Page 67 of The One Who Changed Me

“Of course.” I giggle before turning on my heels and heading back to my car.

I open the door and grab everything, leaving the muffins, ‘cause I’m petty like that, and head back inside.

“Your mom said she sent muffins.” Dolores peers at me over the receptionist’s desk, no doubt searching for the container my mom promised.

“She did, but traitors don’t get Momma’s muffins.”

“I said I was sorry,” she mumbles, ducking her head in embarrassment as I rest my forearms on the ledge above her desk.

“Yeah, you’re so sorry that you immediately called my mother when my back was turned talking to Colt and Campbell.”

“I didn’t,” she responds but quickly changes her mind. “Okay, maybe I did, but she asked me to call her the moment you saw Campbell. She said she was worried about how you would react.”

I bet she was.

“And what did you tell her?” I raise my eyebrow in question, ready to call my mother and do damage control if I need to. The last thing I want my mother to think is there’s still a chance of us getting back together.

“I told her there was no way you were getting back together.”

“Good answer.” I smile before tossing my key on the desk in front of her. “There’s a container on the front seat of my car, but make Colt sweat it out for a few hours before you let him have one.”

“You’ve got a deal.” She smiles before scurrying out the front door.

Now that I’ve seen Campbell and gotten our initial awkward interaction out of the way, things should quiet down. Sure, my mom is going to want a play-by-play of each moment of the day, but I’ll do everything in my power to avoid it.

The door to the locker room opens and Campbell comes strolling out.

“Here goes nothing,” I mumble, taking a deep breath and heading toward the training room to prepare everything for his first day.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

FINN

“Iwas worried I wouldn’t be able to make this happen in time,” I mumble as I look around my new home. The home I want to share with the woman I plan on spending the rest of my life with, if I haven’t completely fucked things up, that is.

I’ve been running full throttle since my plane landed in Texas a little over a week ago. Between selling my condo, finding a shipping company to cart all my belongings to Magnolia, buying the Meyers Farmhouse, and getting the renovations started, I’ve barely had enough time to sleep. Since my condo was practically sold before I arrived, that was the easiest part of this whole endeavor, but I managed to get things wrapped up quickly and hopped on the first flight back to Tennessee last night, wanting to get back to my girl as soon as possible.

“Sometimes things work out exactly how we planned,” my mom responds as she walks into the living room. “This place was a little worse for wear after being empty for so long, but with the help of Connor and Vance, you spruced it up and made it look as good as new.”

“Almost. There’s still a lot to be done.”

I scan the room, trying to imagine what it would be like to create a home for Marissa and me between these walls. She said that she’s always dreamed of raising a family in this house, and I plan on helping her make that dream come true. But I wonder if that dream could now also include me.

“Stop thinking so hard, sweetheart, and show me the rest of the house,” Mom says with excitement, grabbing my hand and pulling me into the kitchen.

Since this is a farmhouse, I went with a classic farmhouse-style kitchen with large upper and lower cabinets and walnut-stained butcher block countertops, and a large island in the center of the room for the family to gather around.

This is one of the few places I splurged. Although neither Marissa nor I are the best at cooking, I remember how growing up we would all spend most of our time hanging out in the kitchen, watching our mothers bake or make dinner during the holidays. I wanted to make this space something more than just a place for eating and cooking. I wanted a place for the family to gather. The heart of the home.

Warm light fills the room as Mom pulls me toward the renovated sunroom. I had the contractors turn it into an outdoor living space, complete with comfortable seating and a small dining area. It’s the perfect place to entertain friends and family on a cool summer day or just to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon, snuggling with a good book.

“I thought you wanted a tour of the house? It seems you know exactly where you’re going.”

“Okay, you caught me.” She smiles. “I wanted to be the first to test out the porch swing.”

“By all means.” I smile at my mother, pushing the door open as she steps outside.

“It was a little difficult to find the same wood to match the rest of the house, but we managed.” Connor, one of my contractors, smiles as he comes up the steps under the small overhang. “There should be just enough space under here to fit a few more chairs and still be able to stay out of the elements, no matter what the weather is.”

---