Chapter 23

23

"I can't believe you talked me into this," I grumbled and stared out the side window at a very nice, well-kept home.

I felt Valentine's hand on my chin. He slowly turned my face until I was no longer looking at the house belonging to his teammate, Shiloh, and her husband, Luke but, instead looking into steel-blue eyes full of concern.

"It's going to be fine."

I knew it would be. Valentine would never walk me into a situation where I wouldn't be fine.

But …

"What if they don't like me?"

"They'll like you."

Firm. Honest. He believed that.

"Okay."

Before we could get out of the car, my phone rang and I grabbed it out of my purse. I saw it was Hayden and answered.

"Hey."

"You're alive," he returned. "I see how it is, you get a man and dump me."

Thankfully he was laughing, but the fact remained it was Saturday, a few days after Khloe's peace offering and tacos, and I hadn't seen or talked to him since then.

I looked at Valentine and said to Hayden, "Sorry, Winslow. I'll talk to Valentine. We'll spend the night at ours. We can have a pizza and movie night."

"Pass. You're finally gettin' it regular. Please do not bring that noise to the apartment. The walls are thin."

"No shit. I've heard you hundreds of times. I think you'll live or do what I do and sleep with earbuds in."

Valentine's lips twitched.

"I have ear sensitivity, that won't work. Besides, I was just giving you shit but an invite to Valentine's place wouldn't go unappreciated."

Ugh . Was it socially acceptable to invite someone over and tell them their booty call wasn't welcome?

"I'll ask Valentine his schedule this week and work out something, okay?"

"Good. I'm calling because your mom came by again. This time begging me to have you call her. She said it was imperative she speak to you."

Her idea of imperative and mine were two different things.

"I'll call her tomorrow. I'm getting ready to walk into a cookout with Valentine's team. I don't want to go in there in a bad mood."

"Damn, Huxley. Meeting the friends. Nice."

"Yeah."

"Tell your man I said what's up and he's slacking. I haven't seen him since the last time I kicked his ass at the center."

"I'll tell him."

"Later."

I tossed my phone in my purse.

"Summary report: Hayden wants an invite over to your house for dinner. He says to tell you hi and you're slacking at the center. Also, my mother stopped by the house again and has upped the drama saying it's imperative I call her."

"Shoulda already said this; Hayden, or anyone you want for that matter, is welcome at the house anytime."

Hayden or anyone I want?

"What's happening?"

Steel-blue turned stormy when he leaned in closer.

"What's happening is we're falling in love. We're fighting for this. And while we're doing that I'm going to do everything I can to get you to keep packing bags and staying the night until you come to the conclusion it'd be easier to just hang your shit in my closet and clean out whatever drawers you need."

Easier to hang my clothes in his closet?

I was fighting against hyperventilating. We'd only been together… I gave up mathing in my head when I started getting lightheaded.

"You want me to move in?" I whispered, not trusting my voice.

"Today if I could talk you into it."

Today?

Sweet Dolly Parton, was he serious?

"Are you serious?"

Did Valentine turn on the heater? Was I sweating? I was born and raised in Georgia; it took a lot for me to break out in a sweat.

"How'd it feel last night falling asleep next to me? What about this morning—did you wake up happy?"

He knew I did. I loved falling asleep in his bed just as much as he did.

"Yes," I muttered.

"Right. So did I. Can't remember a morning since my mom and sister died I've woken up happy. Truly happy."

Holy hell .

I was totally moving in with Valentine.

"I need to talk to Hayden."

"You know he won't care. Or he will, but the caring he'll be doing is being happy for you. The dude adores you."

I was so freaking happy Valentine understood my friendship with Hayden.

"He totally does. And the deal was, we moved in with each other so we could each save money for a down payment on a house. I know he's saved enough, and I know he's had the money for the last year but hasn't moved out because he worries about me living alone."

Suddenly Valentine looked over my shoulder. He never broke eye contact when we were in the middle of a conversation.

"Everything—"

"Didn't think anything about it until you just said you're saving up to buy a house. You got something in mind you want? A neighborhood? I don't want to go as far as Savannah, traffic to work would be a bitch, but something within an hour of the station."

An hour?

He was willing to make a crazy-long commute and move if I'd already been house hunting.

God, could this guy get any better?

"Your house is perfect with… some small changes," I rushed the last three words.

"You don't like my pad?" He chuckled.

"I do, it just needs…" God, how did I tell him he needed some color and personality infused into his surroundings?

"You, Sophie. It just needs you. Then you can chick the joint up and make it a home."

Holy shit . We were doing this. I was going to move in with Valentine and the decision was made spur of the moment sitting in his Rover parked in front of his friend's house. My mother would have a heart attack. She'd have a ready lecture about proper planning and other people's perception and whatever other negative things she could come up with. Her nagging would be done out of concern for my wellbeing but not my happiness.

However, I was choosing happiness.

One week, one month, a year or three.

Valentine made me happy.

I was shooting my shot and hoping for the best.

"Okay."

"You're moving in?"

"Yep."

"Today?"

"Well, I was already planning on spending the night."

Valentine's eyes turned warm and he smiled a smile I'd never seen him make. He looked happy. Joyful. Relaxed.

"If you keep smiling at me like that, honey, I'm gonna request you take me home to celebrate and I'll miss meeting your friends."

His happiness instantly transformed to desire. It felt great knowing he was just as attracted to me as I was to him. But, seriously sometimes a girl needed a break.

"Come on, Romeo, introduce me to your friends."

He waited a beat, then two, and when I thought he was going to break the silence he opted to kiss me instead.

A sweet, slow celebratory kiss.

A promise of good things to come.

Please and thank you.

"I'm sorry what?" I sputtered. "A dog peed on his boot?"

We were all sitting in lawn chairs in Shiloh and Luke's backyard. "We" being Shiloh, Luke, Riddle, Chip, me, and Valentine. Their teammates, Watson and Gordy, had left a bit ago after we'd devoured the burgers Luke grilled. Shiloh had a bunch of store-bought sides from the deli that were better than any homemade potato and macaroni salads I'd ever had.

My belly was full, I was relaxed and having a great time, everyone seemed to like me and I totally liked them. Especially Shiloh and Chip. Shiloh was my soul-sister—that was, if her being a badass and me not being a badass meant we could still be sisters of the soul. She was a straight shooter. She didn't waste time pretending to be something she wasn't. You took her as she was or you didn't take her at all. She was also watchful and obviously the little sister to all the guys. They gave her gruff and she gave it back ten-fold. It was fun to watch. And Chip was a riot. His real name was Alan but everyone called him Chip because his front tooth was chipped and had been for years. The story behind it was something about him taking down a suspect who was twice his size. The chipped tooth was his claim to fame. He was also the most soft-spoken out of all the guys.

Now Riddle was telling stories and this latest one was about Valentine and a dog peeing on him.

"You didn't tell her about the time you were assaulted by a naked woman?" Riddle asked .

"Jesus. Here we go," Valentine mumbled. "I need a beer, anyone else?"

"I bet you do." Luke chuckled.

"Sunny?"

"Thanks. I'm good." She held up her bottle of water in salute.

Valentine tipped his head then smiled at her before he looked at me.

"You good?"

"Yes, but I'll be better when I hear the story about you getting assaulted by a naked woman. When was this?"

His eyes did this funny thing where they got wide and twitched at the same time.

"Last week."

Last week?

"Oh, shit, he's in trouble," Chip put in.

"Please tell me you disinfected before you came home."

"I used all the soap in the shower stall at work and half a bottle of hand sanitizer, and I tossed my boots, and my vest has been dry cleaned twice."

"Your vest?"

The crowd dissolved in fits of laughter.

"I hate you all," Valentine grumbled.

"She didn't just assault him," Riddle said through his laughter. "She jumped on him and climbed him like a monkey. He didn't know what to do with his hands so he held them high and to the side like he was blessing the room. The naked chick took that as her opportunity to climb higher. Shiloh had to save his ass. Or actually his face, seeing as that's where she was headed."

I pinched my lips because I wasn't sure if I wanted to laugh or ask for this woman's name so I could beat her up. I was edging toward laughter but Valentine's unhappy grunt pushed me over the edge and I lost it and joined in the hilarity.

"And the dog?" I giggled.

"A puppy," Chip choked out. "He was sniffing around Valentine, jumping on his leg, but when the woman attacked the dog got excited and just started pissing."

I looked up at Valentine frowning at Chip and busted out laughing again. His attention came to me and his eyes narrowed.

"I thought you were irrationally jealous?" He actually sounded perplexed.

"Was she hot?"

"She was cracked out and didn't smell real good."

"Then she doesn't count."

"Woman, she was humping my vest."

At that I laughed so hard I couldn't breathe. This lasted too long for Valentine's liking.

"All of you suck," he grunted.

"I'd rather suck than have a snail trail on my vest," Shiloh put in.

I stopped laughing and went back to pinching my lips .

"There's a joke in there somewhere but I don't wanna be snipered so I'll refrain," Riddle said with a smile.

"Smart," Luke rumbled.

Eek .

"So, Sophie, what is it you do?"

"Thankfully, not a job where there's a possibility I'll get humped by a stranger."

The backyard filled with laughter again.

And there I sat in the waning Georgia sun, drinking a beer with my man and his friends.

Oh, yeah, I'd take happiness any day of the week.