Page 97 of Returning to Everton

“Hey Bug, Nate’s going to stay the night tonight. Is that okay?” Rowen asks Violet.

She looks up at me with her head tilted to the side. “Why are you staying the night?” she asks me, confused. Can’t say I blame her; this is the first time anyone’s ever slept over.

I look over at Rowen to try to gauge how she wants me to answer that. I really wish I could read minds like Declan can right now. “Because your mom asked me to?” I offer hesitantly.

Rowen rolls her eyes at me. She knows I just threw her under the bus so I wouldn’t have to actually answer that question. I just shrug at her. Sorry, not sorry.

“Nate’s just going to help me with something, and it’s going to be late by the time he’s done so I thought it would be best if he just stayed the night. What do you think about that?” Rowen asks.

Violet takes a page out of my book and just shrugs at her. “That’s okay, I guess. Can I have sleepovers too?” she asks excitedly.

“Of course, you can! I just have to talk to your friend’s parents first. Okay?”

“Okay, Mommy!” Violet dances around the room in excitement. God, this kid is so freaking cute.

Rowe smiles at her. “Alright silly girl, time to get ready for bed. You have school in the morning.”

“Okay, Mommy! Can Nate tuck me in?” she asks with her trademark puppy dog eyes.

“I would be honored to tuck you in, Princess,” I tell Violet. “You go get in your pajamas and holler for me when you’re ready, okay?”

“Okay!” she squeals excitedly then takes off to the stairs. Rowe and I both chuckle at her.

“You don’t have to do that Nate. I can tuck her in,” Rowe tells me.

“I want to, Kitten. You may not be used to a man helping you with anything, let alone with Violet, but you’re going to have to get used to it because you have us now. We care about Violet just as much as we care about you,” I profess. “One day, we’re going to put a ring on that finger, then she will beourdaughter. Until then, I’m going to treat her like she already is. I hope you’re okay with that, because I can’t treat her any other way.”

“Oh, Nate!” She throws her arms around my neck and holds me close, peppering kisses all over my face. “Thank you. I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

“No luck to it Kitten. It was destiny.”

“Nate! I’m ready to be tucked in!” We hear Violet scream from upstairs. Damn that girl can be loud.

I squeeze Rowe one last time then pull away. "Duty calls,” I wink at her then walk away.

Once I get to Violet’s room I knock on her door, and she quickly opens it, dragging me inside. “Did you see my new sign?! We met a wood maker at the street market, and he made it for me! Isn’t it so cool?!” she asks me excitedly.

“No, I didn’t see it. You pulled me in here too fast,” I chuckle.

She huffs at me. “Well come look!” she demands then opens her door and I get a good look at her sign.

“Wow, Violet! That’s an awesome sign!” I exclaim. It really is exceptionally made. I wonder who made it. I’m gonna have to have him make me some stuff.

“Thank you! I designed it myself!”

“Oh you did, did you?” I question and she nods her head eagerly. “Well, I think you have an eye for design, little one.” She smiles up at me. “Come on let’s get in bed.

As she pulls me to her bed, I look around her room. “Wow, cool princess room! Oh, look you have all the furniture to go with it too,” I exclaim.

She smiles at me. “Isn’t it perfect? Mommy made it for me!” She crawls in bed and looks at me expectantly. “Well, what story are you going to read to me?”

“Story?” I ask confused. “I thought I was just tucking you in...”

“Nope! I need a bedtime story. So, what’s it gonna be?” she insists.

“Hmmm... okay. Once upon a time there was a witch. She wasn’t just any witch though... she was thebestwitch there ever was! Everyone in her town was in awe of her. She could do any spell she wanted, and she loved making up her own. But the witch was very lonely, despite being loved by all of her neighbors.

One day this witch cast a spell to find her soul mate. Suddenly, she had five different men knocking on her door professing their love for her. She thought something went wrong with the spell. Surely, she couldn’t havefivesoul mates. So, she set up a test. Only hertruesoul mate would be able to pass. The men were separated, that way she could be sure they weren’t cheating or helping each other with the test. She was shocked when all five of them passed the test. ‘How did you all pass?!’ she questioned them. ‘That’s simple,’ one of them said, ‘we each have a piece of your soul. There was no way any of us could fail.’

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