“That cat is in my house?”
“Ah. I think so. I haven’t seen her since the piano delivery guys were here. Anyway, I didn’t bring a sledgehammer. It’s a rubber mallet for the paint can lids because I found my next project.”
“Which is . . . ?”
“You.”
That blue-eyed gaze hooked mine.
“I mean, your house. I’m painting the living room and then we’ll buy real furniture. After that, I’m working on the kitchen. Since you own a restoration company, I assume you can get the staircase updated and redo the big window and alcove up on the landing before I start up there.”
“How long will that take?”
“Years, probably. So you’d better get used to—eep!” Walker plucked me up and settled me on his lap so we were face-to-face.
“Is this your way of moving in with me?”
“This is my way of telling you I love you and I want this to be our home. So let me do that for you. For us.”
He rested his forehead to mine. “That sounds like heaven, having you here with me, in my life, in my bed every day for the rest of our lives.”
“Well, I will have to go back to my place to work since that’s where my studio is, but I’m sure most nights I’ll make it back here—”
“No. You will be with me all nights. I’ll build you a brand-new studio on the back corner with all the bells and whistles and whatever you want in it.”
“But that’ll take time and I can’t not have a studio for a few months.”
“Fine. We’ll move into your house while the renovations are being done and your studio is being built. Then, as soon as it’s finished, we’ll move back in here and sell your place.” He kissed me twice. “Because now that I have you, sweetheart, I ain’t ever letting you go. I’ve been waiting for you . . . for what seems like forever.”
“Same goes. You don’t think . . . this happened too fast?”
“What? Falling in love? Or us moving in together?”
“Both, I guess.”
“No, baby. It happened when it was supposed to happen. When we both needed it to happen.”
There was my sweet, sweet man. “So no regrets about me kissing you in the bar that night?”
“None.”
“I was thinking it’ll be a great story we can tell our kids someday.”
“Babe. I love the way you think.”