Page 8 of Delicious (Delicious #1)

Chapter Eight

Perry

Eighteen months later

“T o the left. No, right.” Stu directed my movements in an awkward dance. A giant canvas served as my dance partner, and only for Stu would I put up with this level of indecisive perfectionism. “Back again. Okay. Perfect.”

“You sure?” I teased as I settled the painting in place. “Don’t need me to move it again?”

“It’s good.” Stu gave me a sheepish smile. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

“It already is.” I gestured at the living room and its collection of boxes and furniture. My recliner jockeyed for space with his couch and colorful end tables. We had a ways to go on unpacking, yet we’d already come so far. “I don’t have to cross the street to say good morning anymore.”

“True.” Stu joined me in admiring the painting, a large piece commemorating the trip to the coast we’d taken in July for our one-year anniversary. Strolling on the rocky Oregon beach near the Rainbow Cove resort that weekend, we’d first daydreamed about living together. Our places were on the small side, and Stu had already been thinking about buying rather than renting. We’d settled on a plan of him buying and me paying him rent instead of my existing landlord. Practical. But also so much fun, spending the fall house hunting with him, settling on a fixer-upper just off the historic Prospect Place row of older homes in Mount Hope. “I can’t wait to see what we do with the place.”

“Me too.” I pulled him in for a fast kiss, only to be interrupted by footsteps on the stairs.

“ Dad. ” Shelby gave her typical long-suffering sigh. “When you’re done kissing, I finally picked the colors for my room.”

“Colors plural?” I’d impulsively volunteered to help Stu paint her new room, but the scheme was fast exceeding my modest DIY skills, not that Shelby seemed to mind.

“Yep.” She nodded. Both kids had adapted to having me around better than I’d hoped. Shelby liked having us around to taste-test her latest creations, and Soren had warmed up enough to occasionally game with Stu and me. “I’ll go grab the paint samples to show you.”

“Is it too much?” Stu asked softly, and I knew he meant more than just the painting project. Dating a single dad wasn’t always easy, but it certainly was worth it.

“Not at all.” I shook my head and held him close. “I like all the color. You’ve brought so much to my life, Stu.”

“Same.” He stretched to brush a kiss on my cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” It wasn’t something we said lightly. We’d been months into dating before admitting to the feelings that had been growing from the start. But every time we said the words, my chest went warm with how right it felt to love and be loved by Stu.

The next day, we were finishing up work on Shelby’s aqua walls when the sound of multiple teens coming in the front door filtered up the stairs.

“Come see my room,” Shelby said loudly, undoubtedly also a warning to not be kissing when she and her friends came upstairs. “My dads are almost done.”

Knees going wobbly, I gulped. “Did she just say…?”

“Might have been a slip.” Stu’s mouth twisted, eyes turning uncertain. “I can ask her not to.”

“No. I…I like it.” My throat was tight and thick with emotion. For all I’d sworn I’d never marry again, I was already planning to ask Stu—and the kids—soon, maybe on another trip to the coast. “I like it a lot.”

“You’re part of the family now.” Stu gazed deep into my eyes. “No takebacks.”

“You’re my family too.” And he was. I’d updated my emergency contacts at work to include him, and with every shared holiday and milestone, I fell a little more in love and a little more certain of our future together. “You and the kids.”

“Good.” Stu snuck one last, fast kiss. “We’re keeping you.”

I hope you loved Stu and Percy’s story and their happy ending, which is part of my Mount Hope universe. You can start the series with the prequel novella Among Friends and enjoy the happily ever afters for many of the characters mentioned in this story. Tony, Caleb, Tate, and Eric all have love stories to enjoy. I also sprinkled in a few other Easter eggs for eagle-eyed readers, including a mention of my Rainbow Cove series. If you enjoyed this story, I hope you check out my extensive backlist! There is a story for every mood, each as warm and welcoming as a hot dish.