She shrugs. “Maybe.”

“No doubt about it, firecracker.”

She rolls her eyes. “Rockstars. Always so full of themselves.”

Isla glances back and forth between us. “She said yes. Now will you adopt me?”

“I will.” She squeals but I hold up a hand. “On one condition.”

Her bottom lip trembles. “W-w-what?”

“You’ll call me dad and go to all father-daughter events with me.”

“Yes!” she screams and launches herself at me. I wrap her up in my arms and hold on tight. Leia winds her arms around my waist and lays her cheek against my back.

This is it. Everything I’ve ever wanted but was afraid to go after. Surviving my mother’s rants and Vicki’s deceitfulness was worth it to end up here. Home. This is home.

Isla pulls away first. “I’m going to call all my friends. Tell them I now have a daddy.”

She runs down the hallway and I stand before helping Leia to her feet. She stares after her daughter.

“The whole town is going to know we’re engaged within fifteen minutes.”

“Do you care?”

“No, but they do have a tendency to invade the house whenever there’s news to celebrate.” She motions to the boxes. “The house isn’t exactly ready for an invasion.”

“I’ll put these in the bedroom until the extension’s finished.”

“I agreed to marry you but we’re not done discussing the extension.”

I bark out a laugh. “Love you, firecracker.”

“And I must love you to allow you to bring twenty bass guitars into my house.”

“Our house,” I correct. “And I don’t have twenty bass guitars.” With me. “We’ll have plenty of space when—”

“If,” she corrects.

“The extension is built.”

She studies me. “You already hired a contractor, didn’t you?”

I shrug and bend down to pick up a box.

“I can’t believe you.”

“You love me,” I sing as I carry the box down the hallway to the bedroom. She follows me with a box of her own.

I scowl. “I told you I’d carry the boxes.”

“I’m short, not weak.”

We arrange the boxes in the closet before I snatch her wrist and haul her to me.

She shakes her head. “Isla will catch us again.”

I drag her into the closet and shut the door behind us. “Not now she won’t.”

“Fender Hays!” She slaps my chest. “Am I your dirty little secret?”

“Yes, you’re a secret. It’s why I bought you a diamond to wear in front of the world.”

“I do like shiny things.”

“And I love you.” I brush my lips against hers.

“I love you, too, future husband of mine.”

♥♥♥

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