Page 18 of The Only Heart that Matters

“Thank you, Angus. Thank you so much.”

Unexpectedly, she throws her arms around my middle and rests her cheek against my chest. My arms naturally wrap around her, my chin resting on her head. Even though this isn’t an intimate moment for her, like it is for me, I do my best to imprint it on my soul. The feel of her body pressed against mine, the dampness of her tears on my T-shirt. The smell of her fruity shampoo and her signature vanilla. I’m taking it all in while I can. The house is quiet except for the sound of Sawyer playing and Mia’s sniffles. Nothing else matters.

I pat her back, not knowing what else to do. “No thanks needed. It was fun.”

To my disappointment, she releases me and wipes her face dry with her hands. Even with a red nose and bloodshot eyes, she is breathtaking.

“How did you do this so fast?”

“Monday morning after I dropped you off, I took a trip to Portland. Hit a specialty shop for the bed and then Ikea. Built everything yesterday. I swear I could have built it from scratch faster. You may need to smudge this room after all the cursingI did putting that Swedish stuff together. But it was fun at the same time.”

“Whoa. What do we have here?” my brother asks from the doorway.

“Isn’t it great?” Mia says, her smile big and her hands clamped together in front of her chest in excitement. “Did you see the tree?”

Yep. It was worth every hour of missed sleep.

I’ll be damned if today doesn’t feel better than I know it should. I love knowing they’re living in my space. Even if it’s only temporary. Even if I won’t be living here with them, I know I’ve made the right decision.

“Uh, the tree was hard to miss,” Cal says, but I don’t look in his direction. “You did good, little brother.”

“Oh, my goodness!” Daisy exclaims, bursting into the room. “Gus, did you do all this?”

Clearing my throat and feeling a little uncomfortable with everyone scrutinizing me in the small space, I say, “Guilty as charged.”

“Aw, aren’t you just a big cinnamon roll of a man?”

“Cinnamon roll?” Cal and I ask at the same time, me rubbing my belly against her possible accusation that it’s suddenly grown big and soft.

“It means tough on the outside, but all soft and sweet on the inside.”

“Whatever,” I huff as everyone else laughs at my expense. “I like fire trucks, and Sawyer and I are buddies. What can I say?” I clap my hands together and take a deep breath. “Now, let’s unload some boxes.”

Scrambling out of the now crowded room, I rush outside to my truck, where the cool December air feels good against my heated skin. The excuse of unloading the truck helps to not onlyescape everyone in the house, but also the way it felt to hold her in my arms.

For the next thirty minutes, I carry in boxes and help set things up, enjoying every second. Until I tried to help in the kitchen. Mia was already in there, and no matter how big the space might be, we were way too close for comfort, and her proximity was enough to make me lose my mind. Every moment that passed left me feeling more off-balance than the next. When I was unloading a box of Sawyer’s unbreakable cups and plates meant for toddlers her fingers would graze mine when I handed them to her to put in the dishwasher. The same happened when we reorganized the countertop space, so her mixer and blender found homes. There was no escaping Mia. No way not to bump into her as we worked together. When her perfect ass brushed against me, in those tight yoga pants she was wearing, I had to retreat. So, now, here I stand. Outside in the cold, taking a much-needed moment.

The crunch of snow under feet gets my attention a moment before Charlotte sidles up to me. At her request everyone but Callen calls her Charlie, but in my head she’s still Charlotte.

“That’s a pretty cool room.”

“It turned out okay.”

“Lucky kid.”

Is he though? When his father isn’t interested in being a part of his life.

She bumps my shoulder with hers. “You okay?”

“Yep. You? You’re only a week away from the big day.”

“Things are getting crazy, but I’ve never been better. I can’t wait to marry your brother.”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pulling her against my side. “We can’t wait to have another sister. Thanks for making Cal so happy.”

“Well, when you find the one, the happy thing is a lovely little side-effect.”

“That’s what I hear.”

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