Page 88 of Fumbled Love

The house had five bedrooms, a finished basement, a theater room, a home office for each of us, a sauna, and a home gym. The house was empty and in move-in condition. But there was no way I’d be able to pull off designing a ten-thousand-square-foot mansion on my own. My daughter was due any day, so my free time would be limited, and I would need help.

We walked out back, and Zander spotted the kid’s playhouse immediately. He spent less than a minute exploring the little Fisher-Price house before running over to the sandbox and started digging away.

I halted in place and allowed my eyes to wander in every direction. There was a huge deck that ran the length of the first level of the house. I slowly made my way down the three steps in the middle that took me to a beautiful stone patio, I had to pause for a second. I couldn’t believe this was going to be our home.

A giant in-ground pool and built-in hot tub took up most of the fenced-in yard. Off to the side sat a firepit and a grill with an outdoor kitchen resting under a gazebo. Spinning around, I took it all in. Holy shit! I knew Maverick had money, but this was ridiculous. There was a fully equipped kitchen outside with a seventy-inch-flat-screen TV built into a brick wall behind a man-made bar.

“Is that a kegerator?” I asked, pointing to the stainless-steel fridge with a tap.

Maverick laughed. “Turns out this place was owned by a teammate. He was recently traded to LA. I came here a few years ago for a barbeque and fell in love with the house. He had three young kids, so when I thought of a family home, this was what I envisioned.”

“I’m not sure how the keg and built-in bar equates to ‘family home,’” I teased.

“Think of all the entertaining we could do.”

This was a huge plot of land that included trails to hike during the day and a boat dock leading out to a small lake. Everything I could ever want was right here, including the man of my dreams.

He couldn’t have picked a more perfect home. Despite its grandeur, it didn’t feel flashy or over the top. It felt like home. It was big enough that we could grow into it yet still fill it with love and memories.

“Pinch me.” I held out my arm.

He laughed and twisted my skin a little too tight.

“Ow.” I pulled my arm back and gave hima what the fucklook?

He laughed and rubbed the spot he had just bruised. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get you so hard.”

“You could kiss it and make it better.”

He grabbed me by the waist and pulled me into him. “I’d be happy to kiss it and make it better.”

I could feel myself blush, and then I turned around to the massive house. “It looks like we have a lot of rooms to choose from. Maybe we should put Zander down for a nap and figure out which one we want to christen first.”

“I knew there was a reason why I asked you to marry me.”

“Probably the same reason why I said yes.”

“Speaking of yes. What do you think?”

“I think it’s perfect. Let’s buy it.”

He drew me in by the hips and stared into my eyes. “I think we’re going to be very happy here.”

I loved the quiet, the peace, and the feeling of contentment. “It’s perfect.”

When I left home at eighteen, I thought my life was all mapped out for me. I wanted to prove that I could make it on my own. But finding my own way in this world wasn’t nearly as important as finding my way back home.

Zander came running up and started pointing at my leg. “Mama, pee-pee.”

“Huh?” I looked down, and my eyes went big.

“Kinley, tell me that’s not what I think it is?”

“Oh, my God. My water just broke.” I started panicking. “My bag is at the condo. We’ll have to bring Zander with us to the hospital. Call your parents and tell them to meet us there.”

Maverick’s face turned white. “But you’re not cramping or anything.”

“I’m telling you, it’s my water. Pick him up. Let’s go.”

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