Bruno barked, tail wagging swiftly and causing Bobby to burst into a fit of giggles, joy cracking his features. I hauled him off my shoulders and then ran full speed at Reese, pulling the bowl of fresh dog food from her hands and setting it on the kitchen floor at Bruno’s feet.
Bruno sat obediently, steel eyes locked on Bobby’s.
“Get ‘em!” Bobby finally shrieked, and Bruno attacked his dog bowl, the sound of violent licks filling the room and cleaning the bowl in less than a minute, causing Bobby to laugh hysterically.
Reese’s laugh rang through the space and had my heart feeling so fucking big I thought it might burst. I shook my head, so fucking grateful for two of the most honest and real humans I’d ever met landing on my dootstep unexepecdly.
Just when Thickwood was on the brink of driving me crazy, life had thrown me two precious Hail Mary’s and changed my future forever.
“Hey, Bobby?” Reese knelt, cradling the little boy in her lap as they both patted Bruno on the head. “Whaddya think about you being in charge of Bruno’s dinner forever?”
His tiny brows furrowed sweetly before he grinned, “I would love that!”
“Good, buddy.” I knelt beside them, taking him in my arms and carrying him off down the hallway to bed like an airplane. He laughed and giggled when he landed on the pillows in his new bed. “So, your mama wanted us to tell you that she loves you so much, more than words can even say.” Reese sat beside me and wrapped him in her arms. “And because she loves you so much, she’d like you to stay here with us, forever.”
“Forever?” His little voice asked. “That’s a really long time. I don’t think you’d want me that long.”
Reese wiped her eyes, a grin forming on her lips. “I’d take you for a thousand forevers, Bobby, I love you so much.”
“I’d take both of you for the next million forevers.” I grinned, enveloping them in a hug.
“So, does that mean you’re my new Mom and Dad?” He asked seriously.
“Well, if that’s what you’d like?” I brimmed with happy tears. Reese locked eyes with me, her eyes watering, forcing my own emotion closer to the surface.
“I would love that!” Bobby launched himself into Reese’s arms then, screaming happily and causing Bruno to jump up into bed and lick both of their faces until everyone was laughing uncontrollably.
By the time we were kissing him goodnight a few minutes later, Burno was snuggled securely at our boy’s side, both of their eyes already drifting closed into sweet sleep.
“Have I told you lately you’re the best thing that ever happened to me? Starting with that day you stole my booth at the diner?”
I laughed loudly, pulling her into our master bedroom and kicking the door closed behind me. “Is that what you’d call me? A common thief?”
She nodded, pushing up on her tiptoes. “The thief of my heart.”
I paused, her words strumming through my mind and causing me to do the one thing I’d had floating in the back of my mind all day.
I dropped to one knee. “I had something big planned for this moment, but I can’t imagine a better one than this, filled with our new family and so much love.” I cradled her palm in mine, pulling out the large diamond ring I’d had made at the jewelry store and only just picked up this morning. “Please be my wife. I want to make love and make babies and make all kinds of sweet hell with you.” I slipped the ring on her finger, not waiting for an answer, refusing to take anything other than yes. “You’re already my family, but make an honest man of me and say you’ll be my wife, Miss. Winters. You’re already mine, I just want you to share my name and my home and my everything else too.”
“Yes!” She screamed, throwing her arms around my neck and showering me in kisses. I stood, backing her onto the bed and laying her down swiftly, nudging myself between her thighs as we kissed ourselves breathless.
“I love you so much, Miss. Winters. I’ll do everything under the sun to make sure you’re happy every day. I’ll wrangle you the sun and stars, catch rainbows and kiss you senseless every day.”
“You’re already making me a happy woman, Sheriff.” She was already warm and wet beneath me, her core heating through the denim of my pants before I undid the button and zipper and pushed them down my thighs.
I crawled back up her skin, kissing my way up her thighs as I went before nipping at her panties and pulling, inhaling her juicy cunt as I did. “Fuck, I want to smell like your sweet come every day.”
Her hips bucked when I landed a kiss on her glistening clit before I continued crawling up her body. I unclasped her bra, pushing the straps down her shoulders and then catching the fabric with my teeth and yanking, pulling it off in a swift move before her tits fell heavy against my lips, nipples hard and begging for my attention. I sucked and pulled at the flesh, eliciting moans from her as she tugged at my hair and bucked her hips against mine.