Page 111 of Searching for Bristol
Rocky didn’t take offense. “Don’t ever hesitate to ask me anything. And yeah, I did. I made decent money as a SEAL, and it’s not like Fallport has a lot of things to spend money on.”
“Right. Well, I’m paying for all the renovations then.”
Rocky opened his mouth to protest, but Bristol covered his mouth with her hand. “No, no arguing. If we’re gonna have a partnership, you’re going to have to get used to me spending money. I didn’t plan to become rich. And I want to spend my money—ourmoney—on us, Rocky.”
He kissed her palm and she dropped it slowly. “Okay.”
She gave him some side-eye. “Okay?”
“Yup.”
“I thought alpha men got weird about women spending money on them.”
He chuckled. “Hey, I don’t mind you being my sugar mama if you don’t.”
She grinned.
“I don’t see this as spending money on me, but like you said, onus. We’re investing in our future. We’re building a home for our children. A place where hopefully years and years from now, they’ll bringtheirchildren to visit their grammie and grandpa. Eventually they’ll inherit, and the circle of life will continue.”
Bristol’s eyes filled with tears. “I like that thought.”
“Me too,” Rocky said, then kissed her softly. “You want to go see it?”
“Yes!” Bristol said, excitement lighting up her eyes.
Rocky knew there would be tough times ahead. They both had some demons to conquer, and the work that had to be done on the house would be difficult to live with for a little while, but he had no doubt that together, they’d make this work. He wasn’t willing to have it any other way.
“Stay put,” he said as he opened his door.
“Funny guy,” Bristol muttered before he left the Tahoe. “It’s not as if I could go anywhere on my own anyway.”
He was still smiling when he opened her door and reached for her. Rocky carried her into the barn first, telling her what he had in mind for the huge space. Then he carried her to the house…and an even bigger surprise.
The second they walked in, Rocky sighed in relief.
Their friends had come through big time. They’d completely moved them out of his apartment, bringing all their stuff to the house. It didn’t even start to fill the space, but it was a start. And once they moved Bristol’s things from her house in Kingsport, it would start to look even more like a home.
“How…what?” Bristol stuttered when she saw his couch sitting in the middle of the living room.
“It’s gonna suck to live here while I do all the renovations, but there’s no way in hell I was bringing you back to that apartment complex,” he explained quietly. “If I had my way, it would burn to the ground, but the people who currently live there wouldn’t like that much, I’m guessing. So I did the next best thing.”
“You bought us a house and moved us in within a few days?” Bristol said with a small shake of her head.
“Pretty much.” Rocky bent over and placed her gently on the couch. “I love you, Bristol. So much, you’ll never know.”
“Wrong. I do know, because I love you the same way.”
She reached up and grabbed his beard and pulled him down so she could kiss him.
“Hey! Is it safe to come in?” a female voice called out from the doorway.
“Oh…and we’re having a welcome home party too,” Rocky told her with a grin, still bent over, her hand still holding his beard. He’d never liked people touching his facial hair, but with Bristol, he couldn’t get enough of her hands on him.
“Love you,” she said softly.
“Love you too,” Rocky returned, kissing the top of her head. “Welcome home, Punky.”
Then he stood to greet the people currently filing into the house. His brother, Lilly, Zeke, Elsie and Tony, Drew, Brock, Talon, Raiden and Duke, Finley, Khloe, Otto and Silas, Doc Snow and his partner Craig, Sandra, Whitney…even Edna and her husband had shown up. The house quickly filled with people.
