Page 109 of Make It Last

“I like your sister,” I added.

He chuckled again. “I do too. I’m glad she’s staying with my mom.”

“They’ve got stuff to work out, huh?”

“Don’t we all?”

“How are you feeling about that?” I asked, referencing the whole situation with his mom.

He was quiet for a moment. “Better than I was. You know, I understand what happened. I mean, it still sucked, but all we can do is deal with it now. We definitely can’t change the past, and it took me a long time to figure that out.”

I squeezed his hand. “I love you, Tanner.”

He cleared his throat. When he spoke, his voice was rough. “I love you, Ava.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

Ava

Cat proofing and commitment

As my gaze arced around my office, I smiled. My last job had been a cubicle maze. Here, I felt downright special.

Josie popped her head in. “Ava, you’re here!”

“I’m trying to be here most days, Josie,” I pointed out.

“I know, but we’re still getting up and running, so you can be remote. You know that, right?”

I shrugged. “I know, but I like it here. I like seeing people.”

She grinned and walked in, plunking down in the chair across from my desk. I had tucked my desk into the corner facing outward, which offered a view of the ski slopes on one side and the mountains on the other. From here, I could also see anyone who came in.

Josie eyed me for a beat before tilting her head to the side. “How are things?”

My cheeks heated because I knew she was asking about Tanner. “Things are good.”

“Yeah? Seems like Tanner’s been at your place a lot.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Oh my God, no!” Josie burst out laughing. “You could just move in with him.”

“I’m going to,” I said, letting out a quick breath. “Probably next month.”

“Oh, I like that idea. Just in time for Christmas.” Josie’s curls bounced with her nod.

“My parents might come visit, and maybe they can stay in my rental?”

“Of course. How long are they going to stay?”

“A couple of weeks. They’ve never been to Alaska. Honestly, they haven’t traveled in, well, years.”

“I love that they might come up for the holidays.”

My lips curled into a grin. “It’ll be fun for them. Thank you for being so supportive.”

She tipped her head to the side, her brows hitching up. “Always. Back to you, though, if you need help moving, say the word. We’ll organize.”