Page 130 of Where We Stay

“Do you want to be my girlfriend, Morgan?”

She pretends to think about it, tapping one finger against her chin.

“Blair.”

“Yes,” she finally says, laughing. “I’ll be your girlfriend, Mr. Ashford.”

I slip an arm around her waist and kiss her.

A horn blasts from the driveway.

We pull apart to find Aspen grinning at us from the back seat, her small hand planted proudly against the steering wheel.

“Did she say yes?” she yells through the closed window.

Blair laughs against my chest. “I’m guessing subtlety doesn’t run in the family.”

“Not even a little.”

By the time we’re on the road, Blair has been twisting one of the gold rings on her fingers for almost ten minutes.

Cute.

Also, completely unnecessary.

My family is going to fucking love her.

I drive up the hill toward my parents’ house and pull into the driveway. Blair leans forward, staring through the windshield.

“Jesus Christ.”

I grin. “What?”

“You said it was a big house.” She gestures toward the sprawling home.

“It is a big house.”

“Dean, that is not a house. That is a fucking estate.”

“Don’t be dramatic,” I say, rolling my eyes.

She turns slowly to look at me. “There’s a cliff in the backyard.”

“Technically, it isn’t in the backyard.”

“Oh, shut up.”

I reach across the center console and take her hand.

“Hey.” I wait until her eyes meet mine. “They’re going to love you.”

“You keep saying that,” she murmurs.

“Because I know them.”

“And if they don’t?”

I lift her hand and press my mouth to her knuckles. “Then they can fucking deal with it.”