Page 116 of Perfect Enough
We sat down at the table, and I was struck by how perfect this was. I wanted every day to be like this—well, maybe not the giant mess in the kitchen.
“Will you move in with me?”
The words came tumbling out of my mouth before I’d even thought about what I was saying.
Sophia’s fork stopped right in front of her mouth before she set it back down on her plate and stared at me. “What?”
“Move in with me, Soph.”
Her mouth opened, shut, then opened again. It was hard to read her face, and my pulse kicked up. Was it too soon? Shit. Maybe I should have waited.
Sophia clutched her napkin in one hand and studied me. “Are you sure about this?”
“Hell yeah, I am. I want you here when I wake up every morning, and by my side when we go to sleep. I want to make messes in the kitchen together and eat homemade pizza on the back porch.”
She smiled slightly. “Homemade pizza?”
“Yes! Who wants to make a pizza by themselves? Not me.”
Chewing on her lower lip, she picked up her fork again. “Ihavestarted packing my apartment, since my lease is up soon. Haven sent me the name of a realtor, and I was going to rent. Only because if I go in with her as partners for the dog park, it’s not smart to buy yet. I’ll need the money I’ve saved up.”
“I’ll be an investor.”
Her eyes went wide. “You will?”
“Absolutely. I think the park’s a great idea. Maybe I’ll even get a dog. You can take it to the park with you when you go to work some days.”
“You want a dog?” she asked, her eyes filled with excitement.
Smiling, I asked, “Doyouwant a dog?”
I thought she was going to bounce out of her seat. “I’vealwayswanted a dog. Always!”
“Then we’ll get a dog. When you can’t take him to the park, I’ll bring him to work with me on the ranch.”
Her brows rose. “Or her.”
With a chuckle, I replied, “Or her.”
Sophia slowly shook her head. “But why would you do all of this?”
The answer came so quickly that I didn’t need to think twice about it. “Because I love you, and I’d do anything to make you happy, Soph.”
She reached across the table and laced her fingers with mine. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Tell me you love me, too.”
Tears filled her eyes, and I could tell she was fighting to keep them from falling. “I love you, too, Josh.”
My phone dinged with the familiar alert tone for my mother. “It’s my mom. Let me make sure everything’s okay.”
I went to stand, and Sophia pointed at her lasagna with her fork. “By the way, this is amazing, Josh.”
Feeling my chest expand just a bit, I grinned. “Why, thank you.”
It took me a moment to find my phone in the kitchen mess. When I opened the text from my mother, I smiled.
Mom: Grams wants to have a game night. Are you free?