Page 93 of The Challenge

“That was amazing.” He panted. “It’s never too late.”

“Too late for what?” I breathed, collapsing on him.

“It’s never too late for your dreams to come true. So many times, I fantasized about this very thing in this very room. It might’ve taken more than a decade, but—”

We were interrupted by the sound of banging downstairs. We turned to each other.

“The workers are back,” he said.

I laughed. “Little do they know theirs isn’t the only banging happening in this house today.”

Chapter 34

EVAN

After dinner tonight, tell me something you’ve been keeping from me.

That was the challenge Chloe had left on my bedside table before I woke up this morning, and the note had been burning a hole in my pocket all day. There wasn’t a lot I’d kept from her. But I could think of at least one thing I’d never told her. I’d been hoping she’d conveniently forget that it was her turn to challenge me—but no such luck.

So much had happened in the week since we’d slept together.

Chloe had found a local woman to act as Judy’s caretaker so she could try moving her into the house.

With that falling into place, Chloe and I had decided to explain the significance of the house to Effie tonight at dinner, as well as break the news that Chloe would be moving there to live with her mom.

In the middle of our meal, I turned to Chloe. “You want to start?”

“Sure…” She cleared her throat. “So, Effie, we have to talk to you about something.”

My daughter stopped twirling her pasta and looked up at us with her big, beautiful brown eyes. “What?”

“I have to move out next week.”

A look of fear crossed Effie’s face. “You’re going back to Chicago?”

“Not yet, no,” Chloe corrected. “You know how my mom is in that facility? We’re going to try having her move into a house with me for a while. I think she might like that better.”

Effie looked between Chloe and me. “Why can’t your mom stay with us?”

“Well, honey, because there’s no room. It’s not just going to be her and me. She’s going to have a caretaker who comes in and out. As kind as it is that you would want that, it wouldn’t work.”

Effie pouted. “I don’t want you to leave.”

“I know, sweetie. But I’ll be really close.”

“Where will you be living?”

Chloe looked over at me. That was my cue.

“She’s gonna be living in our new house for a while, honey.”

“Really?” Effie’s eyes widened. “It’s ready?”

“Not quite. But I’m stopping the renovations a little early so she can live there with her mom for as long as she needs it.”

Effie was understandably confused. “But that house is big enough for all of us.”

“That’s true, but Chloe’s mom needs it quiet. She’s not doing well, and she needs some peace. You and I wouldn’t be able to be our usual loud selves there.”