Page 112 of Fake it For Good
“It’s going to be pretty weird having a kid in the house,” I said. “How are we going to have hot kitchen sex?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I think that’s going to be off the table until he gets settled. We cannot let Benji catch us in the act. I’m sure that will traumatize him. That’s the last thing the kid needs.”
“We’ll put an alarm on his door,” I said. “If he opens it, we’ll know.”
“Are you sure you want to take the next step?” she asked. “I don’t want to rush you. We’ve been moving fast. You were a bachelor before we met. I don’t want you to think I’m pushing you to do this.”
“Babe, stop,” I said with my finger on her lips. “I’m the one that suggested we start the foster application. You didn’t push me into anything. I would have asked you to move in the day after Christmas if I didn’t think it would scare the shit out of you. I was waiting, biding my time until I knew you were in a good place with our relationship.”
“You were?” she asked softly.
“Babe, the day in the car after we left the orphanage, I knew what I wanted,” I told her. “I wanted to be with you. I stayed with Kelly all those years because I was chasing the dream. I’ve always wanted the home and family. I’m not a guy that likes being alone. I’ve never been one of those serial daters. I like being settled. I like having a woman at home. I don’t want to be in limbo. Benji is the cherry on top of the whole deal. I want this. I want you.”
She threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Tonight, after we drop off Benji, I think we should take advantage of having the house to ourselves.”
“Oh, I like the sound of that,” I said, grinning. “That’s my kind of party.”
“Then it’s a date. I’m going to go make sure Denton isn’t completely corrupting Benji.”
“Hey, that reminds me, weren’t we supposed to find out if Hailey’s adoption was approved?” I asked.
“Oh, let me check my email,” she said.
I watched and waited while she looked at her phone.
“Well?” I asked.
“It went through,” she said with a soft smile. “She’s officially adopted.”
“That’s awesome,” I said.
I saw a tear slide down her cheek. “Hey,” I whispered and wiped it away. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m happy for her,” she said. “She’s a sweet kid. I miss her. I know it’s the best for her, but it’s bittersweet. Her family is very lucky to have her.”
She wiped her tears and cleared her throat. She left to check on Benji. I looked out the back window. We’d put up a climbing toy last month in anticipation of getting Benji. Since Noelle had opened my eyes to the world of foster care and shelters and the orphanage, my life had changed for the better. I wanted to do more. There were so many kids that needed help. With our foster family approval, we could open our home to more kids. We were already talking about the renovations we were going to make. We’d already done a lot to get the house safe enough for kids.
EPILOGUE
NOELLE
December
“Benji!” I hollered upstairs. “We have to go! We’re going to be late!”
“Coming, Mom!”
“Don’t start crying again,” Cane said as he walked across the foyer.
I waved a hand in front of my face. “I can’t help it. Don’t act like you don’t get all gooey when he calls you Dad.”
He laughed. “Kid has turned me into a marshmallow.”
“You’re a very handsome marshmallow,” I said and adjusted his tie.
“I’m digging this outfit,” he said. “It’s prettier than the one you wore last year.”
I smoothed my hand over the crushed velvet. The Mrs. Claus costume was similar to last year, but just different enough to be fresh. “Thank you.”
