Finally (Neighbor from Hell #12) - R.L. Mathewson Page 0,43

of his children covered from head to toe in flour, hugging each other as they smiled for the camera.

“I took that when the kids were helping me make pies to take to your parents’ house for Thanksgiving,” Charlie said as she pulled the last picture out of the box before setting it aside.

“I know how you’re always on the lookout for anything that your great-grandfather made, so I did a few searches, hoping to find something you’d like when I came across these online. They had some damage and the original glass was long gone, but the frames were still in good condition and more importantly…” she said, letting her words trail off as she ran her fingers along the bottom of the frame and pushed.

“This still works,” Charlie explained as a small click sounded and a thin drawer slid free from the side, revealing a piece of paper with the words, “I love you, Daddy. Love, Dustin,” written in crayon that had the air in his lungs leaving him in a rush. For the past few months they’d been struggling with Dustin, trying to teach him how to read and write, hoping that they could help him catch up with the rest of the kids in time.

Christ, he’d been terrified that he wouldn’t be able to help Dustin. His son was insanely bright when it came to pretty much anything else, but when it came to reading and writing…

He’d struggled.

They’d been working with him every day, going over his sight words, practicing his letters, going over sounds, the alphabet, finding apps on the iPad that could help, playing every word game and alphabet that they could come up with to help him and it had been working. Dustin was definitely making progress. He was doing great with his sight words, could read the books his teacher assigned him, and now, he was apparently learning to write as well.

“You should have seen his face when he wrote it. He was so proud of himself. He wanted to surprise you,” Charlie said as Devin felt his lips pull up into a smile.

“Thank you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around the best Christmas present that he’d ever received.

*-*-*-*

“Oh, that’s gonna leave a mark,” Charlie said, biting back a wince and a groan as she carefully rolled over onto her side and couldn’t help but smile when she saw the reason why she found herself sleeping on the edge of the bed, again.

She’d never thought that it was possible to love someone this much, Charlie mused while she ran her fingers through Dustin’s messy hair as the other person who she loved more than anything stretched out in her sleep with a sigh and ended up throwing her legs across her brother’s. They were so damn cute, Charlie thought as she kissed Dustin’s forehead and reached down to tickle Abbi’s foot.

With a grumble, Abbi pulled her feet back, rolled over onto her stomach, and promptly threw her legs back over her brother’s. Unable to help but smile, Charlie kissed Dustin’s forehead one last time before she rolled over and found herself looking at Devin. God, he was so handsome, she thought as she watched him sleep in the chair that he’d dragged in here sometime before Halloween for those nights that the kids demanded they have movie night in here, taking in his short hair that looked like he’d run his fingers through it, the light whiskers darkening his jaw, the way that his tan muscles shifted with each breath that he took, and the unsnapped jeans that made the pose incredibly sexy, and-

He scared the hell out of her.

No matter how many times she told herself that this wasn’t a good idea, Charlie couldn’t stop thinking about him and that was the problem. He was her boss, her landlord, one of her best friends, and…

He was a complication, which was something that she definitely didn’t need right now, but as she laid there, watching him sleep, she couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if she walked over there and kissed him. Probably nothing, Charlie thought, biting back a sigh as she climbed out of bed, careful not to wake the twins. Devin wasn’t interested in more and-

“Oh, my god…” Charlie whispered hollowly when she spotted the large armoire with Celtic designs that she’d fallen in love with next to him with a large red bow taped to the door.

Unable to believe what she was seeing, Charlie walked over to