I plan to do as soon as she’s a bit older. Then I’ll feel more comfortable when I have to travel and leave you alone.”
“I love her so much,” I confided, kissing the soft brown of her nose.
“I can tell. So does this mean you’re moving in today?” He grinned.
I nodded. “We don’t have a bed.”
“Which is why Ryan and his buddy should be arriving any time with mine.”
I let my pretty girl down and walked right into Jonah’s chest. He wrapped his arms around me as I hugged him tight, pressing my ear over his heart so I could hear it beating.
“You’ve made me so happy, Jonah. I’m not sure what to do with it all. I feel like it’s going to explode out of me, and I’ll be a pile of goo on the ground.”
He chuckled and cupped the back of my head until I lifted my chin and our gazes met. Blue eyes to a dark espresso brown I planned to live my entire life looking into and loving for the rest of my days.
“After everything we’ve been through, Simone, after Tabby, and Helen, we deserve this. We deserve to carve out some happy for ourselves without feeling guilty.”
My bottom lip trembled as the emotions soared through my form. “I want to believe that. I really do. It’s just so hard after such loss.”
He nodded and cupped my cheek. “That’s why we need to live every single day to the fullest. Starting with making this house our home. Naming our fur baby.”
I chuckled and looked at the gorgeous girl pawing at Jonah’s pant leg. “What about Amber?”
He ducked down and scooped up the dog. He pointed her body so her muzzle was facing him. “How’s about Amber? Do you like that name?”
The dog licked his face. Then again, she probably would have done that anyway.
“She likes it. Amber it is.”
I smiled and petted our dog. “Welcome home, Amber. We’re your parents and we’re going to give you so much love and tons of treats!” I promised and snuggled her soft neck. She licked my cheek.
“Hey, yo! Can someone open up the door! We got a giant bed out here!” We heard Ryan calling from the side of the house.
I laughed and dashed up the steps, jetted through my gorgeous house, and opened the front door.
Shockingly, it wasn’t just Ryan at the door. It was our entire family. His parents and brother. My mother and sisters all holding boxes. A small moving truck was parked behind Jonah’s car.
“Wh-what are you guys all doing here?”
Blessing nudged her way through holding a box with my name on it. “Moving our sister into her new home, of course.”
I clasped both of my cheeks and spun around. “Did you do this too?”
He held up our pretty girl. “Mama is happy, Amber.”
“Aw, you named her Amber.” Charlie cooed at my dog as she set down a box in the open space and reached for the dog. “Look, your auntie is a redhead too.”
I went over to Jonah smiling with stupid girly happy tears in my eyes. I held up my hands in the air. “I’m so happy!”
He tugged me into his arms and laid a hot and heavy one on me.
Later that night, after all of the boxes were moved in, we ordered pizza and beer for everyone. We still had to unpack what we had and go out and buy furniture but we were in our own bed, Amber curled in a cute little dog bed on Jonah’s side so he could take her out regularly to potty train.
Jonah and I had just made love for the first time in our house.
He twiddled my fingers over the bare thigh that I had slung across his naked form. My head was to his warm chest and I was listening to his heartbeat.
“You like our home, baby?” he asked.
I grinned against his chest then kissed him there. “Love is the word I’d use. I can see us being blissfully happy here.”
He hummed happily but kept playing with my fingers. “And that marriage idea…how’s that percolating in your mind?”
“Honestly, planning a wedding is not something I’ve ever had a desire to do. Though I’d marry you if it was something super small.”
“I had the big shindig traditional thing with Helen. I wouldn’t want that either. Plus, we now have a decent mortgage and a basement to renovate,” he added thoughtfully.
“This is true. I think that will be fun though. We can take our time, do