The Right Move (Windy City, #2)

by Liz Tomforde

I’m not easily distracted, but if I could manifest my perfect distraction, it’d look a lot like her.

“But I spend a lot of your money.” “Someone needs to.” “And I’m messy. You don’t like messy.” “I like your mess.” “And I’m needy. I have no idea how to be alone.” “Good. I don’t want you to be alone. I want you to be with me.”

At some point, I should probably tell her that my love language is whichever one she wants it to be so she can stop guessing. I’ll make sure that girl feels loved however she needs.

“I want you, Indy. I want us. I want our little life we’ve built even when we thought we were pretending. I want you in our house because you’ve made it a home. I want your mess and your chaos. I want your genuine smiles, the ones you wear when you’re around my sister, the hockey team, and me. I want you happy, and I want to be the reason you are. I want you to choose me.” “Ry—” “I understand what I’m competing against. I know I don’t have your history, but I want your future.” “Ryan—” “You deserve the grand gestures, the big moments. I’m not great at making a show. I don’t like the attention, but if that’s what you need to understand how much I want you in my life, I’ll do it. Fuck, I should’ve done this in front of a crowd or standing in the rain or something romantic instead of hiding away and saying it. God…” I chuckle without humor. “I’m telling you you’re the best thing to ever come into my life while hiding in a random room with terrible carpet and shitty wallpaper—” “Ryan!” I swallow. “Yeah?” Her lips lift, a smile overtaking her face. “I never thought I’d say this, but you can stop talking now.” A small chuckle rumbles in my chest as she closes the space between us. Hand wrapping around my neck, she pulls my eyes to meet hers. “You didn’t have to say anything. I already know. And I’m the talker in this relationship, in case you forgot, but today, I only have three words I need to say.” She leans up on her tiptoes, her mouth level to mine as she whispers the lo...

“I’m sorry someone let you believe you were hard to love, because, Blue, it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done.” I shake my head. “God, I love you. I think in a way, I’ve loved you since our first breakfast together. You brought me back to life, Ind, and I will love you as long as you’ll let me.” “Promise?” Pulling her in, I take her lips with mine. “I’ll even add it to the fridge.”

“Why did you pay for my fertility treatments? I didn’t want anyone paying for that.” “No, you didn’t want your parents paying for that. You said you felt uncomfortable for someone else paying for you to start a family. Well, it’s going to be my family too, so I don’t count.” “But that was back in December. Even then?” He knew even then? “Even then.”

She drapes her arms over my shoulders. “What do you say, Shay? Want to be my roomie? Hide away with me in this big, beautiful house?” “I think that sounds like the right move.”

“No. Thank you.” He doesn’t have to say anything else. I know what it means. Thank you for protecting my daughter, for loving my daughter. But later tonight, I’ll hopefully be the one saying thank you right after I ask for his blessing to marry his daughter. It was the first question I learned to sign, so you could say I’ve been practicing it for a while.

The group continues to talk among themselves when Indy leans her head on mine, speaking quietly. “I’m excited to be home with you all summer, neither of us traveling for work.” “I’m excited to be home with you forever, Blue.” She smiles, soft brown eyes filled with so much love. “Forever sounds perfect.” Forever does sound perfect. I could not be more content, with my people, with my girl, and with my team on the way to the playoffs. This life, this home, this relationship is everything I never let myself want, and it’s more than I knew I was allowed to dream for.

The kids and I rejoin the rest of our family upstairs, and I can’t help but count my blessings. The man I love gave me the life I always dreamed of, but it’s so much more than I ever could’ve pictured for myself. He swept my romantic heart right off her feet, and little did I know the day I moved into his apartment, that my new roommate would be the center of my happily ever after.