Page 124 of Perfect Enough
Snuggled into his chest as he held me close, the sound of his heartbeat quickly lulling me to sleep, I dreamed of pumpkins, falling leaves, and the most beautiful wedding dress ever.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
JOSH
“How is it that Halloween is tomorrow?” Sophia asked as she poured candy into bowls.
I sat down and pulled off my work boots, setting them off to the side. “Soph, no one is going to come to our house for Halloween, you know that, right?”
“This is for the Halloween party tomorrow at Stella’s. Remember?”
“That’s right, for all the grandbabies.” I stood and walked over to see what candy she’d bought. It was all age appropriate. “How do you do that?”
“Do what?” she asked, pulling out Halloween bags, opening them one by one, and beginning to fill them with stuffed animals, toy cars, and dolls.
“How did you know what kind of candy to buy?”
Pausing, she looked at me with a confused expression.
“Is it bred into all women? Because last year, I was raked over the coals for not having the right kind of candy.”
Sophia’s face relaxed, and she chuckled. “First, I used to teach dance to kids the same ages. And second, I called your mother and asked her what to get.”
Laughing, I pulled her to me and greeted her the proper way: with a kiss. She dropped one of the stuffed dogs and wrapped herarms around my neck, deepening the kiss. When we broke apart, I asked, “How was your day?”
Sophia let out a contented sigh. “Well, that made it so much better.”
“The kiss?” I asked with a smile.
“Yes, the kiss. But to answer your question, it was busy. We met with Rose about the design of the park. She was amazing. She pulled out a pad and pencil and started to draw right there while we told her our vision.”
“I still think it’s great you and Haven are business partners.”
“You know, if you had told me a year ago that I wouldn’t be teaching dance and would instead be partners with a woman I’d just met, and we’d be building a dog park of all things, I would have laughed at you.”
I cupped the side of her face. “Are you happy, Soph?”
Her eyes lit up as she smiled from ear to ear. “I’m so happy. Haven is like the sister I never had. I feel like I’ve known her forever. And the dogs are wonderful, Josh. They don’t talk back or throw fits on the floor. It’s glorious. Oh, and their parents don’t send nasty emails.”
“I’m so glad it’s working out.”
Her hand went to my chest, where she fiddled with a button on my shirt. “What about you? Do you have any regrets from leaving the station?”
“None at all,” I said without hesitation. “Since moving to full time on the ranch, I’ve found a missing piece of myself. And when Blayze asked me to come up with a fire safety plan for the ranch, I felt like I was doing what I was meant to do.”
Sophia’s eyes lit up as she gazed at me. “I have to admit, I don’t worry about you nearly as much.”
My head dropped against the sofa as I laughed. “I’m glad about that.”
Playfully hitting my chest, she replied, “Then why are you laughing?”
“Because you make me happy, and I’m happy I have you in my life, Soph.”
Her fingers sliced through my hair. “Maybe you should show me instead of telling me.”
I stood, and Sophia let out a small yelp of surprise when I picked her up and took her with me. Heading toward our bedroom, I was about to say something dirty to her when the doorbell rang. We both paused, and I set her down. “Were we expecting anyone?”
She shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of.”