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“I’m ready!” Maddi cries on cue.
I laugh.
Courtney’s fingers tense at my sides before she drops her forehead to my chest and giggles. Hearing that carefree sound come from her, I wrap my arms around her in a hug and then kiss the top of her head.
“Get on your shoes, honey,” I tell Maddi over the top of Courtney’s head.
She nods with a bright smile before rushing to do as she was told.
“Please don’t be too good to be true.”
At Courtney’s quietly spoken words, I look down at the top of her head. I rest my lips there, thinking the exact same thing about her.
Chapter 9
WARMTH
COURTNEY
Getting into the elevator at work, I check the time on my cell phone and smile when I see the image on the screen of Madeline laughing while Merida licks her face. I didn’t even know that Madeline had gotten hold of my phone at some point yesterday until I went to call Lucas—to let him know I got home okay last night—and saw my new screensaver.
Glancing at the time, I see that I’m actually twenty minutes early. I get off the elevator and head down the carpeted hall toward the office I share with Abby. Before I even reach the door I spot her at her desk. I wonder how long she’s been there. Ours is one of the largest corner offices on the floor. Abby’s desk is in the back of the room, and is set up so she has a view out the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and the door. My desk faces the door so clients see me first. I doubt I would love sharing such a close space with anyone but Abby. She’s always in a good mood unless she’s not getting what she wants from a client’s spouse—which does happen from time to time.
Not wanting to disturb Abby, who is on the phone, I go to my desk and quietly drop my bag, then pick up the notes that I left for myself on Friday.
“So how was your weekend?” Abby startles me, and I spin to face her.
“It was . . .” I try to think of the right words to use to describe how unbelievably perfect it was.
Yes, this whole thing is scary, but it feels good being with Lucas and Maddi.
“It was what?” Abby questions, having given up on waiting for me to find my words and answer.
“It was perfect, Abby. So perfect that it was a little scary.”
I drop my notes on top of my desk, then head across the office toward the small kitchen, where there is already a pot of coffee brewing.
“Why is it scary?” she asks as I pour us each a cup.
I set her cup on her desk. “We basically spent the entire weekend together—Maddi, Lucas, and I. I even ended up spending the night at their place on Saturday after we adopted Merida,” I say, knowing she knows who Merida is since I sent her a photo of her Saturday night after Maddi and I chose her name.
“You spent the night? Have you . . . ?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I fell asleep reading to Madeline, and Lucas carried me to his bed. I didn’t even wake up. When I did wake up, I tried to leave. He wouldn’t let me.”
“He wouldn’t let you leave?” Her eyes are wide—not with worry, but with awe.
“No, he wouldn’t.”
“Wow,” she breathes.
I can’t help but smile, because it was “wow.” I was a tad annoyed at him at the time for his high-handedness, but I really didn’t want to leave, either. I liked him holding me. Not that I will ever admit that I like his bossy side, since I’m pretty sure that should be considered a negative.
“Then you spent Sunday with them?”
“Yeah. Madeline didn’t want me to leave. They ended up coming back to my place with me . . .” I look out the window behind her. “I think I’m falling in love with them both, which is insane.”
“It’s not insane if it feels right.” Her quiet words pull my attention from the view.
“Yeah, but it is too soon after—”
“Stop.” She cuts me off, her face and voice hard. “Tom and your past do not factor into this. You don’t need to feel guilty about being happy, babe. You deserve to be happy. From what I can see, Lucas is making you feel that way. So why question it?”
“I know logically that you’re right. I’m just worried that this is too good to be true.”
“What does Lucas say? Does he think this is going too fast?”
“No. If anything, I think he wants it to move faster. He told me that he likes having me with him and Maddi. I think . . . I think he wanted me to stay last night. But . . .”
