He sighed, feeling any tension seeping out of his muscles. ‘Thank God for that. Did you get what you asked for?’
‘Everything. Gloria was like a hungry shark.’ She smiled. ‘Not that I came out of it with a lot. What do you think about having a broke woman for a girlfriend?’
‘What’s mine is yours.’ He laughed. ‘Not that I’ve got a whole lot either.’
She jabbed him in the side. ‘Liar. You’ve got a son, a house, a wharf. An ex-girlfriend living around the corner and a new girlfriend living next door. Whether you like it or not, your life is full of things.’
‘It sounds complicated,’ he said.
‘It does,’ she agreed. ‘How do you feel about that?’
A smile tugged the corner of his lips. ‘I feel pretty damned good,’ he told her. ‘Sticking around is only scary when there’s somewhere else you’d rather be.’
‘And there’s really nowhere you’d rather be than Shaw Haven?’ she questioned.
He leaned down, pressing his lips against the tip of her pretty nose. Almost immediately the dust did its magic, making her face wrinkle before she sneezed loudly.
‘There’s nowhere else I’d rather be in the world than right here with you,’ he whispered, trying to stifle his laugh as she started sneezing again. ‘You’re my family. You, Charlie and Poppy. Home is wherever you are. I’m a photographer, all I need is a camera and I can earn a living. I figure Shaw Haven’s as good a place as any to do that.’
It had warmed her heart when he’d decided not to move to New York. Though she’d promised him they’d make it work, even if they were long distance, he hadn’t wanted that. He wanted to stay with her. And now he was working on the wharf and taking freelance photography commissions when they came. Between the two things he was crazily busy.
They both were, but that was the way they liked it.
‘I like the sound of that.’ She wrapped her arms around him, trying to pull him close.
‘You’re going to get that sexy dress all messed up,’ he warned her. ‘There’s dust everywhere.’
She moved her hands up, hooking them around his neck. Without needing to be asked twice, he grabbed her by the waist, leaning down so his face was only a few inches from hers.
‘I don’t care about the dress,’ she whispered. ‘If I had my way it’d be crumpled on your floor by this evening anyway.’
‘Oh yeah?’ He brushed his lips against hers. Her gasp warmed his skin. ‘I look forward to it.’
‘Me, too,’ she whispered, the words vibrating against his mouth. ‘But first we have to pick up the kids and explain what the hell’s been going on.’
‘Do we have to? Can’t we just go home and jump on each other?’ His tone was enough to let her know he was teasing.
‘You’re as rampant as a teenager.’
‘I feel like a teenager,’ he told her. ‘It’s like we’ve got to explain to our parents that we’ve somehow fallen in love. What if they don’t like the idea? What if they’re unhappy?’
‘What if they forbid us to see each other again?’ She smiled against him. ‘Relax, they’re going to be delighted. We’re not Romeo and Juliet. The stars aren’t crossed against us.’
‘That’s good, because I’d defy them anyway.’
She looked up at him, her brows raised. ‘Are you misquoting Shakespeare to me?’
‘You know it, babe.’
She laughed loudly. ‘Come on, Romeo, let’s go and pick up the children. We’ve got some explaining to do.’
‘Does that mean we’re going to live in Ryan’s house?’ Poppy asked, her brows knitted together. ‘Will I have to share Charlie’s room? Will he get angry if I put my stuff in there? Remember what he was like when I tried to put flowers in the tree house?’
‘You won’t make her sleep in my room, will you, Dad?’ Charlie asked. ‘She can have one of the other bedrooms can’t she?’
‘Can I paint it pink?’ Poppy clapped her hands together. ‘I want it pink with white clouds, and a princess bed. Please can I?’
Juliet looked over at Ryan. A mixture of amusement and surprise had made his eyes wide and his mouth drop open. For the past five minutes, ever since they’d sat Poppy and Charlie down in Ryan’s kitchen and explained things, the two children had been shooting questions at them like snipers at a range.