Page 21 of Summer Nights (The Kingston Brothers #3)

Chapter Sixteen

Cooper

I couldn't quite believe that Ivy had agreed to move in with me. I was shocked that she even considered the suggestion. She seemed to be moving out of her comfort zone. Her desire for independence warred with her need for safety and security.

If I could help her feel more secure, then I was all for it. She'd wanted a week to pack her things, and I insisted on stopping by most nights to help her pack.

She was feeling more energetic every day in her second trimester. But I didn't want her overdoing it.

Her moving in with me was an opportunity I wouldn't waste. Maybe she'd want to pursue a relationship with me but that was a long game strategy. I needed to be patient.

On Saturday morning, my brothers showed up with their trucks to move her things. I already had furniture in the spare room, so her bedroom set and couch would be left here so she could stage the house for sale. Secretly, I hoped she'd never need the items that were going there.

When I arrived on Saturday to help her move, Ivy was carrying a box from the living room to the kitchen. I plucked it out of her hands. "You're not supposed to be doing anything today."

She frowned. "I want to help."

"We'll need coffee."

Ivy sighed; her hair was piled on top of her head, and she wore baggy clothes. "I feel useless."

I set the box in front of the door and moved closer to her. I tugged lightly on one strand of hair that had escaped her bun. "You could never be useless."

She tipped her head to the side. "I'm not carrying anything on moving day."

"You're supposed to be taking it easy. You're cooking our baby in there." I covered her stomach with my hand and was surprised that it was no longer flat. She had a slight swell. "When did this happen?"

"Sometime over the last week, I popped."

I felt a little awed by the proof that our baby was growing inside her belly. "The baby supposedly can hear us talking."

"You'd better be nice to me then," Ivy chided.

I smiled, unable to remove my hand from the evidence of our baby. "I always am. But seriously, you're not to lift anything today. I don't want you to do anything that could put this little guy at risk."

She sobered. "I wouldn't."

"I know." She struggled with feeling productive and useful. It was hard for her to sit back and let someone else do a job that she could do herself. The next few months would be a challenge for her, but I'd be with her every step of the way.

She wouldn't be able to put physical distance between us anymore. Not with us living in the same house. I'd ensure that she was eating and getting enough rest.

A knock sounded on the door which was partially ajar. "Are you decent?"

I rolled my eyes, taking a step back from Ivy. "Yes."

Shep walked in and wiped his hand over his forehead. "Whew. I wasn't sure what I was going to walk into."

"Thanks for helping out today," Ivy said, ignoring his teasing.

Shep crossed the room and hugged her.

Ivy's stiff shoulders eventually relaxed into his hold. She'd have to get used to the fact that our family was touchy-feely.

When he pulled back, he scrutinized her. "Are you sure you want to move in with this guy?" He threw a hand over his shoulder at me. "He stinks."

Ivy laughed. "Does he now?"

His nose wrinkled. "Yeah, and he's really messy."

I rested a hand on Shep's shoulder. "I think you're talking about yourself."

"Nah. I'm very organized and clean."

I snorted because that had never been the case.

Hudson appeared in the doorway, his hands rubbing together. "Are we ready to move?"

Ivy stepped close to greet him. "I'm all packed up."

"Perfect. Less work for me then." Hudson pulled Ivy in for a one-armed hug, then turned his attention toward me. "Tell me where to start."

"You can start carrying boxes out." I glanced around the room, noting that she'd written in black marker on the sides. "They're labeled for the room they go in."

Hudson nodded in appreciation. "Someone's organized. That will make the unpacking job go more quickly."

Ivy's lower lip protruded. "It was the one thing I was allowed to do. Cooper won't let me lift anything."

Hudson nodded. "He's a good man."

We got to work, used to not having Dalton at events like these anymore. He was preoccupied with getting his new house ready for the baby.

When I first volunteered to help Dalton renovate, I didn't think I'd be having a baby too. But I'd made promises I wouldn't break.

Family came first. I'd figure it out.

In no time, the trucks were full with the first load, and we headed over to my place. I'd already cleared out the guest room so that she could start unpacking her things into the drawers and the closet.

I'd texted Brady and told him to meet us here when he said he might be late. When he pulled up, I was just walking outside for another box.

He grinned when he approached. "You're moving her in, huh?"

"It seemed like the easiest way to stay close to her. I can see the baby and help her out."

"You know what happens when you live in close proximity, right?" Brady asked, amusement tinging his voice.

"No. What?" Irritated, I leaned on the side of the truck.

"You can't resist each other anymore, and all the reasons why you shouldn't be together fall apart."

He was speaking from experience. Hazel and he had pretended to be engaged and moved in together. They quickly fell into a real relationship. "You would know."

Brady nodded. "Best decision we ever made."

"This is more for convenience than anything else. I'll be close to her and the baby and can help out."

"You have a few months before the baby's here. Plenty of time to focus on each other," Brady said as Hudson jogged down the steps to join us.

Hudson raised a brow. "You two gossiping?"

I sighed. "A break."

"Are you getting old already?" Hudson continued with his jibes.

"You're the one who's old," I shot back. Sometimes, we sounded like the kids we used to be, and I loved the familiar camaraderie.

We each grabbed boxes and headed inside. It was quick since Ivy had already labeled everything, so we had everything unloaded in no time.

Hudson stood in the doorway, "We'll head over to her apartment and get the rest of it. Why don't you help her unpack?"

I wanted to keep an eye on her and craved time alone, so I readily agreed. The guys filed out, and I closed the door behind them. Then I went in search of Ivy who was in her new bedroom, folding her clothes to put in the dresser.

"Do you need any help?"

She looked up at me. "The third bedroom is empty. Did you get rid of your stuff?"

Her eyes were suspiciously shiny. "I wanted to make room for the baby's furniture."

"Everything seems so real all of a sudden. Moving in with you, the baby bump, and the nursery."

"That's because it is real," I said gently, sitting next to her.

"This wasn't how I imagined things would be, but I'm leaning into it. This will be good, right?"

"I think so." I put my arm around her and tugged her in close. After a few seconds, she sniffled then straightened.

"What do you need help with?" I asked, not wanting to make a big deal of her emotions.

"Can you hang my clothes up?" She pointed at the items already arranged on hangers, laying on the bed.

"Sure thing." I got up and moved to the other side of the bed, hanging up her blouses, dresses, and pants. These were the clothes she wore to work. I wondered if she'd need to buy a new wardrobe as her belly grew.

I heard the stomping of feet, indicating that the guys returned, but I stayed with Ivy, wanting her to be moved in and comfortable. We finished her room, and then I moved to the kitchen where I attempted to find room for her pots, pans, and dishes.

Hudson hovered by the island. "That's everything. We locked up her place."

"Thanks for helping today. I really appreciate it," I said to him as Ivy joined us.

She smiled at him. "It was nice not to hire movers this time."

I exchanged a look with Hudson. There was no way I'd let her hire movers when I had my brothers and their trucks. She wasn't used to having people near to her who could assist. She'd soon learn that our family always stepped in to help.

"We're going to need to come up with a plan for Dalton's place. Are you going to be able to help?" Hudson asked me.

I nodded, putting Ivy's mixer on the counter. It was heavy, and there was no room for it in the cabinets. "I'll make time."

Hudson shook his head. "You have a baby on the way too. You should be focused here."

I frowned. "I'm not leaving the work to everyone else."

Ivy watched the exchange with interest. "I don't want to interfere with what you already have going on. You won't even notice I'm here."

I gave her a look because I was positive; I was going to notice the woman who'd been the center of my fantasies living in my house. We couldn't keep our hands off each other. What would it be like when she was walking around in tiny sleep shorts and tank tops?

Ivy frowned. "Your family comes first."

"You are family now." I gestured toward her stomach, and she covered it with her hand.

"The baby is family. I'm just?—"

"You're family too," Hudson said firmly.

It was interesting because no one had ever said Oakley was part of our family.

But then again, she'd done nothing but cause Dalton grief.

She didn't come to family dinners, so we didn't know her well at all.

Even when they were dating, Dalton kept her separate from us.

Maybe because he knew she wasn't the one for him.

"If you need me to return the favor—" I said to him, knowing that Elena hadn't officially moved in with him yet.

He waved a hand in my direction. "Elena's worried about leaving her grandmother in her house alone. When she's ready to move in, I know you'll be there."

"Whenever you need me."

My brothers left, leaving us alone.

"You want something to eat?" I grabbed a water and set it in front of her.

"I'm always hungry." She twisted the cap and drank a long pull from it.

It wasn't quite dinner yet, so I arranged a plate of grapes, cheese, and crackers and set it in front of her.

We devoured the plate, and I made a mental note to whip something up for dinner.

When we were finished, Ivy said, "I'm hot and sweaty. I think I'm going to take a shower.

"You have everything you need?" I didn't want her to have to hunt for her things.

"I think so."

"There are fresh towels in the bathroom." I followed her to the hall bathroom that she'd be using. "If you need a soaking tub, you can use the master."

The thought of her stripping down and bathing in my tub was enticing.

"This should be fine," she said, looking over the small space.

It didn't seem right that she was getting the smaller room and unrenovated bath. But I hoped to convince her to switch or join me at some point. I was prepared to play the long game. I'd gotten this far. What were a few more weeks or months?

"I'll leave you to it," I said as I backed out of the room, my mind already filtering through the images of her undressing and stepping into the shower.

In the kitchen, I heard the water come on. I cleaned up our snack and opened the freezer door to look for something to cook.

When I found myself staring at the items in the freezer, not seeing anything but a vision of Ivy naked in the shower, I grabbed the hamburger patties and took them outside to the grill. Out here, I wouldn't be fantasizing about my new roommate.

I couldn't hear the shower, but I wasn't able to shut my brain off. I knew what she looked like naked, and I'd memorized every gasp and moan she'd ever made. I wouldn't be able to erase that from my memory banks.

I thought her living with me would be a temptation for her, but I hadn't thought it through. This was harder for me. I wanted to give her space and let her come to me, but I wasn't sure how long I could hold back from making a move.

I placed the patties on the grill, trying to focus on what else I could serve for dinner.

While the patties heated, I went inside to see what I had for a side dish.

I'd made some pasta yesterday, so I pulled that out and grabbed cucumbers and tomatoes to add to it.

I cut everything up and tossed Italian dressing into the pasta, making a cold salad.

The meal wouldn't win any culinary awards, but it would taste good after a long, hard day.

By the time Ivy came downstairs, the burgers and pasta salad were finished and on the table outside.

She wore a T-shirt and soft shorts with her hair piled on top of her head again.

She hadn't bothered to dry her hair. Technically, there was nothing sexy about her look, but I wanted to kiss her anyway.

She was tempting. Living together wouldn't quell my desire for her anytime soon. "Hungry?"

"Always," she said with a smile as she sat at the table, grabbing a bun and a patty from the platter. "I can't believe you had enough time to make dinner."

I shrugged. "I'd already cooked the pasta, and the burgers take no time at all."

She smiled softly. "I'm going to get spoiled if you keep cooking for me."

I sat across from her, wishing I could be closer. But the table was a nice barrier for my thoughts. "You're pregnant. Ensuring you're fed is the least I can do for you."

Ivy smiled wide, and for once, it didn't look practiced or forced. She was relaxed. I wanted to see that look on her more often. Here, she didn't have to be polished Ivy, the professional. She could be herself.

"Do you want to go for a walk on the beach after dinner?"

Ivy's eyes sparkled. "That would be lovely."

"You might as well enjoy the perks of living so close to the water while you're here." I hadn't intended to mention the temporary nature of our arrangement. I didn't want to remind her that this would come to an end, especially when I didn't want it to.

We finished eating, then cleaned up. We took off our shoes and walked down the path to the beach, heading to the right of my house. We walked in silence for a bit, the breeze a welcome relief to the heat of the day.

Ivy turned her face to the water. "I never get tired of this view."

"Me either," I murmured, but I was talking about her.

I was going to have to take advantage of her living under my roof. I didn't have much time before the baby was here to convince her I was the real deal.

Whether she'd believe me was another thing.