“Tell him the truth. If I move here, I’m hoping you’ll have me over often. He’s your friend. I’ll deal.”

  “I wouldn’t have to be friends with him.”

  Devyn pressed her lips together. “Things with Matt and I were complicated. He’s not someone I recommend dating, but he’s not a bad guy. And I promise I’ll get used to him being around. I want to be here with you. That’s what’s important to me.”

  “What if I don’t want you to move here?”

  Devyn started to pull her hand back, but Robbie shook her head and said, “Hold on. Let me finish.” She gently squeezed Devyn’s hand. “I was so happy in San Diego. A big part of that was being with you, but I loved everything about it. When I came back here, little things that bothered me before were way worse.” She looked around the kitchen for a moment. “This is home, but I don’t want to be here. I don’t want you to move because I’d rather be with you in San Diego.”

  “What about your uncle?”

  “He’s going to stay in Palm Springs. He hasn’t formally made that decision, but I know how he feels about Paul.”

  “And the marina?”

  Robbie exhaled heavily. “That’s the part I need to figure out. Well, the marina, the dock, my houseboat, and my job.”

  Devyn loosened her hold on Robbie’s hand. She’d had it in her head that Robbie couldn’t leave. “I was getting used to the idea of Seattle, but I like the idea of you with me in San Diego even more. It’d be a lot of work for you though—selling this place and the marina and figuring out a new job…Would you let me help with some of it?”

  “I can do it.”

  She tipped her head and Robbie gave a conciliatory smile. “I could be convinced to accept some help.”

  “Thank you.” Devyn let go of Robbie’s hand and went to her side of the table. When she held open her arms, Robbie stood. Their embrace wasn’t like what they’d shared last night, but it filled her with something more. She breathed in Robbie and snuggled against her. “We’ll figure out the details.”

  She had no reason to think things would be easy. Yet she knew it would work out. Her future was with Robbie. She’d found the person she wanted to make a new start with. The person she wanted to take chances for. The person she could trust and finally be herself with.

  “You’re the one,” she whispered. She’d never felt so certain of anything before.

  Robbie pulled back from their embrace to meet her eyes. “The one for what?”

  “For me.” Her heart raced as she realized what she was about to say. She didn’t fall in love easily and she’d never been sure if she was truly in love before. Now there was no doubt. “I love you.”

  “I thought you were going to wait til after our first date.”

  Devyn smiled. “I changed my mind.”

  Robbie met her lips with a deep kiss. She knew how their first date would turn out. And she was already looking forward to all the dates that would follow.

  Epilogue

  “Is this a feng shui thing?” Robbie set her side of the bed down after Devyn let go of hers. They’d adjusted the angle of the bed six times already and Devyn still had a furrowed brow.

  “I can’t sleep if there’s any light.”

  “I thought that was why we got blackout curtains.”

  “Curtains don’t stop the light coming from under that doorway.” Devyn dropped onto the mattress and turned from one hip to the other. “Can you hit the switch?”

  Robbie turned off the overhead light and the room plunged into darkness. Devyn let out a contented sound. “Ah. Now that’s nice.”

  “What is? I can’t see my hand in front of my face.”

  Devyn laughed. “Come here. You know where the bed is.”

  “Do I?” Robbie took a few steps, exaggerating the stomping sound of her feet, then groaned. “Help, Angel, I’m lost in my own room.” Angel’s tags jingled on his collar, and he bumped into Robbie’s leg a moment later. “You can’t see, either? Wait, can dogs still see in the dark with blackout curtains?” Angel hopped up, placing his front legs on Robbie and asking to be scooped up. “It’s okay. We’re lost together.” She pretended to stumble into the bed, then set Angel on the mattress and tumbled on top of Devyn. “Oh, sorry. Can’t see anything.”

  Devyn laughed again, wrapping her arms around Robbie. Angel settled on the space next to them, and for once Devyn didn’t say, “No dogs in bed.”

  “You sure this is the right spot? Because I’m willing to move this bed for the seventh time if it’s not perfect.”

  Devyn kissed Robbie lightly. “It’s perfect. So are you.”

  “Guess who’s in bed with us?”

  Devyn grumbled. “I’m pretending not to notice.”

  “Why can’t Angel sleep in our bed? He’s such a good dog.”

  “I know he is, but I can’t sleep with anyone licking me.”

  “You sleep fine with me.”

  Devyn sighed contentedly. “I do. I love how well I sleep with you. But you do not try to lick my hands in the middle of the night.”

  “I’ve been tempted. With the blackout curtains, though, it’s really hard to see where your hands are.”

  Devyn placed her hand on Robbie’s cheek and guided their lips together. After a deep kiss, she said, “Welcome home to us.”

  “Welcome home,” Robbie repeated, a tingling warmth filling her chest. “You know, since we have blackout curtains, there’s no way to know where we are exactly. We could pretend to be anywhere.”

  “I don’t need to pretend to be anywhere else,” Devyn said. “I’m happy right here. With you.”

  “And Angel.”

  “And Angel.” Devyn’s smile showed in her voice. “Now that we’ve officially moved, I’m ready to talk about getting Angel a little sister or brother.”

  “Really?” Robbie shifted up, straddling Devyn’s hips. “Angel, buddy, did you hear that? Angel? You still here?”

  “He’s right here.” Devyn let out a happy sound and pulled Robbie down again on top of her. “I’ve got everyone I love right here.”

  “You’re serious about another dog?”

  “I know you’ve been wanting one for a while.”

  Robbie had only mentioned it once, when she’d first come back to San Diego. They’d all gone for a walk on the beach by the townhouse Devyn was renting at the time and Angel had wagged his tail happily when they’d run into a terrier friend of his. At the time she’d only said, “Someday I want another puppy.”

  Devyn had remembered. She didn’t seem to forget any little thing Robbie said. She often brought Robbie little gifts—things she’d mentioned liking—and she’d surprised Robbie with a trip to Costa Rica after Robbie had casually said it was a place she’d dreamed of visiting.

  The house, though, they’d decided on together. No surprises and lots of conversations. Choosing San Diego and being close to Mari and Elena, whose baby was due any minute, hadn’t been hard once Robbie admitted that was where she truly wanted to be. Besides, San Diego was only a three-hour drive from Palm Springs and Uncle Bruce was happily settled there. The trick had been selling the marina. The process had taken longer than expected and there’d been months of long distance.

  Devyn had worried about their time apart. Robbie had done everything she could to ease Devyn’s worries and they’d gotten through it. Now they had a home together. With a long to-do list on a little house by the bay Devyn loved.

  “I don’t think I’m ready for a puppy quite yet,” Robbie admitted.

  “You still miss your Pixie?”

  “Yes. But it’s also all the work we have here.”

  “You don’t think we can handle one more thing?” Devyn laughed lightly. “I think we can handle anything.”

  “Even dinner with your parents? We need to RSVP for that yacht club thing.”

  “You had to remind me.” Devyn buried her face against Robbie’s shoulder. “Maybe we can say one of us is sick.”

  “Two weeks out?”

  “Mm. I feel a fever coming on.”

  Robbie chuckled. “If you don’t want them to know about us, we can say we’re roommates.”

  “It’s not that.”

  “You sure? I know your parents are conservative and I’m okay being your roommate. Or a friend who needed a place to crash. Whatever makes things easier for you. It doesn’t matter to me what they know or think. I know how you feel, and that’s the important part.”

  Devyn shifted under Robbie, and a second later light flooded the room from the bedside lamp. Devyn pushed up on her elbows and locked her gaze on Robbie. “You’re not my roommate. And you’re not only a friend. You’re the most important person in my life. I don’t care what they think, but I’m not going to hide anything.”

  Robbie’s heart seemed to press against her chest. “You sure we need blackout curtains?”

  Devyn gave her a questioning look.

  “Because I really love being able to see you. Especially when you’re all fired up like now. You’re so damn sexy.”

  “I’m serious, Robbie. I want my parents to know who you are to me. I want everyone to know. Not because it’s going to be fun or easy having the conversation, but because you’re the person I love. If they can’t accept that, then maybe I don’t need them in my life.”

  “I love you.” Robbie closed the distance between them with a kiss. She pulled back and said, “I’m going to charm the pants off your parents.”

  “Oh, no.” Devyn groaned. “I know how charming you can be. I don’t want to see either of them without their pants.”

  “They’re going to love me. Just wait.” She kissed Devyn again. “Speaking of dinner plans, are we still meeting up with Mari and Elena tonight?”

  “If Elena gets off on time.”

  “Even if she doesn’t, we could still get food with Mari and bring leftovers to Elena. I’ve seen the food you all try to eat from that cafeteria.”

  “Elena would love that.” Devyn snuggled closer to Robbie. “We’ve been focused on this bed being in the right spot, but is there anything you need set up just so?”

  “There is one thing.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I may need some help arranging some seeds and some starter plants I ordered.” Robbie had wanted it to be a surprise but knew it’d be better as a together project. “You know I do not have a green thumb.”

  “You want to work on the yard before we have a functioning kitchen?”

  “We need a pollinator garden. Monarchs and bees are facing extinction. If we don’t do our part—”

  “You.” Devyn pressed her hand against Robbie’s chest. She kissed Robbie and added, “I can’t believe I ever hated you.”

  “You forgave me. I think.”

  “Completely. How could I not?”

  “I know we need a functioning kitchen, but butterflies and bees need flowers.” She wanted to memorize Devyn’s smile then, love overtaking her. “You make me happy. I want to make you happy too—with a big pollinator garden.”

  “You already make me happy. A thousand times over. You’re the best housebutch ever.”

  “The best what?”

  “Housebutch. You don’t know the term? It’s someone who’s amazing with their hands and takes care of all the house stuff.”

  Robbie narrowed her eyes. “I don’t think that’s a real term.”

  “Look it up,” Devyn said, all confidence. “I’ll wait for you to tell me I’m right.”

  Robbie laughed, but Devyn stopped her with a kiss. A perfect kiss. A life-couldn’t-get-much-better kiss. After another, she pulled back and asked, “If I’m a housebutch, what are you?”

  “Yours. All yours.”

  Bella Books, Inc.

  Women. Books. Even Better Together.

  P.O. Box 10543

  Tallahassee, FL 32302

  Phone: 800-729-4992

  www.bellabooks.com

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