Page 24 of Aaron (Dresden Pride #1)

“I’d love that more than anything.” She moved to the side of the bed, and he stripped down to his briefs to get into bed with her. “Just so you know, I usually sleep in the raw, but I’ll keep these on for tonight.”

“Thanks.” She curled up around his chest, and he felt warmed by her. “I’ve thought of this all day, but with the cast on. I wondered how we’d be able to be close with it on. I’m so happy that your dad suggested taking it off. The boot is nice because it doesn’t weigh all that much.”

“When I was carrying you down the stairs, I couldn’t believe how much heavier one foot was over the other, and couldn’t believe that you’d been wearing that thing for so long.

Just so you understand that the boot has to be worn when we’re out.

” She said that his dad had told her the importance of perception.

“Yes, sometimes when we’re hurt, we have to suffer through it like a human would, but we still heal faster than they would.

Most of the town knows that we’re tigers, but we don’t flaunt that either. Just like our money.”

“No, you’d never know that any of you had anything more than the average Joe might. I know you said you didn’t have to work, but how much money do you have?” He told her and watched her face as it sank in. “Several million is a lot.”

“I didn’t say million.” She said she knew that, but was working up to the amount. “All right. I guess you need time with that. But just so you know, I’ll continue to work at something simply because I can’t be idle. I need to be doing something, or I’m afraid that I’ll get myself in trouble.”

“I’m going to go to school and see if I can teach.

Even if it’s only part-time.” He thought that was a brilliant idea.

“Also, I want to get myself a car. I have a license, but I’ve not driven in a long time.

There are just too many cars in DC for someone to own a car and drive.

I decided to take a bus everywhere I go.

It’s much easier than trying to find a parking place or even getting around town. But here I think that I’d enjoy it.”

It was perhaps two in the morning before she dozed off.

Taking two naps had made her not as tired as he was, but he didn’t mind.

He loved the little bits of information that she gave him when it was just the two of them.

He loved her so much that sometimes he thought it was a little scary.

He’d never been in love before, and this had been so sudden and quick.

Not that he minded. He was in love for the first time in his life, and he thought it was the best thing in the world. To be in love and to be loved couldn’t be better.

After rolling to his side, bringing Mac with him, he finally started to doze off.

It had been a long week for him in working.

Usually, he didn’t have that much to do, but this week had been super busy.

Now with his two days off, he was going to do some things that he’d never done before with his family.

Then they were going to have a cookout at the parents’ home with every one of his brothers there to enjoy it with them.

Hopefully, they’d have good news on the house, too.

Waking once in the middle of the night, he didn’t know where he was.

It took him a full five minutes to figure out where he was and how he’d gotten there.

But after realizing that Mac was in bed with him, he curled his body around hers and went back to sleep, smiling to himself.

This is the way he was willing to spend the rest of his life.

When they both woke up, they lay in bed for a while, not talking.

He was just enjoying her being beside him when he realized that he needed a shower and to brush his teeth.

Slipping out of the bed, he realized that at some point she’d fallen back to sleep and decided that he was going to get ready to go and let her sleep until she woke up.

It was the least he could do after keeping her awake half the night just talking.

Pulling clothing from his overnight bag, he took his shower and brushed his teeth twice.

Just as he was pulling out his socks that he was going to wear, he noticed that Mac was waking up.

After getting her clean towels and finding her a toothbrush, she’d left hers at the hospital, he went downstairs to see his parents.

Mom had a list of things they were going to pick up for dinner after they were done house hunting.

“I feel good about today.” He said that he was glad that someone was. “You’re not excited to have your own home? I would be if I were you. It’s a lot of freedom to having a house.”

“A lot of heartache, too, I’ve heard.” She just waved him off.

“I got a call from the relator this morning, and she told me that one more house went on the market today, and she wants us to see it before they list it on their website. I guess it’s been in the family for a long time, but it’s just too much for a young couple starting out.

So, with the permission of the family, they’re selling it.

All I can think about is that it’s going to be more house than we thought we wanted. ”

“If you want a forever home, you’ll need to buy something that the two of you can grow into.

Just having a couple of bedrooms now would be all right for you as a single couple, but when children come along, you’re going to need something bigger.

Trust me when I tell you, I know about needing something bigger.

” Mom said that they’d bought this house when they’d only been the two of them, and were happy for the extra room when the kids came along.

“Now it’s too big for us, and we’re just wandering around this big old house with no one around.

I’m so glad that you and your brothers visit often, but it doesn’t fill out the house like it used to. ”

“Why don’t you sell it?” She said they were still living here. “Buy something smaller that you can have now that you don’t need bigger. I’ll have to talk to Mac, but perhaps we can buy it from you. Keep it in the family.”

“Are you serious? That would be the smart thing to do.” Dad joined them and was brought up in the conversation about the house. “We can find us something smaller, like we’ve been talking about for a while now, and not have to worry about this place anymore.”

“You’d have to talk to Mac.” Mac then joined in on the conversation.

She thought it sounded good, too. “We won’t have to do that much to it when they move out, and it’s not like we’re in a hurry for them to move anyway.

I mean, we still have to figure out what we’re going to do about living someplace until we get a house. Right?”

“I have my condo, too, that I have to deal with before we can move.” Mom said they were welcome to stay there until they got their house squared away. “You’re wonderful people. I hope your kids tell you that all the time.”

“Not often enough.” They all laughed, and he got up to hug his parents. “Are you sure you want to do something like this? I love the idea, but I don’t want you to think you have to do it.”

“Are you kidding? This is perfect. We’ll have the family home and all the memories that go with it.

You and Dad will have something smaller, however not too small, so that when the grandkids come around, you’ll have room for them.

I love the idea. I can’t wait to tell the others. They’ll be happy for you guys as well.”

They still went house hunting, but for their parents.

Mom was telling Mac all the things that were wrong with the house—it needed a new furnace and air conditioner that they had planned on putting in this fall.

Also, there was the kitchen and that it needed to be updated too.

Just things that they’d more than likely have to do to any house that they might buy.

Aaron was about as excited as he’d ever been about this.

He didn’t have to look for a house, and he had the family home to keep with Christmas and the other holidays.