I turn off Maddi’s bedside lamp and then scoop up a sleeping Courtney. She must be tired because she doesn’t even twitch as I carry her out of the room. I move her to my bed and tuck her in. Going back to Maddi’s room, I peek in and see that neither she nor Merida has moved. I leave them, turn off the TV and the lights, then go back to my bed. I get in with Courtney, pulling her against me. She mumbles something I can’t make out before she burrows closer to my body before relaxing. Lying in the dark with her in my arms, I breathe in the smell of her shampoo and soak in her warmth. Eventually I fall asleep.
“Oh my.”
I hear these whispered words, and my arms tighten instinctively as Courtney’s soft warm body, tucked against mine, attempts to get away.
“Lucas.”
“Go to sleep,” I grumble, not ready to wake up and feeling more content than I have in years. Without even opening my eyes, I know it’s way too early to get up.
“I . . . Are you awake?” she whispers.
“I don’t want to be,” I answer.
Her body gets stiff. “Maddi could wake up and see us.” She pushes against my chest, but I don’t loosen my hold.
“Maddi sleeps late. She always has. Even if she does wake up and come in here, we are both still dressed,” I point out. I think this fact should help her relax, but she doesn’t, not even a little. In fact, her body seems to get even tighter.
“How did I get in your bed?”
“I brought you in here,” I say. Then I mutter, “Now go back to sleep.”
“I can’t sleep.”
I hear the distress in her voice. “You can, or at least you could pretend since I’m comfortable.”
“I think I should get up and take Merida out. She might need it . . . ,” she tries.
“Merida is fine.” I give her a squeeze. “Now sleep.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Try.”
“You’re being annoying.”
“Sleep,” I repeat, hearing her let out an annoyed or frustrated huff. I’m not sure which one.
“I can’t believe you’re holding me hostage in your bed.”
I smile at that, then slide my hand from her back and down to her ass, pulling her against me. “If you were really my hostage, you’d be naked and tied up.”
I feel her shiver as she breathes, “Holy cow.”
“Sleep.”
“Now I really won’t be able to sleep,” she grumbles. I chuckle. “Seriously.”
“Try anyway,” I command. She mutters something, trying to pull away one more time before giving up with another huff. I don’t know how long it takes her to fall back asleep, but she does. When she does, so do I.
“Yay, you slept over!”
As Maddi’s happy voice greets my sleep-addled brain, I feel the bed shift. I blink one eye open, then the other.
Courtney takes Maddi’s hand and leads her out of the room, talking to her quietly as they go. I roll to my back, then sit up, then stand. The girls are in the living room chatting quietly as I head for the bathroom, where I go through my morning routine. Once I’m done, I grab my sneakers from the bottom of my closet so I can put them on and take Merida for a quick walk. When I step out of the bedroom, I find Maddi putting on her shoes. She’s still wearing her PJs, and Courtney is slipping on her flats.
“I’ll take Merida out while you two figure out what we should do for breakfast,” I offer, to save them the trouble.
“Lucas.”
I focus on Courtney’s face, and I can tell by her murderous expression that she’s not happy about Maddi finding her in my bed this morning. I also don’t care. Sometime between last night and this morning, I decided that she’s going to be around a lot more. She will definitely make a habit of spending the night. She fits here with us, and I know she has to feel it, too.
Screw going too fast.
“If you don’t feel like making something here, I’ll pick up bagels while I’m out.”
“Lucas—” she starts, but Maddi cuts in.
“I vote for bagels. Can I have a raisin one with cinnamon cream cheese, Daddy?”
“Sure, honey.” My eyes go to Courtney. “What would you like?”
Letting out a long breath, she shakes her head. “I’ll have a plain bagel with plain cream cheese.”
I nod, then move to grab Merida’s leash.
Courtney stops me, asking, “How are you going to pick up bagels if you have Merida with you?”
“I’ll leave her outside.”
“Outside?” Her eyes widen.
“Yeah, outside the shop. She’ll be fine.”
“Lucas, we just brought her home. We don’t know if she will be okay tied up outside while you’re inside and out of sight.”
“She was all over the city with us yesterday,” I remind her. Then I add, “We left her outside Starbucks while we went in to get drinks.”
“But I was watching her through the window.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“We should go with you. Or maybe I should go home for a bit and sho—”
“No!” Maddi cries. Courtney’s head flies her way. “You can’t go home.”
“Sweetheart . . . ,” Courtney says softly, only to be cut off again.
“I was hoping we could watch movies and spend the day together.”
“I’d just go home to shower. I’ll change and then come back, sweetie,” Courtney says gently, grabbing Maddi’s hand. “I’ll come back.”
“We can all go to your place, and then we can all come back here,” Maddi suggests, sounding hopeful.
“I . . .” Courtney looks up at me.
“Works for me,” I agree. I look at Maddi. “Go brush your teeth and get dressed. We’ll go when you’re ready.”
“Okay!” She smiles, then runs out of the room with Merida following behind her.
“Lucas . . .” Courtney’s tone is filled with warning.
When my eyes meet hers, I know that the expression she was wearing earlier wasn’t murderous, because this one truly is. “This is too much too soon.”
“It’s not,” I disagree with a shake of my head.
“Yes, it is. She could get confused and—”
“And what? You told me you’re falling in love with her. She feels the same, and I know that I’m enjoying every single moment I have with you. This is good.”
“This could end, and—”
“You’re right. It could. We could figure out that we actually hate each other. Or I could get hit by a car going to work tomorrow, and this could all come to an end.”
“Don’t say that,” she hisses, her face going pale.
I grab her hand and pull her against me, then drop my face close to hers. “Baby, the point is anything can happen, but I know I’d regret losing time with you more than I’d regret anything else. I like the way this feels. I like having you here with us. I might be wrong, but I think you like being here with us, too.”
“I just . . . I just don’t want anyone to get hurt.” She drops her eyes from mine.
I give her a squeeze to get her attention.
“I know. I don’t want that, either. But in life, if you try to guard against everything that might hurt you, you’ll end up missing out and having regrets. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I do know that right now you and I are going to make out until Maddi comes rushing back in here. Then we’re going to take Merida for a walk, stop to pick up bagels, and head to your place so you can shower and change. After you do that, we’ll eat, take Merida for another walk, then spend the rest of the afternoon here on the couch watching movies. We can have dinner together. And tonight”—I drop my voice—“after Maddi goes to bed, you and I are going to make out some more before I will be forced to let you go so that you can go home to sleep. But I know I’ll be wishing you were sleeping with me, because I really fucking liked holding you last night.”
“Oh,” she breathes, her eyes wide.