place to live while we get things ironed out between us.”
“I’m sure Tide would be okay with you staying at his house.” I look at my guy, and my dad turns his way.
“I’ll give you the address and one of the spare keys. You can take a look around, and if you want it, consider it yours as long as you need it.”
“I appreciate that,” Dad says, then looks at his watch. “I have some stuff to take care of today. I’m scheduled to meet a client in an hour.”
“Of course,” I agree, and he sets down his still mostly full cup of coffee.
“Thank you both for last night.” He clears his throat as his gaze meets mine. “I’m sorry, Aria, for everything.”
Tears cause my nose to sting, and I hold onto my cup tighter when I really just want to get up and give him a hug. “I’m sorry too.”
“Never doubt that I love you. You are the best thing I ever did in my life, and I know I’ve messed up. But I want to have a relationship with you.”
“I want that too.” The words are barely audible over the sudden tightness in my throat.
“Then we will work on that while I work on me,” he says, and a sense of hopefulness fills me, because it’s the first time he’s ever acknowledged that he has a problem and that things between us are not like they should be.
“I’ll call you this evening, if that’s all right with you.”
“You can call me anytime, and my couch is always available if you need a place to crash.” I get up to walk him to the door, and he shocks me by wrapping his arms around me.
“I love you,” he says, and the tears I’ve been fighting back fill my eyes before I can stop them, then start to leak down my cheeks. “Never doubt that.”
Unable to speak, I nod, then he transfers me to Tide. I burrow against his warm, hard chest as his arms wrap around me, and he holds me tight as the front door closes. “Did that just happen?”
“It did.” His arms around me get tighter. “The situation with you mom cheating with your ex might have woke him up, baby.”
“Maybe.” I agree then let out a deep breath. “I don’t want to get my hopes up, but I really do hope he get’s it together, not for me but for himself.”
“I hope so too.” He kisses the top of my hair and I lean my head back to meet his gaze.
“So my dad is leaving my mom and hopefully getting sober, and you’re officially moving in with me even though you’ve been basically living here since I have?”
“Yep.” He says as his eyes roam over my face.
“It’s a busy day and it’s not even ten.”
“Yep.” His lips curve up into a smile, and I lean up on my tiptoes to kiss him but keep my hand against his jaw.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For always being right where I need you to be, for being strong, for loving me the way that you do and for knowing just what I need.”
“Loving you is easy Aria, and you feeling like you’re getting what you need from me just means I’m doing my job.”
“Only you would make it seem like it’s not a big deal.” I roll my eyes and his hand slides around my back so that he can pull us closer together.
“Stop talking and kiss me.” He orders and I sigh, then give him what he wants because I always what him to feel like he’s getting what he needs from me too.
Epilogue
Tide
Three Months Later
“STOP HIM!” I hear Aria shout as I open the door to our house.
Olivia yells, “I can’t! He’s too fast.”
Not sure what I just walked into, I kick off my boots, then slip off my coat and beanie, tossing both to the back of one of the chairs around the dining table before I walk farther into the house. As I step into the kitchen, Mittens—the cat George bought for Olivia—zooms down the steps from upstairs and runs into the living room. A long ribbon trails behind him as both girls pound down the steps.
“You couldn’t stop him!” Aria cries, running behind Olivia, and I smile as both of my girls chase the cat around the room in an attempt to rid him of the red ribbon that he somehow got taped to his back leg. With the two of them unable to capture him,