Page 192 of Where We Stay

I bite back a laugh and push myself off the couch. “Come on, Pen. Time for bed, Penny.”

I hold out my hand, but Aspen looks past it toward Blair.

“Can Blair tuck me in tonight?” she asks, rubbing both fists over her eyes.

Blair looks at me, silently checking whether I’m okay with it.

I press a hand to my chest. “Replaced in my own house?”

“You can tuck me in tomorrow night, Daddy,” Aspen assures me. She climbs off the couch and grabs Blair’s hand. “Come on, Blair.”

Blair lets Aspen drag her toward the hallway before glancing back at me with a smirk. “Looks like I’m the favorite now.”

“You’re definitely mine.”

I catch her hand and pull her back long enough to kiss her, earning an impatient groan from Aspen.

“Come on!”

Blair laughs as Aspen leads her down the hallway.

Once I’m alone, I look around the living room and think about how naturally she fits into our life. She stood in my kitchen cooking with Aspen, helped her with her homework and is now tucking her into bed like she’s done it a hundred times.

I want this to be our normal.

There’s still the fucking shadow of Ben hanging over us. He’s out there somewhere, and I’d be lying if I said I don’t think about it. I do. Every fucking day.

But I refuse to let that bastard take up more space in Blair’s life than he already has. Tonight belongs to us.

A few minutes later, Blair walks back down the hallway with a soft smile on her face.

“Out like a light,” she says, curling up beside me the second she sits down.

I wrap an arm around her and kiss the top of her head. “Thank you for today.”

“You’re welcome.” Blair settles closer, resting her hand on my chest. “You don’t have to carry the load alone anymore, Dean. I hope you know I’m here to help.”

“I know now, baby.”

We put on Yellowstone after Knox forced me to watch it and Blair admitted G wouldn’t shut up about it either. Apparently, accepting defeat was easier than listening to both of them harass us.

It’s not half bad.

I won’t be telling them that.

A little while later, Blair’s breathing slows and her quiet snore begins. She’s fallen asleep against me, and I’m seriously considering staying in this exact position all night when my phone vibrates against the coffee table.

JERRY

I grab it quickly before the sound wakes her.

“Hi, Jerry,” I answer quietly.

“Dean. Sorry to call so late,” he says. “Blair missed our check-in, and she didn’t answer when I tried her again.”

I look down at her sleeping peacefully against my chest. “She’s here. She’s asleep on me right now.”

Jerry releases an audible breath. “Good. I figured she was probably with you, but I wanted to make sure.”