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Chapter twenty-two

Noah

T oday was the day.

Declan and I had only been dating a month, but we were going to test-run living together. He didn’t care about his home per se, apart from it being functional to house him and his belongings, and I’d been crafting mine into a dream home for me and…I’d say future partner, but it was always him.

So when we had the discussion, he’d easily capitulated about moving in, but he’d wanted to keep his house until we’d tried living together for a spell, and then he’d sell.

And today he was going to start bringing boxes over. He’d been sleeping over most nights already, so I didn’t expect us to face any massive changes with the shift. However, Declan had stated his needs, and I was too happy to meet them.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced down. My mom was texting.

Do you and Declan want to come over for dinner this week ?

A grin spread on my face. We’d already gone over a few times, and my mom was over the moon. We both fell into our patterns a bit too easily of not being direct with what we wanted, but now, I had Declan by my side. A few times, when my mom had made excuses to call me to come over to fix a leaky sink when I hit at my limit for the week, Declan had told her the truth and offered a different timeframe.

Fuck, he was such a genius.

And I wasn’t as burned out as before now that I worked with Brannon Contractors. Ollie and Cor made Brandon look like a nightmare boss from hell with how relaxed and positive they were, and maybe he had been. All I knew was I got to do the job I dug with great people, and it didn’t hurt that I got to see more of my future in-laws all the time. Because I was definitely going to marry Declan someday.

Before I could respond to my mom’s text, keys jangled outside my door. I’d been pretty much pacing back and forth in front of it. My pulse spiked, and I stood still.

The door swung open, and Declan stood in the center.

He’d dressed down into weathered jeans and a beat-up shirt with the life cycle of a star he’d had since high school. His hair was still neatly combed in place, the dark strands richer in the sun, and when he smiled my way, my heart skipped a beat.

That feeling would never stop.

I already knew because he’d been the one who unlocked it.

“So.” He leaned against the side of the door. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Yeah?” I licked my lips. “Does it involve you and I getting naked in our bed?”

Declan glanced behind him. “Not quite. More like another roommate.”

Wait, what ?

That hadn’t been a part of the plan. I waited for him to shout “Joke” or something, but instead, he reached out. I slipped my hand in his, and he led me toward his car. The back seat was cramped with boxes; another person couldn’t fit there. Was one of his siblings in trouble?

“If this is a deal-breaker, I have a plan in place,” he said, “but I know you don’t hate surprises as much as I do.”

Declan wheeled around to the passenger’s side, but before I could peer inside, he opened the door. A happy bark sounded, and a fluffy blur raced in my direction.

No fucking way.

I dropped to my knees, and the fluffy blur collided right with my chest, almost knocking the breath from me. Sunlight filled me as another bark echoed through the air, and puppy kisses barraged my face. I didn’t need to question which dog was giving me all the love. Only one had connected with me on this level.

Petie calmed down and gave my nose another lick, then sat sweetly in front of me, panting with excitement.

“Is he…” I trailed off, not sure if I dared put my hope out in the air.

“Coming to live with us if you want,” Declan said. “With my hybrid schedule and your ability to stop home between jobs since my brothers aren’t monster slave drivers, I went to the shelter, and Petie was still available. He’s ours, as long as you agree.”

Tears stung my eyes, and I didn’t bother hiding them. Holy fuck. This man was perfect beyond my wildest dreams. I scratched Petie on the head and snagged his leash, then rose and closed the distance between Declan and me.

He’d noticed.

He noticed so much with his gorgeous mind, his careful gaze, his brilliant way of viewing the world, and in the short time we’d been together, I’d been happier than I could ever have dreamed .

So of course he’d make this dream come true too.

“I love you so damn much,” I said before slamming my mouth to his. He kissed me back just as hard, not giving a damn that we were making out in the middle of our driveway. Petie gave a happy bark and nudged at my legs, clearly not happy about not getting attention.

“So you’d like to keep our new roommate?” Declan asked, amusement in his eyes. I dropped down and accepted another barrage of puppy kisses along the side of my face.

“Abso-fucking-lutely. He was meant to be with us.” And I believed that deep down, the same way I’d always believed Declan was it for me.

I’d been drifting through life like a tumbleweed, tugged in one direction after another.

Together, we were forming our own family—Declan, Petie, and me—and I couldn’t be more thrilled for our future.