Chapter Twenty-Four #2
“So yes, I’d be honored to be your boyfriend. I have no problem putting a label on this—whatever this is.” He straightened, and got a little grin on his face. “You’re my first.”
“Oh really?” I’d some vague notion of this, but hadn’t been able to more than circle around in the nebulousness of our previous conversations.
“Yep. First official boyfriend. The guys in high school and university didn’t count. No one, until you, has made me want to be serious, monogamous, and—” He fluttered his hand. “I can’t think of another adjective that suits. Oh!” He grinned.
I cocked my head—absolutely charmed.
“Well, you’ve already met my mother and I’ve already met your ex. That should make things easier, right? Are you going to tell Gideon? I’m fine if you want to wait—”
“No waiting. I’ll have to share with Gideon what happened today, and that means being honest about my feelings toward you. I think—” I swallowed. “I’d like to think he’ll be happy for me.”
“From what I know of him? He absolutely would want that. Just as, even if you might be a little jealous, you want the best for him.”
“I don’t get jealous.”
“Oh, you do. But you hide it well.”
I considered. “So that means exclusive?”
He chuckled. “I got tested just for you. I’m willing to go bareback.”
Heat raced to my cheeks—and blood to my cock. “You can’t say things like that when the kids are in the other room.”
“But this time tomorrow night they won’t be…right?”
“Yes. Gideon and Archer are coming back midafternoon. I’m making an early dinner for everyone.”
“Sounds very mature.”
“I want you here.”
“Oh. You don’t want to give them advance warning?”
“Well, when you put it like that…” I squinted.
“Yeah, I think so, right?” He pursed his lips. “I think I’d appreciate the heads-up. Like if Mama invited a new beau to meet me.”
“Do you think your mother ever will?”
“I’m of the never say never camp. She meets plenty of people in her job.”
“And you’d be open to her finding love again?” I knew him well enough to say the words with absolute certainty.
“Yes, absolutely. I just…I don’t know how things will work for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“She insists she enjoys living in the basement of the house she owns. I don’t mind having her there—truly.”
“But you’re wondering what might happen if she does meet someone.”
“Well, I hadn’t really until now. But you’ve brought it up, and it’s a valid point. And, I mean, how are we going to work?”
I blinked. Somehow, I hadn’t taken Mrs. Zhang into account. “How do you want things to work?” Please say we can work something out.
“Am I going to be here when the kids are here? Or just when you don’t have them?”
“I want you here every moment you’re not working.”
He burst out laughing. “Leo, that sounds like you’re asking me to move in.”
“Because I am.”
He stilled. “Oh. You said boyfriends.”
“Right. Boyfriends live together.”
“Sometimes they do. Sometimes they take things slowly.”
“Am I moving too fast? Sometimes I’m like a freight train.”
“I like the direction you’re heading and yes, I’m along for the ride.”
“It’s chaos when the kids are here.”
“I like a little enthusiastic nuttiness.”
“I can’t promise I’ll always be cheerful when they’re not.”
He smiled. “I can deal when you’re a bear with a sore paw. I’ll kiss it and make it better.”
I believed him. “What will happen to your mom and your house? Do you think we should move there? Or be there when I don’t have the kids? Or—”
“You bought this house to be near them. That’s a solid plan.”
“Did you ever notice the cabin on the other side of the driveway?”
He cocked his head. “Sure. I assumed that was your neighbors’.”
I shook my head. “The former owners of the house had a disabled adult son. They wanted to keep him close, but give him his own space. Eventually, he moved into Mission City and was able to achieve a level of independence. The cabin’s traditional on the outside, but very modern on the inside.”
“And you’re thinking I might live there?” He squinted. “I suppose. Although I kind of thought—”
“That you’ll be in here and in my bed? Hell, yes.”
“But—”
“You’re right, it’s a stupid idea.”
He blinked. “I don’t know what the idea is. Don’t assume you know what I’m thinking—that way leads to trouble.”
“Yes, you’re right.” I took a breath. “Do you suppose, I mean it’s silly, right? Because she has a house in the—”
“You’re wondering if Mama might want to move into a cabin in the woods?”
“When you say it like that, it sounds ridiculous.”
“Actually, it doesn’t. I mean, I have no idea what she’d say. But she doesn’t want to live in a big house. Personally, I’d love to see her move out of the basement—but this is a huge step. We just agreed to be boyfriends—”
“You agreed to move in.”
“Yes, I can hardly forget that. Even though you sort of forgot to mention that part of the plan.”
I burst out laughing. “You think I have a plan? You give me way too much credit. I just know I don’t want to be apart from you more than absolutely necessary. Oh, does this…is this going to be a conflict at work?”
“A doctor and a nurse living together? No. Will I have to tell Marlena so she doesn’t schedule me in your rotation? Yes.”
“Are you okay with that?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “She’s been trying to get me to commit to the NICU.”
“That’s a rough place to work.”
“Yeah, I suppose. But I think oncology would be tougher. Which is the other place that needs more nurses right now.”
I placed a kiss on his forehead. “I’ll support you—no matter what.”
He sighed. “You make this sound so easy.”
I laughed. “Oh, hardly that. You’d be upending your life to be part of chaos.”
“The best kind of chaos.”
“Well, that’s true.” I pulled back to meet his gaze. “Why don’t you think about it? Talk to your mom? Speak to Marlena? I don’t want to feel like I pushed you into something you weren’t ready for.”
He gazed up at me though impossibly long lashes. “I was ready the morning after our one-night stand.” He grinned. “Until you stuck your foot in your mouth.”
“Oh God, you’re never going to let me live that down, are you?”
“Should I?”
“Nope. I was wrong to say what I said.”
“You had a reason.”
“One bad experience with one nurse shouldn’t have colored my perception of all nurses.”
“And I’ll own that all doctors aren’t arrogant.” He smirked. “Maybe even not all surgeons.”
“I’m not infallible.”
“Neither am I. Part of being human. Now, I’m thirsty and our hot chocolate is long cold. How about I heat them up?”
I yanked him close. “I’d prefer you warm me up…but that can come later.”
Later was the two of us falling asleep on the couch and being woken by two hungry kids just after dawn.
Oh, and the dog who wanted to be let out.
Yes, my life was perfect.