Page 77 of Noble Neighbor
It was then the truth of her feelings for her neighbor smacked her upside the head.
She wasn’t falling for Oliver.
She wasin lovewith the man.
What a calamity.
*
“Mommy, are you and Oliver gonna have sleepovers now?” Molly asked as Sunny helped her into pajamas after a light supper and super quick bath.
“What?”
“’Cos Phoebe’s mommy’s boyfriend always has sleepovers, and it’s cool, because he makes them real breakfast in the morning. Their mommy can’t cook,” she added confidentially.
“Well, I can cook,” Sunny defended her position in the household, tugging the pajama top over Molly’s head, and helped seeking hands find the sleeves. “And Oliver can’t.”
“Oh.” Molly pushed her hair from her face, frowning for a moment before her features brightened. “Maybe you can teach Oliver to make breakfast for us?” she asked, clambering under the covers.
And wasn’t her girl resourceful. “Hmm. We’ll see.” She bent to place a kiss on the soft cheek as Molly lay her head down. Lucifer jumped up and made his way across the bed to his favorite place — curled up beside his human friend.
Molly wound her arms around Sunny’s neck. “Can Oliver come kiss me goodnight, too?”
“I’ll ask him, honey.” Sunny breathed in the sweet smell of her not-a-baby-anymore baby girl and whisperedagainst her neck, “Sleep tight now.”
“I had the bestest birthday ever,” Molly whispered back. “Thank you for our ever home, Mommy.”
Sunny buried her face deeper, sniffing away the burn in her nose. “You’re so welcome, Molly.”
She was still battling her emotions as she walked down the stairs to where Oliver played a game of Scrabble with Clement and Kenzie.
Hooch and Nala were curled up on the carpet in front of the fireplace where a few embers glowed low, and Tabitha had draped herself across the back of the plush armchair.
Sunny took a moment and observed the cozy scene. Warm assurance settled over her, enfolding her like a favorite jacket.
This can be my future.
And she wanted it.
With every fiber in her being, she wanted a future with Oliver.
“Everything okay?”
Sunny shifted her gaze to Oliver, her eyes gliding over his sharp-boned, lightly stubbled features, noting the concern in his eyes. She ignored the desire to move across the room, straddle his lap, and admit all the raw feelings overwhelming her. Instead, she passed on Molly’s request.
Oliver stood without hesitation. “Finish my letters.”
As he passed, he brushed a kiss over her lips, and she took the spot on the couch he’d vacated.
It wasn’t hard to discern Oliver was deliberately losing, but it surprised her how close Clement and Kenzie’s scores were.The game ended two rounds later when Clement fitted his I and T to an open B. Sunny tallied and declared Kenzie the winner by a narrow seven points.
“Way to go, hon,” Sunny praised as Clement high-fived the beaming girl.
While Clement and Kenzie broke up and packed away the game, Sunny settled onto the couch and picked up the remote. “Any requests for a movie?” she asked, wanting to extend the evening while giving Molly’s suggestion some thought.
*
As the credits rolled on the screen, so the anticipation rolled through Sunny. She lay slouched on the couch, nestled beside Oliver, her head resting against his chest with his arm hooked around her neck, keeping her firmly to him. Was she really ready for the next step?
