As she pressed kisses all over his face, Nathan chuckled, and she finally let him go.
He ran back to his side, taking his hand.
Tabby walked right to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him hard. “Hey, you,” she said.
“It’s good to have you back.” Sinking his fingers into her hair, he brought her lips in for a kiss and they both moaned as he kissed her. “Missed you.”
“I missed you too. It’s so good to be home.”
Simon smiled. Home. She actually thought it was good to be home. He was so fucking thrilled. For a long time, he’d been worried that she still considered Fort Wills her home, and in a way, it was, he got that. But he wanted her to see wherever he was, it was her home.
“There’s something I’ve got to do.”
She took his hand, giving it a squeeze and stepping away.
Simon watched her. He picked Nathan up, holding him tightly as she went to Tiny. He watched Tiny hold her tightly but then Tabby pulled away. She eased the jacket off her shoulders, folded it up, and gave it back to Tiny.
He moved closer to listen.
“I’m home,” she said. “I will love you guys always. You’ll always be my family, but this is my home. I love my life with Simon and I don’t want to leave. I’m happy. I’m really, truly happy.” She went on her tiptoes and kissed Tiny’s cheek. “Love you, Dad.”
Tabby had picked him. Over her family, Fort Wills, she’d picked him, and Simon knew he was never going to let her down again.Chapter Twenty“I love it,” Tabitha said.
She walked back toward Simon who held back, watching her.
“You love it?”
“Yes, I love it. Don’t you?” She tugged his hand as she moved through the house. It wasn’t huge like Lexie and Devil’s house. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, dining room, study, laundry room, and a nice-sized yard out back. Not to mention a basement for supplies. “We can put our Christmas tree in the corner. I can have you decorate it, put a star right on top.” She pressed her lips to his neck.
This was the thirteenth house they’d visited. The realtor had been getting desperate as she’d refused every single one. Her mom once had told her that when you find something and can see yourself living there, making memories, then it was only a matter of time before you found a way to have it completely. This house made her feel that way. She was already excited at the prospect of living here.
“The yard is big enough out front that we can have some Halloween decorations. We’ve always loved that time of year. We can dress up, taking Nathan and baby girl trick-or-treating. What do you think?”
“I think if you love it, I love it.”
She stepped back. “You don’t love it.”
“I think the place with a pool was better.”
Tabitha shook her head. “Do you know how many accidents a pool can cause, not to mention, you know, death?”
“We’d take care.”
“I don’t want a pool,” she said. “If you do though, we can totally go for that one. I just didn’t see it as a home.”
Simon sighed, cupping her cheeks. “This is where you want to live?”
She nodded. “It’s not too far from the clubhouse and when you make patched member, you’re going to want to be close by.” She took his hands, kissing each one. “But I don’t want a home you’re not happy with. I can compromise.”
He quickly grabbed his chest, faking an attack.
“Stop it. I can compromise. Stop being so mean.”
Simon looked past her shoulder. “We’ll take this one. Whatever it takes to close the deal soon.”
The realtor smiled and started to talk, but she didn’t hear the woman. Wrapping her arms around Simon, she brought his head down for a kiss. “That wasn’t so hard. We’ve got a place to call our own.”
“We have.”
“So, why don’t we head back to the apartment and make the most of Nathan being in school?” Tabitha asked.
“Damn!” He grabbed her hand and she laughed as he pulled her out of the house and down the garden path toward his waiting car. With her stomach being the size it was, at seven months pregnant, she couldn’t ride on the back of his bike anymore. She hadn’t been able to ride on his bike in some time, and she did miss it.
Wrapping her arms around his waist, they got all the way to their apartment, inside, and completely naked when Simon’s cell phone rang.
She giggled as he groaned.
“I’ve got to take this,” he said.
“I know.”
“I don’t want to take it.”
“Then don’t.”
“I hate this,” he said.
“The curse of being a prospect. I get it.” She started to pull on her clothes but Simon banded his arm around her waist, holding her close. “No,” she said. “I know you’ll be with me, and because you didn’t answer whatever that call is, you’ll be punished for it. I can wait. I want you and yes, I’d love to have this, but I’m not going to let you fall behind, nor am I going to help you have to be home later than necessary. Devil’s not going easy on you. He never will be.” She took his face into her hands. “I’m going to head over to the shop, help Lexie out.”