pretty sure he feels the same way. Probably why he hasn’t snuck over because of a nightmare.”

“Does that happen often?”

“Soon after we got here, yeah.”

“What happens if he sneaks in while I’m here?”

He frowned. “I don’t know.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t introduced him to anyone you’ve dated and I was serious about not blurring those lines.”

“And I am so grateful that you’re thinking about him, but we don’t have to hide this. Us.”

“Us, huh?” She smirked, hand resting flat on his chest. “So, we’re talking about ourselves as a couple in front of him?”

“Only if you’re okay with it.”

Her heart leaped, but she kept her expression clear. “I’m okay with it.”

“Good,” he said softly, bumping his nose against hers before their lips met in a soft kiss.

She nibbled on his bottom lip and released it with a grin. “Great.”

When another yawn took over she knew that it was pointless trying to stay awake. She’d gone through so many emotionsthat day and now she needed to let her body rest and process everything.

CHAPTER 20

The sounds of quick moving footsteps, giggling and then something falling woke him up. He turned onto his back and stretched his arm out, but found the space beside him empty. Blinking into the semi-darkness of his bedroom, thanks to his blackout curtains being drawn for once, he glanced at where Daisy had been sleeping. Her scent lingered in the room and if the sounds from beyond the door were any indication, she hadn’t left yet. He smiled as the giggling got louder then faded away. He heard her voice, followed by Boots barking and was glad that she was still there.

He would have definitely liked to have woken up with her in his arms. They’d started the night with her facing him and while she snored quietly, he stared at her. He’d pinched himself a few times to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. The idea that his first love, the woman he thought he’d never see again, was lying in his arms was baffling. When she snorted and flipped over, pushing her ass against his crotch, he gasped out a quiet laugh because that was enough proof that she was really there.

Daisy Heroux with her bottomless chocolate eyes and ridiculous body that fit so perfectly against his.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he thought back to the night before. He’d been attempting to kiss her pretty much every single time they were together since that first meeting. He knew none of those moments were the right one, but he hadn’t expected last night to be it either. His hands twitched at the memory of holding her up and his mouth lifted on one side because that kiss? Truly the best kiss of his life. She’d completely bewitched him with her intoxicating and beautiful self.

I shouldn’t be surprised, really. She did it once before.

He straightened out the bed and got ready, then opened the bedroom door. Boots charged in and head-butted his thigh. Giving him a rough scrub and a kiss on the snout, he walked down the hall and was hit with a wave of cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. He glanced at his dog and found him happier than usual as he trotted off to the open French doors.

He poured himself coffee and took a sip as the sound of his son laughing loudly reached him. Pulling his phone out of the duffel he’d dropped on the floor on his way in last night, he leaned against the doorjamb leading onto the back porch and smiled.

Daisy and Cal were lying on their stomachs on a blanket with a book open in front of them. Their feet were in the air, kicking back and forth. Boots lay in the space between them. His heart was rioting at that point, taking in how easily they all fit together.My family, the thought echoed in his head. Holding his phone up, he took a couple of pictures, drawing their attention with the loud shutter sounds. His son grinned and was on his feet immediately. He set his coffee down and kneeled as Cal crashed into him.

“I’m sorry about my behavior yesterday,” his son mumbled.

He squeezed him tight and pulled back to kiss his forehead. “Why are you sorry?”

“For not saying bye when you left.”

“That’s okay.”

It wasn’t the first time it had happened and he knew that it wouldn’t be the last. Cal was usually distracted when the calls came in, so he was rarely ever there to see him off. So to be present as he walked out of the house had to have been scary.

“I was scared when you had to go and I was afraid that if I said bye, you might not come back.”

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