I chuckled out of habit and put on my hat again.

“Well, I’ve heard everything I need to hear,” he said next. “I’m suggesting a trial run over the weekend while I get the ownership transfer started. In the end, it’s really up to Nala, but she seems to like you plenty.”

Fuck me if I didn’t wanna fist-pump the air. Not yet, though. I was gonna be patient. Probably. I was gonna try, anyway. And in the meantime, plan the best fucking weekend for this girl. Maybe Sebastian and I could bring the bigger dogs up here and find a good hiking trail.

Twelve

Nala was officially registered as mine two weeks later, and by then, nothing else made sense. I’d had her throughout the waiting period, and she’d become well integrated with both Sebastian’s dogs and my boys. I’d met up with Sam more than once too, and we’d taken a few treks in the woods with Nala—in his words, to make the transition easier, but it was probably more for him. It was rough having to give away a family member.

It was also a little rough to realize that Nala preferred Sebastian’s house over my place, even though it was self-explanatory. Soph and Dylan’s property would have plenty of space for dogs to run around when it was ready, but we weren’t there yet. At this point, Nala had a plot of mud and shrubs and bushes with me, and a forest and a beach with Sebastian. Plus Mischa and Echo.

Sebastian shrugged and said I’d simply have to stay at his place more often.

I could live with that.

As November ticked by, I grew more and more hooked on the everyday life we built together. We spent some nights apart but most together, some nights at my place but most at his. If he had to work early, we got up even earlier and walked the dogs together. Then while he showered and got ready, I prepared breakfast and coffee. I started visiting him at the Quad too, so the kids there could get to know me a little. I met with Dominic Cleary, who was all too happy to give me the green light to host a class after the holidays.

Two days before Thanksgiving, I got my first job in Washington too, conveniently with the company that was gonna build Soph and Dylan’s house next spring. The builder had been impressed with my vision for their house, leaving no doubt to whether or not I knew what I was talking about, so he had cared less about previous employers’ referrals and praise. To be fair, I did have some great referrals, and only an idiot would include the bad ones.

Life was great, I kept thinking to myself. Every day I woke up with Sebastian, I took a deep breath and thought, it’s real.

I supposed it was only fair that I got knocked down by a blast from the past.

“Who calls at this hour?” Sebastian grumbled sleepily.

I blinked and stared at the screen.

Dad.

“Probably a telemarketer on the East Coast,” I muttered and sent him to voice mail. Then I turned off the sound and rolled over and into Sebastian’s arms.

It was Thanksgiving. Today wasn’t the day I worried about my folks.

Since we planned on spending the day eating until we passed out, we packed a light breakfast and drove straight up into the woods with the dogs. In fact, we headed to the lake we’d visited this summer. With no one around for miles, the dogs could roam free while Sebastian and I found a picnic table and unpacked our sandwiches and thermos.

The air was crisp and misted with each breath, the trees around the narrow lake were a deep forest green or burned red, the sky was snow white, and the silence brought me so much peace.

“This is the life, darlin’.” I took a sip of my coffee and peered out over the lake. It was so calm that the water became a mirror.

“Despite the cold?” He smirked and sat down next to me, our backs to the table.

“Despite the cold.” I nodded once and chuckled. I’d geared up proper for the winter. A nice, warm vest went over my fall jacket, a beanie had replaced my hat, and I’d bought new boots. I took another sip of my coffee and felt so fucking content I didn’t know what to do with myself. “You make the best damn coffee.”

“And you know how I feel about your sandwiches.” He unwrapped his and took a big bite. His favorite was cold cuts and brie, so they’d become staples at home. He bitched a little sometimes about the cost, but I was good at shutting him down. None of us led expensive lifestyles; we could afford to splurge on some damn meat and cheese.

I let out a sharp whistle when I spotted Nala ducking in between two trees. “Nala, get back here.”

Tags: Cara Dee Enemies M-M Romance
Source: readsnovelonline.net