Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 96512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 386(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)
“She’s a fan,” I tell Fisher.
“I’m glad. What about you? Do you like New York?”
“I do. Just as much as I thought I would before… before life got complicated.”
He tries to suppress a smile. It’s cute that he likes me liking his city. Just as much as I like the way he likes Star Falls.
“Are you and Fisher boyfriend and girlfriend now?” Riley asks, and my stomach dives to the floor.
“Um, I, well, I was—” I can’t get my words out.
“Is that something that you’d like?” Fisher asks, proving to be a much better parent in this moment.
“Yeah. I told Mommy that ages ago.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“No one’s ever going to replace your dad, though,” I reassure her.
“I don’t really ever see my dad now anyway. So…”
“That sucks,” Fisher says.
“Yeah,” Riley replies. “But I have the best mommy, so that makes me lucky.”
“I vote pancakes,” I say.
“Maybe they’ll make one in the shape of a love heart that you and Fisher can share.”
“That’s an awesome idea,” Fisher replies. “I’m going to ask them if they’ll do that.”
Riley gets out of bed and slips her hand into Fisher’s and leads him out the bedroom door. “I think you have to give me a tour. Especially if I’m going to be staying here a lot, what with you being my mom’s boyfriend and everything.”
I scurry to the bedroom door so I can overhear their conversation.
“Sounds fair,” Fisher replies. “Maybe you could pick out one of the rooms as a bedroom, and I can get it redecorated for when you’re next here.”
“Really?” Riley asks. “I’ve always wanted a bunk bed.”
“Bunk beds are cool,” Fisher agrees.
I can do nothing but smile. If the man I love wants to spoil my daughter, who am I to stand in his way?
EPILOGUE
Three months later
Fisher
I’ve had a charmed life, but I’ve never felt so lucky as I do now. I get to spend my life with the woman I love and the girl who becomes more and more like my own daughter the longer I spend time with her. They are my family. They are my world. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for either of them.
I also got to choose the movie this afternoon, so I’d say I was on a winning streak.
“I have something to show you,” I blurt out, as the credits start to roll and before we can start debating who enjoyed the movie. “And I don’t want you to freak out.” I’ve been keeping this secret for a while now. And I’m not sure how it will land.
“What?” Juniper asks, sitting up a little straighter across from me. Riley is in between us.
“Well, I was thinking that I’d like to move some more of my things in here.”
Juniper’s eyes widen. I know it’s not because she’s afraid of me moving in. More that this place is so small, there’s not a lot more that would fit.
“Yes!” Riley says. “Then you can stay for longer instead of flying back to New York so much.”
We’ve agreed that while we’re based in Star Falls, I’ll spend four days in New York every other week. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than not being with my family at all. From September, the three of us will spend more time in New York during school vacations. But during this summer, Juniper needs to paint. There’s no point wasting time trying to find studio space in New York and then her having to settle in. There will be time for that when she’s built up some pieces for her show.
“What’s your plan?” Juniper asks.
I stand and head out to the porch, where I’ve stashed the plans that I’ve had drawn up. Juniper and I have talked about getting a place together in Star Falls, but houses don’t come on the market that much.
“Come see these drawings.”
Juniper’s eyes go wide in that oh-no-you-didn’t way she has.
I shrug. “See what you think,” I say. “I haven’t committed us to anything.”
Riley opens the tube, and I help her take out the papers and spread them on the dining table.
“So what’s this?” Juniper asks, as she approaches the dining table.
“It’s a house we could build,” I reply.
“In Star Falls?”
“Yeah. And I thought we could all live together in it. The builder that’s doing Rosey and Byron’s could do it.”
“Between the two of you, you’ve got to be keeping the Colorado construction industry afloat.” She trails her fingers down my back in that absentminded way that sends me absolutely wild.
I don’t know why either of us thought what we had couldn’t work out. Everything’s felt so easy since the night of Vivian’s concert at Radio City. Everything’s slotted into place. In a way, I have Vivian to thank for all of this. Maybe she’ll play at our wedding.
“This place is huge,” she says, as she takes in the plans. “And do we really need two kitchens?”