Page 145 of Can't Get Over You
“Thank God. Get this behind you and get that boy settled in as a McKenna.”
“Yes, exactly. And we’re house hunting. As much as we love living at Gunnar’s, we want to get our own place, be our own little family unit.”
“I love it. Do you have any showings lined up?’
“I’ve been to a few, but there’s always something weird or wrong with the layout, you know? Actually, I’ve been looking at those floor plans Jude gave me on New Year’s Eve. I think we’re going to build.”
“That’ll take a long time. What about the home visits from Family Services? Are you worried they won’t see stability?”
“No, we’ve got that at Gunnar’s. They just need to see he’s in a safe place with a loving family.”And with three uncles, three grandpas—if you include Carlo, Gunnar, and her dad—two grandmas—with Ava and her mom—and two parents who really love each other, Cody’s rich with love.
“Hey, I have good news. I handed those soap samples out to the lawyers in my firm, and the response was fantastic. Throw up a website, and we’ll be selling them like hotcakes.”
“That’s awesome. Thank you, but I’m not quite ready for that.” Before launching an online store, she wanted to get some local traction. She’d test the market in Calamity first, see what worked and what didn’t. “I appreciate your support, though. So how’re things going with Blaze? Did you have a great time with him in the Bahamas?”
Willa laughed. “His name’s Camden.”
“Oh, right. Sorry.” She was only teasing. She knew the guy’s name. It was just that he looked like the cover model for a Harlequin Romance novel.
“I got a ‘Hey, girlie’ message on Splashagram from his long-distance girlfriend in Indiana, so I kicked him to the curb.”
“What a jerk.” Boots on the stairs had her looking up just as Jude came into the walk-out basement that Gunnar had turned into her “studio.” She liked that. No, she wasn’t an artist, but his family made her work seem important.
“Hey. Do you have a second?” Jude seemed nervous.
“Yeah, of course,” she whispered. “Hey, Wills, I have to go. Talk later?”
“Yep. Be good.”
“Always.” She disconnected.
He picked up a bar of soap shaped like a pinecone and sniffed it. “That’s nice. I’d use it.”
“Oh, yay. I’m happy to hear that. Would you mind trying it out for a few days? I’ve changed the formula and want to make sure it’s moisturizing but not greasy.” She reached for the boxes that had just come in. “Look. I bought these from a company in Iceland.”
“What are they?” He examined the adorable molds. “Puffins?”
She nodded.
“Cute.” He seemed preoccupied.
“What’s up? You okay?” She ran her hand up his arm, all the way to his big, round biceps. A thought struck her, and her pulse quickened with dread. “You haven’t heard anything from Family Services, have you?”
“No, nothing. We’re good. Listen, I don’t want to interrupt your time making soap, but could you take a drive with me? We can pick Cody up from his playdate with Amy on the way back.”
“Sure.” That was the thing about him. He respected the things she valued. He didn’t tell her to hold off on building a business, to focus on her job and Cody. She really loved that about him. He supported her wholeheartedly. “I’d love to.”
“Great. Wear your boots.”
“Where are you taking me? Should I change?” In her sweats and moose slippers, she wasn’t fit for a public outing.
“Not at all. It’ll just be us.”
She grabbed her boots on the way out to the garage, got into the car, and put them on as he backed out.
A fresh snow had fallen the night before, so the highway looked like a Christmas postcard. The Teton Range rose tall and jagged on one side, and the bison preserve spread out for miles on the other.
But her focus was on the man driving the car. He’d forgotten to wear a jacket, so his muscles were on clear display in that black T-shirt and jeans. Now that she’d gotten to trace his ink with her tongue and hands, they held so much more meaning to her. She would never get tired of looking at him.
