Page 70 of Crazy Love

YOU WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.

Now that you’re in love,

Go ahead and embrace it fully.

I, for one, am going to get untold joy

Watching your woman keep you in line.

Sign me up for the front row.

I love you, man.

Congratulations.

~Rhodes

I’m wiping my face again and laughing at the same time. “They’re just the best. I love this so much. And now, what? Will you write in there too?”

Penn nods, his expression somewhat shy. “Yeah, I’ll go full-on mush too, and then when we get together in person, we’ll laugh and talk shit to each other and balance it out a little bit.”

I laugh. “So it’s not all mush, all the time?”

“No. But I’d say them settling down and getting married has definitely softened them. I’m sure the fact that they were fathers already had softened them somewhat, but when they fell in love, each of them went down hard.” He laughs.

“Kind of like you with Addy,” Sam says, grinning up at the two of us.

Penn and I smile tentatively, like we’re both trying to figure the other one out. I know something is brewing between us. It has been all along. And it might’ve been crazy to tell him I gavehim permission…basically giving him free rein to have his way with me later tonight.

But I don’t want to be careful right now.

I want to let myself careen into him.

I think we’re both adult enough to handle it if it doesn’t go well, and we’re committed to making sure Sam is taken care of, so we will do that no matter what. But why not enjoy exploring what this could be? Since the night we met, that’s all I’ve wanted to do.

“It’s late. We should probably get to bed,” Penn says. He looks at Sam. “Shower and brush teeth?”

Sam yawns. “Okay. Yeah, I’m tired.” He leans over and hugs me and then Penn. “It was a fun party.”

“Thanks for helping us pull it off, buddy. You were a huge help,” Penn tells him.

“Yes, you were,” I add. “We did it.” I wave one of the napkins as I put them back in place.

Sam smiles at us, and it both melts my heart and makes it hurt, the way any kind of praise makes him so happy. I want to smother him with hugs and validate him every other second, but I settle for patting his cheek and kissing his forehead.

His cheeks flush when I pull back.

“You’re a good guy, Sam. Hey, what’s your middle name?” I ask. “And is Sam short for something?”

“My full name is Samson Cole Miller.”

“That is a great, solid name.” I smooth back his hair.

“Thank you.” He looks at Penn shyly. “I used to always ask Penn if I could come stay at his house and he tried so hard. I’m so glad it’s finally happened. I love it here with you guys.”

Penn pulls him in for a hug. “I love having you here so much. Both of you. And if I have my way, we’ll make it permanent legally as soon as possible. It feels like we might finally get ourwish.” He rests his chin on Sam’s head and both of them grin at me.

My ovaries take flight.

---