Hardwood - K.M. Neuhold Page 0,95
far we’ve come sometimes. From a man ready to give up on love and a man taking his first tentative steps out of the closet, to happily married and wildly in love even years later.
We bought a bigger house with enough room in the basement for all the little critters my heart desires, and a studio with a keyboard and sound station where I’ve been working on recording an album of silly kids’ songs. There’s only one thing still missing…
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Ev pulling his phone out of his pocket. I do my best to stay focused on finishing the song, but my heart jumps when he gets up and quietly slips out of the small auditorium.
There’s only one call he would take during a concert. Our foster parent paperwork was approved weeks ago, and we’ve been waiting on pins and needles to have a child placed with us. I haven’t been able to stop wondering what kind of a kid will need our help, and how much love we have to offer a child in need.
I’m so distracted waiting for Ev to come back in, I accidentally start the wrong song, my fingers stuttering over the keys. I give the parents and kids an apologetic smile and try again.
We get through two more songs before the door creaks open, and he steps back inside. I meet his eyes, raising my eyebrows in a silent question. A smile spreads over his lips, his eyes dancing with pure joy. It’s the same expression he wore when we exchanged rings and made forever official.
In the half second span of time it takes for my eyebrows to go up and for Ev to give a quick nod, my heart must beat a hundred times. But it was definitely a nod, which means…
A hopeful smile spreads across my own face, and happy tears spring to my eyes.
It’s all I can do to finish out the final few songs of the concert while Ev waits by the door so he doesn’t disturb anyone. Typically, when a concert ends, I gather the kids around to tell them what a great job they did, and then chat with each parent for a minute or two. This time I’m in such a hurry to get to Ev that I nearly knock over my piano bench.
He’s practically bouncing on his toes when I reach him.
“Tell me,” I say excitedly.
“A little girl named Elle is going to be dropped off tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” I squawk. “But we have to paint the spare bedroom a nice color for her, and we have to get toys and things. How old is she exactly? Did you ask what kinds of things she likes? What about food allergies? Or her favorite food? I want to make her favorite tomorrow when she gets here so she feels welcome.”
Ev cuts me off with a peck on the lips. “Breathe.”
I do as he says, pulling in a full breath and trying to calm my racing heart. “Sorry, I’m just so excited.”
“Me too,” he agrees. “We’ll have time to get things for her once she’s here and we find out what she likes.”
“You’re right,” I say, taking another deep breath. “She’s not even here yet, and I already love her. Is that a parent thing?”
He chuckles. “It is. I loved Livi the minute the double line showed up on Val’s pregnancy test.”
“We have to go home and tell Livi the good news. She’s going to have a little sister,” I insist, and Ev laughs again.
“We will,” he assures me. “But first, you have some other kids to finish up with.” He nods towards my gaggle of students still waiting for me.
“Oh, right.”
I’m completely distracted, but I manage to get through the next half hour and wrap up the evening. I find Ev waiting in the hallway, leaning against the lockers with that gorgeous smile of his still in place.
“Come on, let’s go tell Livi the good news,” he says, reaching for my hand. “Then we can celebrate properly,” his voice dips low in a suggestive purr.
“Ugh, I told you not to be sexy at school,” I complain, leaning into him as we make our way outside to the car.
“Hey, have I told you lately that you’re the love of my life?” he asks casually, making my already overtaxed heart flutter and swell. If there’s a more perfect man alive, I can’t imagine who he is. Perfect husband, perfect house, perfect stepdaughter, and soon a perfect foster daughter too. Who says happily ever after is only for movies?
The End
But wait, that’s not all! Want a bonus scene of Ev and Watson’s first Christmas together? There’s a sex toy with a wide enough base that it can’t get lost anywhere ;) . Click HERE to grab it now!
More By K.M. Neuhold
Don’t miss the rest of the Four Bears Construction series! Click Here
If you enjoy the lighthearted humor and heat in this series, you’ll also love my Love Logic series! Click Here
For another series with strong friendship bonds, you’ll love my Heathens Ink series! Click Here
And for a full listing of all my books, check out my website!
About the Author
Author K.M.Neuhold is a complete romance junkie, a total sap in every way. She started her journey as an author in new adult, MF romance, but after a chance reading of an MM book she was completely hooked on everything about lovely- and sometimes damaged- men finding their Happily Ever After together. She has a strong passion for writing characters with a lot of heart and soul, and a bit of humor as well. And she fully admits that her OCD tendencies of making sure every side character has a full backstory will likely always lead to every book having a spin-off or series. When she’s not writing she’s a lion tamer, an astronaut, and a superhero…just kidding, she’s likely watching Netflix and snuggling with her husky while her amazing husband brings her coffee.
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Website: authorkmneuhold.com
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