“Claire?”
I could hear the question in his voice, but decided to let the gift I wrapped speak for me. Letting go of his hand, I scooped it off the counter and held it out to him. “Open this.”
Ozzie frowned at the box, then gave me a curious look, but he took it. “What’s this for? It’s not my birthday. Or Christmas.”
“Just open it.” I waved a hand at the present, catching my bottom lip between my teeth as nerves took hold.
Brows still drawn together, he turned it over in his hands to find the seam in the paper and ripped it open. Holding it against his chest, he tugged the lid off the box and tucked it under his arm before moving the tissue paper out of the way.
He lifted out the change of address form, then looked at me in utter confusion. “A change of address form? What’s this for?”
I clutched my hands together in front of me to keep from fiddling and let my lip slide free. “So, I thought you might want to fill that out and make your presence here permanent.”
The look of confusion on his face went through several phases as he worked through my statement. Finally, it landed on one of confused hope.
A bit of my nerves melted away.
“You want me to move in for good?”
I nodded. “I know we haven’t talked much about the future, but these last few weeks have been some of the best of my life. I love having you here, and I can’t imagine you going home.”
Ozzie put the paper back in the box and set the lid on top before reaching around me to set it on the counter. He took my hands and tugged me closer until our shirts brushed. “It’s been in the back of my mind for close to two weeks that I needed to find a way to make our living situation permanent. I don’t want to go home, either. I’m already home, Claire.”
The last of my nerves took flight, floating away on a wave of hope. Intense love for this man warmed my chest. “You are?” My voice came out on a rough whisper.
“I am.” He let go of my hands to frame my face. “I’ve been holding onto these words about as long as I’ve been here, telling myself it’s much too soon to feel the way I do. Except I realize now the time doesn’t matter. When it’s right, it’s right. I love you. I think I have since you came running down the sidewalk in your blue robe and hot pink slippers, chasing Pebbles.”
A watery laugh bubbled out. I slid my hands over his. “Same, Detective. Same. I love you too.”
The smile that split his face was nothing short of pure joy. My own felt stretched to the max. But he quickly stole it away with a kiss that seared me to my toes.
I still had one question, though.
Easing back, I looked up at him. “If you were planning to make our living situation permanent, what’s the plan for your house?” There were still repairs to make. Even if he planned to sell it, they needed to be done.
One side of his mouth lifted. “I might know a certain Coastie turned fisherman who’s still looking for a house to buy.”
My smile bloomed once more. Ellis. “I think that’s a wonderful idea.” Ozzie wasn’t the only Quartermaine I’d gotten to know in the last month. The more time I spent with Ellis, the more I appreciated his brand of humor and the bond the brothers shared.
Ozzie wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me off my feet. “Me too. So, how long will dinner keep?” he asked a moment before he kissed me again.
My joyful laugh died in my chest as need took hold.
Dry elk roast wasn’tthatbad.
